The Leinster Trophy Is Coming To Kirkistown!

The most prestigious trophy in the history of Irish Motor Racing is The Leinster Trophy.

Dating back to 1934 it has been awarded at car racing events including the Skerries Road Races (1934), Tallaght Road Races (1935-48), Wicklow Road races (1950-57) and Dunboyne Road Races (1958-65).  In 1967, it was awarded at Bishopscourt in County Down. Since 1968, when Mondello Park Racing Circuit in County Kildare opened, it has been awarded there every year up to and including 2020.

It has always been within the gift of the Leinster Motor Club to decide what particular race, in any given year, would be the recipient of the Leinster Trophy.  From 1981 to 1986 it was awarded at a round of the European Formula Ford 2000 Championships.  From 1987 to 1999 it was awarded at a round of the Formula Opel European or British championships.

The names of the winners make impressive reading.  They include F1 World Champions Mike Hawthorn, Ayrton Senna and Mika Hakkinen.

Ayrton Senna with the Leinster Trophy.     Mika Hakkinen receiving the Leinster Trophy.

Others include Ulster’s five-time Grand Prix winner, John Watson (twice!), F1 team owner Eddie Jordan, F1 Grand Prix regular, Maurício Gugelmin, Ex-Fi driver and founder of the RML Group, Ray Mallock, double Le Mans 24 Hours winner, J.J. Lehto and the man who Michael Schumacher named as one of the two drivers who inspired him most (the other was Ayrton Senna), Vincenzo Sospiri.

F1 Grand Prix winners Rubens Barrichello and Heinz Harald Frentzen, Le Mans 24 Hours winner, Alan McNish, Indianapolis 500 winner, Gil de Ferran and W.R.C. Champion, Carlos Sainz, all competed for but failed to win the trophy.

Names of legendary drivers on the Ulster scene are well represented including John Pollock, Jay Pollock, Patsy McGarrity, Brian Nelson, Tommy Reid and Trevor Templeton.

In 2020, the Leinster Trophy was awarded to the winner of the B.O.S.S. race on the day at Mondello.

B.O.S.S. stands for Big Open Single Seater.  These cars tend to be rocket ships! Some are from the world of Le Mans style sports cars and others are Formula 2 and Formula 3 cars.

The winner was Paul O’Connell, from Limerick, who won the B.O.S.S. Championship in 2019.

Paul O’Connett
Pic © Michael Chester .

This year, the Leinster Trophy will once again be awarded to the winner of the fastest class in Irish motor racing.

However, the 500 Motor Racing Club of Ireland, in association with the Leinster Motor Club, will present the trophy at The Leinster Trophy Car Race meeting at Kirkistown Racing Circuit on Saturday 28th August!

The trophy will be awarded to the winner of the second B.O.S.S. race.

Previous winners:

1934 MISS F. TAYLOR

1935  J. TOOHEY

1936  J. TOOHEY

1937 D. McCRACKEN

1938 St. HORSFALL

1939 C.E.COBB

1948 W. LEEPER

1949 NOT RUN

1950 M.P.CAHILL

1951 J.MIKE HAWTHORNE

1952 J.D. TITTERINGTON

1953 F.D. SMYTH

1954 W.D. LACEY

1955 D.R. PYPER

1956 J.B. NAYLOR

1957 J.B. EMERSON

1958 J. WANSTICE-BROWN

1959 R.A. JAMESON

1960 G. ASHMORE

1961 T. HAYDEN

1962 R. OLTHOFF

1963 S. TAYLOR

1964 J. PIERCE

1965 C. SUMMERS

1966 JOHN WATSON

1967 D. FURLONG

1968 JOHN POLLOCK

1969 JOHN POLLOCK

1970 BRIAN NELSON

1971 JOHN WATSOM

1972 KEN FIELDS

1973 TOMMY REID

1974 PATSY McGARRITY

1975 JAY POLLOCK

1976 PATSY McGARRITY

1977 PATSY McGARRITY

1978 EDDIE JORDAN

1979 TREVOR TEMPLETON

1980 TREVOR TEMPLETON

1981 RAY MALLOCK

1982 AYRTON DA SILVA

1983 R. SPENCE

1984 M. GUUGGLEMAN

1985 B. FABI

1986 H. LARSEN

1987 J .J. LETHO

1988 M. HAKKINEN

1989 P DE CRISTOFARO

1990  V. SOSPRI

1991  JASON ELIOTT

1992  WYM ECKMANS

1993 DAVID L. WRIGHT

1994 VIVION DALY

1995 JASON WATT

1996 DEREK CUNNEELY

1997 MARCELLO BATISTUZZI

1998 ERIC VAN DER LINDE

1999 THOMAS SHECKTER

2000 PAUL DAGG

2001 JOHN O’HARA

2002 ROBBY COLEMAN

2003 EMMET QUEENAN

2004 SIMON WALKER-HANSELL

2005 NEVILLE SMYTH

2006 KRIS LOANE

2007 PETER DEMPSEY

2008 ROBERT BARRABLE

2009 GARY NEWSOME

2010 DANIEL POLLEY

2011 RAY MOORE

2012 KEVIN SHEANE

2013 BARRY RABBITT

2014 STEPHEN DALY

2015 STEPHEN DALY

2016 Hywel Lloyd

2017 Cian Carey

2018  Stephen Daly

2019  Barry Rabbitt

2020  Paul O’Connell

 

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