PAST IMPERFECT:Over 50 years ago the Wicklow Circuit was a fine test for drivers and machines.
IT'S 51 YEARS since motor racing last took place on the famous Wicklow Circuit, yet it's still possible today to drive around most of the course for this most impressive of road racing circuits. To do so is to marvel at the drivers of that era who raced happily without the many safety measures demanded by today's drivers.
It was the Leinster Trophy - Ireland's oldest motoring contest - which caused the Wicklow circuit to be born. Originally contested over a course at Skerries, the Leinster Trophy moved in its second year (1935) to a new road circuit at Tallaght, where it continued until 1939 and the Emergency. In 1948 it was revived on the Tallaght circuit but it was felt that it was time for a new home for the event, as new housing in the area made it difficult to race.
In 1950, the committee of the Leinster Motor Club together with Wicklow County Council promoted the running of the event on a new circuit at Wicklow.
The start area of the new circuit was to be at Ballarney, close to Rathnew, with the cars travelling in a clockwise direction to the Grand Hotel, where they turned right before tackling sweeping bends before they joined the main Rathnew to Arklow road. Turning right again, the circuit swept fast down under the railway bridge before running through Rathnew.
From there, drivers had sharp right and left turns under another railway bridge, before completing the lap of 8.34 miles. The first event, the 1950 Leinster Trophy, was won by Pearse Cahill in his 1287cc Iona Special at a speed of 68.87mph. The event was a handicap race, and the fastest finisher was Powys-Lybbe in his Alfa Romeo who finished at an impressive average speed of 75.62mph.
Subsequent running of the event attracted many names who were to become famous in subsequent years. A young Mike Hawthorn, later to become world Formula One champion, was the winner of the 1951 event while David Piper first tasted success on the Wicklow circuit.
A fatal accident involving Don Beauman in the 1955 event led to the 1956 event being run in two heats in a successful effort to separate the faster and slower cars, and this was repeated for the 1957 event.
Torrential rain spoiled what turned out to be the last motor race on the Wicklow circuit which was won by the Buckler of Brian Emerson. By now speeds had become dangerously high, and for 1958 the Leinster Trophy race transferred to a new road circuit at Dunboyne in Co Meath.