From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
THE 'HOLY GRAIL' OF IRISH MOTORING HISTORY: The word "deodant" is no longer defined in modern English dictionaries, as it has long slipped from use. Its meaning is of a "traditional sentence after fatal events whereby the physical cause of an accident is offered up to God as a sacrifice, and as an apology before being destroyed." The word is important to Irish motoring history, because it may explain why no photographic or drawn record exists of one of the most important vehicles ever to move over Irish roads.
I refer, of course, to the steam vehicle built by the third Earl of Birr, and which was used for a number of years on his estate and on journeys in the vicinity of Birr. By all accounts that have survived, this was a particularly successful steam vehicle and was reliable in use. However, it had the misfortune to be involved in the accidental death of the noted naturalist, the Hon Mrs Mary Ward, on August 31st 1869.
Mary Ward was travelling on the earl's steam vehicle when she accidentally fell from her seat and was run over by one of its wheels, with fatal results. Thus, unwittingly, Mary Ward became the first person to fall victim to an accident involving a self-propelled vehicle on Irish roads. The Midland Tribune of September 1st 1869 reported the accident as follows:
APPALLING ACCIDENT
On yesterday the people of Parsonstown (now Birr) were much excited and grieved at a sad accident which occurred in the town. In the afternoon of yesterday the Hon Captain Ward, his wife, the Hon Mrs Ward, the Hons Clare and Charles Parsons, and Mr Biggs, the tutor to the young gentlemen, were on a steam carriage which has been built by Lord Rosse. The vehicle had steam up, and was going at an easy pace, when on turning the sharp corner at the church, unfortunately the Hon Mrs Ward was thrown from her seat and fearfully injured, causing her almost immediate death. The unfortunate lady was taken into the house of Dr Woods which is situate nearly opposite the scene of the unhappy occurrence, and as that gentleman was on the spot everything that could be done was done, but it was impossible to save her life.
At the subsequent inquest the jury gave in a verdict without retiring, that the deceased came to her death by an accidental fall from a steam engine on which she was riding. Interestingly, there is nothing to suggest that the red flag rule was being observed at the time of the accident.
In view of the pioneering interest in photography taken by the third Earl's wife, Lady Mary Rosse, it is strange that no photograph of the steam vehicle exists. The vehicle itself did not survive and little information exists about it today. All of which leads one to suspect that a "deodant" may have been attached to the vehicle after this unfortunate accident. If such were the case, it was probably broken up after the accident and any photographs of it possibly also destroyed.
This seems quite possible as it is difficult to imagine Lady Mary not photographing such a unique vehicle successfully engineered by her husband, when she photographed so many other daily aspects of life on the estate at Birr. Should such a photograph ever come to light, it would be the equivalent of finding the "holy grail" of Irish motoring history.