CLARE MOTOR CLUB HISTORY

Like all good ideas they start small and simple, the foundation of the Clare Motor Club was no different. On the 30th March 1980 three motorsport enthusiasts, Pete Larner, Dermot Kelleher and Paddy Bradley, met at Carspares on the Mill Road in Ennis and the usual chat started, were you in Galway? Did you see Billy?, are you going to the circuit?, etc. All three were members of the Galway Motor Club and had done their share of marshalling, timekeeping and attending very enjoyable club meetings. Someone said it's a pity we don't have our own club in Clare and that was when the Clare Motor Club was born. It was decided to put out the word that a meeting would be held in the Lifford Arms (now M.T. Pockets) on April 9th and if the attendance were good the Club would be formed. About fifty people attended and it was decided that the club would be officially launched in the West County Hotel on 29th April 1980 and the first committee would be selected. 

The Club applied to the R.I.A.C. for affiliation in 1981 but was turned down on the grounds that Clare was well served with club on both sides i.e. Limerick and Galway. Meetings followed with both clubs to enlist their help to be recognised by the governing body in Dublin and after several months negotiations affiliation was granted in 1982.

The Club ran its first Single Stage in 1982. In 1983, the Club ran a number of events, which included a forestry single stage run by Gerry Quinn and followed by a night navigation held by Eddie McCourt. A hill-climb by Olan Twomey, a tarmac single stage by John Butler, followed by another single stage at Shannon by Paddy Bradley and a mountain cross by Terry Hynes. The running of these events gave the club the confidence to repeat these events in 1984 as well as the addition of a test trail in May. The Club then took the ultimate step in increasing the tarmac single stage rally to a Stages Rally on July 8th, which was called the Hydro Hotel Stages Rally. Clerk of the Course was Johnny Hill and the event proved to be a great success.... More to follow.