From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian.
BRAY STREET RACES: As the Grand Prix circus takes to the streets of Monte Carlo once again for the annual through-the-streets Grand Prix, spare a thought for the first of Ireland's street races which were held through the streets of the seaside resort of Bray some 70 years ago this month.
The Cuairt Bhre events were organised by the Irish Motor Racing Club and the first race held there was a 102 mile handicap race run over 32 laps of a 3.2 mile course through some of the main streets of the town. Twenty starters lined up for the first event.
Among them was the popular Charlie Manders whose Bugatti had a distinguished European record in the hands of the famous Frenchmen Robert Benoist and Albert Divo. But when the flag dropped it was limit man Paddy Le Fanu who made the running, driving the Adler which Fay Taylour had used to win the first Leinster Trophy race over the Skerries circuit. It became apparent that the contest was between Le Fanu and Trevor McCalla in his Sunbeam. On the last couple of laps, McCalla was rapidly overhauling Le Fanu, but let his enthusiasm get the better of him with some over-exuberant driving. The result was a win by two seconds for Le Fanu.
For 1935 the date was moved to the Whit Bank Holiday weekend and the race distance increased to 120 miles. This time it was Manby-Colegrave in a super-charged MG Magnette who challenged McCalla - again in his Sunbeam - for overall victory. While this struggle was in full swing, a sudden rain-storm hit the track drenching spectators and competitors alike. Several advertising banners were torn away and the efforts of officials to make them safe caused several alarming moments for the drivers. When things settled, it was a young law student, Desmond McCracken in a 1496cc Frazer-Nash who had gone into a lead he was to hold until the finish. FA Gannon was second in a Lea Francis while Paddy Le Fanu took third place in his 1990 cc Adler.
And that, sadly, was that - for the event was not held again. The reason was the poor surface on some of the roads which made up the circuit and the lack of finance to re-surface them. Irish motor racing moved on to other venues while a certain street circuit bordering the Mediterranean continued to consolidate its position as the jewel in motor racing's crown.
THE ORIGINS OF STREET-RACING IN MONTE CARLO: Motor racing through the streets of Monte Carlo owes its origins to the single-mindedness of one man, a citizen of the Principality of Monaco, Antony Nogles, a passionate follower of motor sport.
The first Rallye Automobile Monaco was in January 1911 and Nogles was concerned not to allow the Automobile Club de Monaco become just another local motor club when it affiliated to the then governing body of motorsport, the AIACR. The AIACR advised Nogles that he had either to provide evidence of a certain number of registered vehicles - which the tiny principality had no chance of doing - or else Monaco had to be the home of a major motorsport event. They refused to accept the Monte Carlo Rally as such an event as the bulk of its competitive sections where held across Europe and not in the Principality itself.
Nogles was furious and left the meeting stating that Monaco would become the home of a major motorsport event. A short while later he took a walk through the streets of Monte Carlo. Before he had finished the basis of the grand prix circuit that we know today had formed in his mind. he planned for two years, but it was not until he recruited the French driver Louis Chiron to his cause that the right doors began to open as the reigning House of Grimaldi took the project under its wing.
On April 14th 1929 Charles Faroux was race organiser of the Premier Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco, a race which has captured the magination of drivers and spectators ever since.