First gear: an introduction to motorsports in Ireland

Motorsport enthusiasts the length and breadth of the country have been quietly taking the extra time afforded to them by the coronavirus lockdown to service their engines and prepare for competitions to get going again. Long hours whiled away in the workshop, filled with sparks flying and oil dripping, could pay off at the finish line against a major rival.

Whether it is the availability of tools and space or being surrounded by machinery from a young age, farming and motorsports tend to go hand in hand. It can often be the case that when a machine breaks down at the weekend, the farmer will have to figure out how to fix it themselves. And so a grasp of mechanical knowledge is necessary. It also helps when tinkering with cars and motorbikes.

In total, there were 3,173 license holders in 2019

Motorsport Ireland (MI) is the national governing body of four-wheeled motorsports in the Republic of Ireland. Motorsport Ireland is affiliated to the supreme authority for world motorsport, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) based in Geneva and Paris. MI currently has 36 affiliated clubs, 23 of which run rallies.

Last year, MI affiliated clubs ran 170 events across all disciplines. To become a competitor, you must hold a license with MI. In total, there were 3,173 license holders in 2019 and 69% of those are rally competitors. Just over 140 are international licence holders.

The largest three clubs in the country, in terms of membership numbers, are Donegal, Killarney and Monaghan. However, if you combine the membership of the four clubs in Co Cork, then it would have the most members.

Motorsport Ireland disciplines:

1 Rallying.

2 Rallycross.

3 Autocross.

4 Autotests.

5 Circuit racing.

6 Karting.

7 Sporting trials.

8 Navigation.

9 Endurance trials.

10 Hillclimbs and sprints.

11 Midget cars.

There is just one FIA licensed motor racing circuit in Ireland, which is Mondello Park in Co Kildare. Under MI, Mondello Park holds racing, rallycross, karting and autotests.

Since 2000, Mondello Park has staged a round of the FIA Sports Car Championship, run a European championship historic racing event, hosted several rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, British GT and Formula 3 series. Mondello Park was the first overseas venue to ever feature on the British Superbike Championship calendar.

The track at Mondello is built purposely for speeding and there are loads of safety measures in place

Mondello Park actually has two tracks and an 1,100 seater grand stand. It runs an early drive programme to teach young people about road safety and also gives them a chance to drive in the safe environment of a closed circuit.

“The track at Mondello is built purposely for speeding and there are loads of safety measures in place. What we try to show young people is that speeding should only be done on a track that is purposely built for it,” says Ian Beatty, Operations and Sporting Director.

There’s a lack of young people coming into the sport

Despite the fact that Ireland has some high achievers on the international motorsports scene such as rally driver Craig Breen and International GT racer Matt Griffin, Ian says attracting young people to the sport can be quite difficult.

“There’s a lack of young people coming into the sport,” says Ian. “Just before COVID it looked like there were new drivers after coming in, so hopefully we will see that continue. It can be expensive. There are good numbers in karting and people progress from that to cars.”

Next week

Don’t miss next week’s interview with Irish professional drifter James Deane and motoring vlogger Becky Evans.