DIAMOND Jubilee (1948-2023) celebrating Limerick Motor Club will host the counting rounds of the Irish Hill Climb and Sprint Championships in Ballingarry this Saturday and Sunday.
It will be staged over a course of 2.25km smooth flowing asphalt, which won universal approval last year. By competitors, it was voted as Best Hill Climb event of the season.
For the first time since 1969, the Adare Cup will be presented to the overall winner of the Hill Climb.
The Adare Cup was the first perpetual trophy used by Limerick Motor Club at an open event in 1948 and was presented to the club by the Viscount Adare (later the title became Earl of Dunraven). It was the Premier Award for the Lahinch Strand Races, which proved to be a one-off event.
Thereafter the cup was given as the premier award for Hill Climbs, however from 1970 to 1999 no Hill Climbs were organised by the club and the whereabouts of the cup fell into obscurity until just earlier this year.
A previous joint-holder of the cup was Limerick Motor Club member Brian Cullen (Crossie), who tied with Richie Heely (Lotus 31) way back in 1967.
The cup can claim to be the oldest trophy in Irish Motor Sport, proof of which is that it was hallmarked in London around 1895.
It was Denis Hogan who revived the event in 2000.
Limerick interest will centre around the likes of local John Kennedy (Dax Rush, two-seater), Kilmallock’s Thomas Sheedy (Honda Civic), William Barrett of Efin (Honda Civic, modified), and Ben O’Brien of Kildimo (Gould single seater).
The Treaty Rally Challenge, which is based on consistent times, will have locals such as Coolcappa’s Maurice Meskell (Ford Escort mk1) and Gráinne Caplis of Newport (Vauxhall Corsa).
The weekend event, spearheaded by Kilmallock’s James O’Rourke and Kieran Ambrose (Shanagolden), is supported by Barrett Trailers of Kilfinane and Keltec Engineering, Kilmallock, with lead officials.
