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20 Jun 2008, 12:09 (Ref:2233393) | #1 | |
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Phoenix Park memories
With the Phoenix Park cancelled this year, not for the first time and with it's ultimate demise seemingly inevitable I'd be interested to hear people's memeories of the Park and what it means to them.
For me, it was my introduction to motorsport as a toddler in the late seventies. My father used to bring me and my older brother and sister down and while they hadn't the slightest interest, for some reason I was hooked. Even at that early age I developed a real interest in what was going on. In this modern era, the Park is a real throwback to what the early days of racing must have been like - the paddock basically in a big field, racing on public roads with trees lining the way, within touching distance. On the subject of the trees, there is no more haunting a sound than a proper racing engine wailing away in the distance back through the trees. The glorious Formula Atlantics spring to mind... The Park was the first place I saw an F1 car running in anger - Tom O'Leary's superb Theodore in 1983. It was lashing rain, but I didn't care. Other great memories are Rusty French's Porsche 935 going down the main straight at an impossible speed before the exploding in an orange blaze of turbo flame as he negotiated Dublin corner...any of the FF1600 races...the Formula Opels even, normally so stale in Mondello, were lit up in the Park as they had space to actually race...many a great saloon car race - the team challenges in the 80's were always good fun with he Capri's scything through the slower cars. I can even say I've had the privilege of seeing the great Striling Moss race and win in the Park. Even though the park has been a shadow of it's former self in recent years, I still get the same feelings and emotions every year I go down. It has a certain mystique about it. I always head down on the Friday evening to sample the atmosphere of cars arriving and setting up - I love it. Great stuff, different days, gone now but not forgotten. Anyone else?? |
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20 Jun 2008, 12:40 (Ref:2233415) | #2 | ||
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For me it's rain rain rain and even more rain and not washing for 4 days mmmmmmmm
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20 Jun 2008, 13:21 (Ref:2233440) | #3 | ||
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It's cancelled (again) this year!? They were advertising the website on Ten-Tenths, but it was always down.
Last edited by graeme; 20 Jun 2008 at 13:23. |
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20 Jun 2008, 15:05 (Ref:2233531) | #4 | |||
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20 Jun 2008, 16:03 (Ref:2233566) | #5 | |
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My father once told me that back when he was marshalling (he was one of the founder members of the MRMCI along with Paddy Healy and the late Barney Manley). If someone had an "off" and knocked over one of the old gas powered street lights, then the marshals at the post in question had to call for a bucket of mud which was poured into the hole formerly occupied by said light. This was the only solution available at the time to stem the gas flow!
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20 Jun 2008, 18:05 (Ref:2233650) | #6 | ||
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20 Jun 2008, 18:29 (Ref:2233673) | #7 | ||
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All my best memories are as a young kid being taken there by my dad in the 1970s and the fantastic Hawthorn circuit. o The Dunlop Saloon handicap races... where as you mentioned Shorthall, Tuite et al would be released in their Ford Capri 3.0S and it was like the Battle of Britain as they screamed their way down to Mountjoy corner in chase of the smaller engined cars. o Modified and special saloons... gorgeous full race Imps, minis and Mark I Escorts right the way through Vivian Candy's controversial Marlboro Captain America 'Imp'. o Formula Ford 1600s... tons of them, so many they had heats and a final. The melee into Mountjoy when it seemed kamikazi like behaviour was the norm. o Celebrities like great train robber Roy James waving to the crowd in his FF1600... Noel Edmonds in a black Ferrari... politicians vs clergy race... o Crowds of 100,000 + In the 1980s... o Roger Eccles Black Mercedes 190E hitting almost 160mph on the run to Ratra and consigning the Capri's to history. o Millions of Alfasuds and Fiat 128 3Ps in the most competitive saloon series ever. o The beautifully prepared Metros [Michael Cullen drove one] and the Porsche's from the UK. o Alan Kelly's gorgeously liveried Zanussi RF84 and the battle of the John Booths - 'Brolly' and 'Butcher'. o Martin Donnelly's stupendous drive to win the Irish FF2000 championship in 1983. o Tom O'Leary's Theodore... the first time I'd seen an F1 in action too. o The Superkarts first [and I think only] visit there when somebody [Austin Bishop ?] did a backwards summersault on the straight at some ungodly speed and learnt the hard way why a rear aerofoil needs a front one as well ! ... and there are many more. |
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23 Jun 2008, 14:59 (Ref:2235775) | #8 | ||
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I was thinking about trying to get a drive at the Park again this year – I’m so glad I did it 3 or 4 years ago. Perhaps a bit recent for “reminiscing” but the only layout I could find on the ‘net was the Hawthorn circuit and I turned up to find a completely different layout! Good job I wasn’t driving a car with selectable gear ratios – I’d have fitted the one ones. And standing in the trees a few metres from the track, with no-one else around, watching the pre-war cars thunder down the back straight was something special too.
If it doesn’t return, it will be much missed. Seems strange, when the likes of road circuits at Porto and the like are on the up… Any chance of another road circuit in Ireland if the Park isn’t revived? |
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24 Jun 2008, 11:38 (Ref:2236468) | #9 | ||
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24 Jun 2008, 12:01 (Ref:2236484) | #10 | |
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There was also Ballyjamesduff, Dundalk and Monkstown/Dun Laoire in the 1980s. Plenty of pictures here
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24 Jun 2008, 12:21 (Ref:2236502) | #11 | |
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Slightly OT, dont forget karting in Malahide Co. Dublin and Ballina Co. Mayo.
Happy days.... |
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24 Jun 2008, 12:32 (Ref:2236509) | #12 | |
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...and of course kart racing in the grounds of St. Senan's mental hospital in Enniscorthy and also around the town centre of Clonmel. I wrote off a brand new kart at that race in Clonmel... first time out in the thing I barrel rolled it into the crowd. Thankfully nobody was hurt.
By the way, who's that holding the mic here at the Ballina kart races Last edited by davyboy; 24 Jun 2008 at 12:36. |
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24 Jun 2008, 13:14 (Ref:2236543) | #13 | ||
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I think I was deputy COC or something that day and the guy doing the video asked me to "interview" some of the drivers.(All you guys who cant stand Carlton Kirby now have a new whipping boy!) It was all part of the Salmon Festival and practice and racing did'nt start until 6pm, which was different! Time to trawl the net looking for embarassing pictures of Mr.Neilson.... Last edited by Peter Dunne; 24 Jun 2008 at 13:21. |
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24 Jun 2008, 16:21 (Ref:2236647) | #14 | ||
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I always remember as a kid reading the Evening Press (remember that!) on the Wed before the meeting and seeing who or what was coming over. Then we'd head up on Friday night for scrutiny and just soak up the atmosphere. Lots of things to be seen, always someone that seemed to need a hand. Spent a few years helping other people out, most of whom seemed to have terrible luck! By the time I got to race there all that atmosphere seemed to be gone. Sitting in a fenced off area with security guards doesn't hold the same appeal, either to me or the next lot of kids.
Best memories? Orwell Supersports, first time I saw a 917. All the saloon races, formula fords removing myriad lamp posts (including a funny memory of the Hawthorn run backwards with a guy in a FF running 1st car in the 1st practice of the weekend coming down to Mountjoy from the paddock , going wide and hitting a lamp post. He was only doing about 10mph !), pre war cars on the Hawthorn, a guy throwing a Corvette Stingray into the trees halfway along the main straight, sidecars, bikes the list seems endless. Oh and how big those trees looked when I drove there first. I was terrified! The short circuit has never really appealed to me or had that sense of madness but I hope it returns even in short form as it is what racing here was all about. |
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24 Jun 2008, 22:10 (Ref:2236877) | #15 | |
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What a great thread!! I have loads of Park memories. The Da (fair play to him!!) brought me there every year as a nipper. My memories are spookily similar to Davyboy's though....
The ex-Hall Captain America Imp of Vivian Candy sitting on the grid on it's own when the others refused to race against it. (Like Victor Kiam, I liked this car so much, I bought it.........almost 3 decades later!!!!) Basil Dagge coming out tops of a great GT Race after Fintan Newport hoofed Viv Wallace's incredible Maguire Mini out of it at Mountjoy!! Atlantics actually hurting my ears coming out of Ratra!!! Glynn Guisti blowing alll the fancied runners away in the Post War Historics circa '79 in his incredibly quick 'blown MGTB!!! Queueing up for Team Marlboro Captain America Racing Sunstrips and stickers from EJ and The Candyman!! And the most embarassing.... Winning the Ritmo Race there in '98 and knowing the lads would take me to pieces if there was a tear in my eye when I returned to the paddock!!!! |
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24 Jun 2008, 22:17 (Ref:2236880) | #16 | ||
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25 Jun 2008, 16:46 (Ref:2237379) | #17 | ||
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26 Jun 2008, 07:54 (Ref:2237798) | #18 | ||
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Those town centre races look mad - revive those and I'll be across like a shot!
Ironic that MSN have started a monthly Irish motorsport pull-out just as you potentially lose one of the two circuits there |
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26 Jun 2008, 12:04 (Ref:2237932) | #19 | ||
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26 Jun 2008, 12:24 (Ref:2237954) | #20 | |||
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26 Jun 2008, 22:03 (Ref:2238356) | #21 | ||
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27 Jun 2008, 08:13 (Ref:2238552) | #22 | ||
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27 Jun 2008, 12:21 (Ref:2238705) | #23 | ||
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27 Jun 2008, 15:26 (Ref:2238794) | #24 | |||
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27 Jun 2008, 16:04 (Ref:2238821) | #25 | |
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This is all very nice but I thought this thread was about memories? Come on Messrs Neilson and Nulty, you guys are old enough and seem to have good memories for trivia, how about a few more anecdotes?
The only thing I can remember is John Hayes dropping fag ash on the roof of my dads Midget before scrutiny!! |
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