In a new weekly column BOB MONTGOMERY, Irish motoring historian, browses through the archives
SPEED LIMITS AND LICENCES: The freedom of our pioneering motorists didn't last long. Shortly after the first car hit our roads in 1896, the speed limit was raised to 12 mph throughout the British Isles, but in Ireland a loophole was exploited by local government to make the limit a furiously fast 14 mph.
In 1903 driving licences and registration plates were introduced. It also became illegal for those under 17 years of age to drive a car. This put a number of perfectly good drivers off the road.
In 1923 a "Uniform Code of Hand Signals" for use by police and motorists was introduced. Three years later, solid white lines were introduced on the roads of the Irish Free State. In the same year, the first standard road signs were introduced and became the responsibility of the local county councils. Prior to this, the first road signs had been erected by organisations such as the Royal Irish Automobile Club and the Automobile Association. After 1926, legislation affecting Irish motorists became a regular and ever-increasing process. The golden age of almost unrestricted motoring passed forever.
SLIP SLIDE: If there was an issue which preoccupied early motorists, it was the dreaded "side slip", what we would today call a skid.
The sudden loss of control was not understood by motorists and gave rise to all sorts of strange theories. Many accidents attributable to other factors were mistakenly blamed on the "side slip" and fear grew to become an invisible monster silently stalking every motorist.
Early motorists did, however, face many other road hazards apart from the skid. Most roads had loose surfaces which led to a constant danger from blow-outs - tyres at the time were very vulnerable to puncture.
When it rained, surfaces could quickly become a sticky, muddy mess which made progress slow and dangerous.
Many roads had deep drainage channels on either side and the unmade surface allowed their edges to crumble under the weight of passing cars.
Sliding into the ditch was a great danger. If one was lucky, one might get away with no more than a broken wheel.
Most Irish roads were very narrow, often just wide enough for a single vehicle. When two cars met, one usually had to reverse, often for a considerable distance.
Brake failure was yet another hazard faced by the motorist of this period. Mechanically activated brakes were vulnerable to wear and tear and it was not uncommon to hear of runaway cars and buses. Brakes, not particularly efficient at the best of times and often acting only on rear wheels, could disappear altogether. The motorist who brought his vehicle to a safe stop after such a failure was something of a hero.
BRITISH RACING GREEN IN EMERALD GREEN: Most people are familiar with the British Racing Green, but did you know the colour was originally Emerald Green? It was a light green which was chosen by the British team as its national racing colour in the 1903 Irish Gordon Bennett Race in honour of Ireland and the Irish hosts.