Martin Birrane, the multi-millionaire Irish businessman who's based in London and is behind the now profitable Mondello Park, hopes to attract more big races to the much improved Co Kildare motor racing circuit. Hugh Oram talks to him.
He also wants to continue the enhancements there. Birrane has been involved with Mondello Park for nearly 20 years but since October, 1999 he's had sole control over it and its management, and intends keeping it that way.
Earlier, other parties were involved, including the RIAC, and the racing circuit was also run by various management teams. Some of his stories about previous franchised managements at Mondello Park are as hair-raising as the speeds of the cars themselves and indeed in one case, settlement had to be reached in the courts, in his favour. But since he gained total control, the operation of the circuit has become more focused and much more determined.
Birrane is a very resolute man, describing himself as "semi-laid-back but keen to get things done", but with no time for people in the motor racing business with their heads in the clouds. He likes restoring and renewing things and from the first time he set eyes on Mondello Park, he was determined to bring it up to its rightful international place, as a full length Grade 2 FIA-approved international circuit.
Born in Ballina, Co Mayo in 1935, where his father ran a master tailoring business, when he finished St Muredach's College in Ballina he took the boat to England, going on to spend three years travelling the world.
At one stage he was living in Geneva, where despite being a teenage tearaway, he studied hotel management, went to French lessons religiously every day until he became fluent in that language, and also sang for his late night supper in a pub/restaurant.
After all those travels, he returned to England, where he did many kinds of work, "anything and everything to keep off the dole". He had bit parts in films, appeared on the stage and in variety shows, appeared in TV commercials and featured in clothing catalogues. His last stage performance was in Brighton in 1958. He married at 22 and, in search of financial stability, emigrated to Canada.
There he found that his natural forte was selling real estate and he eventually had his own property business. He was also driving a Pontiac and through seeing motor racing on television and going go-karting, he began his lifelong devotion to motor sports.
Eventually, he returned to England because his wife didn't like living in Canada and he teamed up in the estate agency business in London with his late brother, John Birrane.
Over the years, his property interests have grown, so much so that today his Peer property group in London is worth about £120 million. His many other business interests there include a contract cleaning company.
According to the recent Sunday Times Rich List, he's the 406th richest person in Britain.
Fired up with his motor racing ambitions, he became involved with Mondello Park. The track had been founded in 1968, nearly 20 years earlier and when he saw it for the first time, he saw what he described as a "wasteland in need of some tender loving care". Since those early days, he's added three more lots of land to the site, which now extends over some 100 acres.
Martin Birrane says that in recent years, they've made great progress. It now has two tracks, a fine new grandstand and can cater for up to 25,000 spectators. Corporate, track and other events are going well, as is the performance driving centre. Many improvements have been made during the past winter. There are also plans for a museum with a substantial collection of old cars. Altogether, Martin Birrane himself owns 33 old racing cars.
People living locally will be relieved to hear that he has no intentions of letting Mondello Park be used for rock concerts or similar events. "We want to keep the goodwill of local residents," he declares.
Mondello Park now employs 22 people full-time and about 100 more part-time. Two years ago, John Morris, whose family has a long history in the garage business, was appointed circuit director and according to Birrane, he's made a considerable input into the successful running of the circuit. Birrane says that Mondello Park is now considered better than all but two of the British circuits, Donington and Silverstone, in terms of safety and facilities. It can handle any type of race, apart from Formula One.
The big problem in the current world economic climate is getting enough big-time races, and Birrane reckons that they'll have to wait for an eventual upturn before more of them come to Co Kildare. But they do have impressive events coming up in the near future, like the British Superbikes fixture on July 19th and 20th. He adds: "We now have the facilities at Mondello Park and I have the contacts to bring in more big races."
Apart from continuing to improve Mondello Park, one of his other ambitions is to see an Irish Formula One champion. Meanwhile, other interests here in Ireland include being president of the Mayo & District Motorsports Club.
Apart from Mondello Park he has another and even bigger investment in motor racing, Lola Cars, the biggest race car manufacturer in the world, based in Huntingdon. Lola was founded nearly 45 years ago and for years, its single-seat cars dominated indy racing, but the company fell on hard times. Birrane bought the business from the receiver at the end of 1997, for an undisclosed sum. Since then, the automotive and engineering sides have also been built up.
"You need to do those to make a stable living. Racing is very up and down; you can make a lot of money but you can also lose a lot." Up to 2001, the business was once more turning in good profits, but Birrane admits that when the figures for 2002 are completed, they will show a dip.
Altogether, he's put about £20 million into Lola Cars, or four times as much as he's put into Mondello Park. Timewise, he spends half his time working with his property interests, about 25 to 30 per cent on Lola Cars and the rest on everything else, including Mondello Park.
He's as keen as ever on racing, with more than 35 years experience behind the wheel, including many wins at such circuits as Brands Hatch and Le Mans. He's done all kinds of racing, including the Le Mans 24 hour no fewer than 10 times. He comments: "I'm still testing cars and racing and I plan to do some racing this year, but I'm just so busy."
Sitting in the study of his Irish home, at Killiney Co Dublin, which he's currently selling, and seeing the countless photographs and paintings of motor racing, it's clear that it's a subject never far from the front of Martin Birrane's interests and commitments, and that includes Mondello Park.