JULY 23rd, 1934:Fay Taylour (born Birr, Co Offaly, 1904; died Dorset, England, 1983) became known as "flying Fay" in her successful career as motor racing driver and motorcyclist in the first half of the 20th century. Her later life was overshadowed by her support for fascism which led to her internment in England during the second World War.
According to MI5's files, in prison she kept a copy of a hymn in which God's name was replaced by Hitler's. This item from the Irishman's Diary in 1934 previewed the Leinster Trophy in which she was the only woman driver and which she won. – JOE JOYCE
THE ALEXANDRA College girl who is to drive in the Leinster Trophy Car Race on August 4th is one of the few women motorists who have immersed themselves in the sport for several years. I first noticed her name (writes The Irish Times Motoring Correspondent) about 1927 or 1928, when she was riding in English motorcycle reliability trials and doing a lot better than the average woman rider, although she received no great publicity in the technical press.
Then she turned to dirt track riding and became easily the best of her sex at that game. She rode in England, Australia and New Zealand, and made one appearance in Ireland – at the Belfast dirt track, which had a short life, because the promoters ran foul of the Motor Cycle Union, through ignorance of the Irish rules, I believe.
In recent years, she has driven cars at Brooklands , in English trials, in India, I think, and in the Italian Four Thousand Miles Race. Her performance, with Mr. J.W. Bezzant as co-driver, in the Round Italy Race was exceptional. They were doing remarkably well and on the final day were outstripping the cars in front of them, with the promise of a high place at the finish, when mechanical trouble eliminated the car.
Miss Taylour occasionally visits her aunt, who is connected with Alexandra College, and a few years ago, when in Dublin, she borrowed the fastest motorcycle in the city and, the Civic Guards gallantly co-operating, did a few fast laps of the Phoenix Park course. She is a very charming girl.
There is only one other woman motoring whom I would credit with more experience of the sport than Miss Taylour, and that is Mrs. G.M. Stewart, who seems to spend the most of her life (my motoring correspondent proceeds) in breaking records at Montlhery, the track near Paris. She has driven motorcycles, tri-cars and cars, and is not inferior to the best of the men who specialise in record attempts. Because she does not take part in races the general public knows little of her. Mrs. T.M. Wisdom, who became famous in a day when she won the 1932 Thousand Miles Race with Miss Joan Richmond as co-driver, is the outstanding woman competitor at Brooklands, while Mme. Siko and Mme. Mareuse, who have driven with considerable ability at Le Mans, are the only French women drivers whose names are known in this country.
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