Fore to mark Race of the South 50th anniversary
The lack of track action this year won’t stop Fore Motor Cycle Racing Club celebrating the 50th anniversary of their first race meeting, next weekend.
That will take the form of a barbecue and reminiscing in Fore village, this Saturday, July 8, from 6.30pm.
Club members are looking forward to that, but they regret that the Race of the South at Walderstown won’t take place this year. That news was confirmed in May, and the Fore club, in common with other motorbike racing clubs across the country, said the reason for the cancellation was that the governing body could not obtain insurance cover.
Michael Halpin, club chairperson, said the problem was another fallout of Brexit, as in previous years UK firms had provided insurance. This year bike racing in Northern Ireland got a late reprieve and was able to go ahead, but there is none in the republic.
Michael made the point that the lack of racing will mean a significant loss for the Athlone area, as the races regularly draw a crowd of around 7000 people, most of whom stay the weekend and spend generously on goods and services while there.
The 50-year celebration in Fore village will provide an opportunity for fans to look back on the first races in Fore in 1973 and on the races since, there, and on the current track at Walderstown. The evening will begin with a BBQ at 6.30pm and there will be two bands playing on the night.
Brief history of Fore motorbike races
The first race in Fore took place on August 28, 1973 and among the riders that day were Courtney Junk, Ian Switzer and a young Joey Dunlop.
The races were run by the Fingal Motorcycle Club for a number of years, and when they decided to pull out, the North Dublin Motorcycle Club took over.
The Fore Motorcycle Racing Club Ltd was originally founded as a supporters club to raise funds locally to help run the races, and they took over running the races in 1989; they now the Race of the South at Walderstown, Athlone.
Oldcastle vet Noel Kavanagh, a keen motorcycle and car enthusiast, identified the circuit at Fore, and he approached the Fingal Club to run a road race there, which they did with help from other clubs.
The last race in Fore village was in 1997, and the move to Walderstown was in 2000.
Over the years Fore hosted five time Formula 1 world champion and 26 time TT winner Joey Dunlop, his brother Robert, Eddie Laycock, Ryan Farquhar, Michael Dunlop (25 TT wins), Richard Britton, and of course, the Mullingar Missile, Derek McGee, who has 12 wins on the 2.5 mile circuit.