Car enthusiasts of Ireland, listen up. One of the biggest motor racing events of the year is taking place during the August Bank Holiday weekend and it promises to be an action packed weekend for all.
The Irish Festival of Speed is the largest celebration of car culture in Ireland and includes something for everyone including; racing cars past and present, rally cars, supercars, vintage and classics, motorcycles (including the Galwegian stunt rider Mattie Griffin) and even air displays…
But what exactly is the Irish Festival of Speed?
The first Irish Festival of Speed was held in Adare Manor in 2011 on a short road circuit that provided spectators with an enviable spectacle of racing cars in action. However, due to operational difficulties it was decided to move to a new venue for this, the second, two-day event.
Limerick Racecourse at Greenmount was only a short distance away and could be accessed easily by motorway and provided all the modern amenities that discerning enthusiasts and the public now expect of a venue. However it lacked one crucial element- a suitable track!
So the organisers had to find a way of providing one. How do you find a racetrack where there isn’t one? Well by studying maps of the grounds and the overgrown paths underfoot it was realised that by combining some of the racecourse infrastructure with those of the old Lord Harrington estate (now sadly deserted) it would be possible to build a sprint track.
With the cooperation of the racecourse management and the owners of the estate permission was obtained to construct the track. Rolling agreements were signed to allow the Irish Festival of Speed to use the track on an annual basis.
This year’s event will take place over two days from Saturday August 3, to Sunday August 4. For more information and for ticket prices make sure to check out the Irish Festival of Speed website. Make sure to keep an eye on the site over the Bank Holiday weekend for more news and pics from the event.
Seriously lads, this is one motor racing event you really don’t want to miss.
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