THE famous racecourse in Ballybrit, Galway, saw a different horsepower grace its surrounds on the 8th of June last.
Classic Fest saw a gathering of nearly one-thousand vintage cars come together, making it one of the biggest vintage car festivals in the country.
Now in its fourth year, it’s easy to see why it has grown from strength to strength. Car owners from the length and breadth of Ireland convened, many with the support of their associated clubs while others turned up individually.
The first car I saw there made me laugh and reminisce. It was a 1965 Ford Anglia. My neighbour had one as their functioning car right up to the mid 1980’s.
I remembered one morning myself and three other children waiting at the bridge for the school bus to come. It didn’t. Our kind neighbour came along in her Anglia and drove us and her own two children to the school.
What a sight we much have been with endless children clamouring out of this bottomless little car. The teachers must have thought it was the Pied Pipers day off!
A Ford AngliaThese old cars evoke memories in all of us and there are new ones being made every day by the custodians of these idolised vehicles. But is owning a vintage car beyond the reach of most of us?
Not necessarily, according to Matthew Bane from Moycullen, Co. Galway, who is the proud owner of a 1980 Ford Escort Mark II. Coincidentally, 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of this model and they were out in force on this particular day to mark the occasion.
Matthew points out that the tax and insurance is relatively low but that storage is key because rust is the enemy. Understandably cars were not made to last forever but keeping them stored in a garage and perhaps covered too can go a long way to prevent the rust setting in.
Any sign of it must be treated immediately and a good paint job will benefit this, not to mention keeping the treasured possession looking spick and span.
Matthew is also an experienced Panel Beater so he has the knowledge and tools to the service the car himself which of course keeps the costs down.
A Mini extravaganzaHe also stresses the importance of driving them on a weekly basis. Stagnant engines will do your car no favours. But what about us mere mortals who wouldn’t know how to get grease under our nails?
Some welcome reassurance came from Bernard Joyce from Ballinrobe, Co. Mayo, who had his beautiful twenty-five year old (relatively new!) ‘Tahiti blue’ Mini on display.
It belonged to his late wife who nicknamed it ‘Jude’. There are no lost causes here though. Bernard confessed that while he would not have the ability to service the car himself, he is however, a member of the ‘Irish Mini Owners Club’ whom he praises highly saying; “If anyone is looking for a part, it goes up on a forum and within twenty-four hours, you can be sure someone will have what you’re looking for.”
I asked the car owners if Brexit had affected their supply of spare parts, knowing that the UK is a huge source for them. They all agreed that while the parts had become more expensive and took longer to arrive, generally, they didn’t feel it was a huge impediment.
Of course, it depends on the obscurity of your chosen car. The rarer it is, the harder it will be to find parts, but again reaching out will put you on the right track.
In fact all the car enthusiasts were positive about their respective clubs and the vintage car community as a whole. Apart from the practical and technical support, the social aspect can be very fulfilling and builds friendships that lasts as long as the cars and beyond.
Needless to say, having a vintage car is a great excuse to get on the open road, see the countryside and meet up with friends old and new while the rest of us stare at them with envy.
Seán Casey from Gort, Co. Galway, displayed his fabulous racy Opel Manta which held the best kept secret. When Seán flicked down the visor over the steering wheel it revealed autographs signed upon it from some of the great racing legends, including Austin MacHale and one of my all time heroes, the late Rosemary Smith.
The latter Seán recalls meeting at a gala dinner following a racing event in Donegal earlier that day. A memory he treasures, and rightly so. She was a trail blazer. Her victories even harder to overcome at a time when she was competing in a man’s sport in a very man’s world.
I asked some of the attendees what model will be the next celebrated vintage car. The consensus was very varied. Just like Ballybrit, it was an open field with no odds-on favourite.
All our modern cars and SUV’s, in my opinion, are very similar looking which may be down to developed aerodynamic design and safety protocols and perhaps therein lies our fascination with the diversity of vintage cars.
When you consider the uniqueness of the Mini Cooper, the long nose Ford Capri, the square top and tail Lada and the ‘Futuristic’ DeLorean, is any wonder we are in awe of these past creations.
Marie O'Connor's book, Where All Roads MeetThe diary of vintage car shows across the country during the summer is currently exploding. The numbers participating prove how rewarding and fulfilling owing a vintage car can be.
I for one though sadly do not have a garage. But, I do own a 2016 Citroen Cactus which the manufacturer stopped producing in 2020 so already I feel like I’m driving a classic! And do you know what . . . I love it.
Where All Roads Meet by Marie O’Connor is published by Poolbeg.
An extract from the book...
When an old flame returns from Italy to sweep local married woman Babs Wheatley off her feet, the rug is truly pulled from under her when—just twenty-four hours later—he turns up murdered.
Garda Caitlín Kennedy and her colleagues at Ballantur Garda Station are hard-pressed to solve the case with so little to go on. Meanwhile, life in the small Irish village rumbles on—with summer events, presidential visits, and even a cross-country rally complicating matters.
As Caitlín juggles her role in the security team for JFK’s visit to Galway and her unlikely debut as a rally driver, the murder investigation spirals. With Sergeant Lamb breathing down her neck and tensions rising, Caitlín follows a dangerous lead—one that takes her far from Ballantur to the sun-drenched olive groves of Sicily.
See More: Marie O'Connor, Where All Roads Meet
