From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
A VERY IRISH EVENT: The Irish Automobile Club organised several very successful and internationally respected motor trials between the years 1906 and 1909, and after a break of a few years sought to resurrect their event in 1914.
These trials were a real test of a car's reliability at a time when this was often the greatest single issue influencing choice when purchasing a motor car. As such, these trials were hugely influential in determining the success or otherwise of a new model, and entries were received from the major manufacturers of the time.
Between the 1909 trial and the event in 1914, there had, however, been a strong trend towards light cars which were more affordable and brought the benefits of car ownership to a wider market. Thus the Irish Automobile Club sought to restrict entry in their 1914 Trial to light cars with an engine capacity of less than 1800cc.
The competition took place over four days and unlike the earlier Trials, which had travelled around Ireland, was based in Dublin with the competitors returning there each night at the conclusion of the daily runs. Not all manufacturers had a suitable light car, so entries - virtually all of which were trade entries - were disappointing at 23, of which three turned out to be non-starters.
The entry list contained 11 differing makes, not one of which has survived to this day. Competition was fierce, but the first day's run was deemed too easy and all of the cars which had started from the club's Dawson Street premises completed the route via Dundalk without loss of marks save for a solitary GWK which had been delayed due to a faulty spark plug.
The second day proved much more difficult, and was concentrated in the Wicklow area where Glendhu Hill climb was tackled. Several cars found the climb too difficult and boiling radiators were the result. As these could not be topped up before the luncheon stop at Woodenbridge, this posed a potentially terminal difficulty for those competitors so afflicted. At the conclusion of the day's run back in Dawson Street, one car - a Stellite - had retired and four were carrying penalties which effectively ruled them out of the running for a prize.
Day three took the cars towards Carlow via a hill climb on the Ballinascorney Gap. This route and the hill climb don't seem to have provided the competitors with much difficulty and at the end of the day's run there were 13 cars remaining without penalty.
On the trial's final day, competitors faced their longest run which included a petrol consumption test. Various difficulties experienced during the day reduced the number of cars without penalty to nine at the finish. Of these, ST Robinson - driving a Marlborough - was most unfortunate to have to stop to clean his carburettor just nine miles from the finish. The final result was a triumph for the Swift team whose 7bhp car driven by JG Pauling was the overall winner closely followed in second place by the 8bhp GWK of JT Wood.
Events such as the 1914 IAC trial were the forerunner of modern day rallying, and served to point the way for a new type of motorsport. They may seem very simple and even easy compared to today's World Rally Championship - a round of which will be held in Ireland for the first time next year - but at the time they were a severe test of men and machinery. Some things have perhaps not changed as the reports of the 1914 event tell how the Nanardi entry was disqualified when their mechanic was caught "tampering with the car" whilst locked up during one of the overnight stops!