SNAP HAPPY!
Young photographer Aaron Brady from The Still, Enniscorthy, capturing the action at the annual Gerard Murphy Memorial Run.
THE rumbling of engines could be heard all over the Old Dublin Road on Sunday morning as hundreds of cars arrived from across the country to attend the annual Gerard Murphy Memorial Run. Welcoming classic cars and vintage vehicles from all four corners of the country, the event has become an absolute staple of the annual calendar for motor enthusiasts from right across the country and has grown massively in stature over the past eight years and this year was said to have been one of the biggest yet.
There were some real sights to behold at the mart, from fabulous Fords, with more than a few fine examples of classics such as the Capri and MkI and II Escorts, to the pure luxury and style of Mercedes, BMW and a particularly well maintained E Type Jaguar which really caught the eye. Something which really proved a hit were the American style Hot-Rod cars which arrived from Arklow and captured the imagination of young and old and to that end there was also plenty of entertainment with performers taking to the main stage over the course of the day as well.
One thing that was evident as you made your way through the packed mart was the cacophony of different accents from north to south as enthusiasts renewed old friendships formed over recent years.
‘We do have people from all four corners of the country and we get the same lads every year,’ said Brid. ‘Lads meet up down here that would only see each other at the run each year and it really adds to the whole thing.’
While the final figures were still being tallied yesterday (Monday) morning, Brid believed that at least five or six hundred cars rolled through the gates of the Enniscorthy Mart and it is hoped a significant amount of money will once again have been raised for Slaney Search & Rescue and The Local Hub in Glenbrohane, Co Limerick.
‘Everything really ran smoothly and we had no problems at all,’ she said.
‘We had fine-combed a lot of things from last year and myself and Pat put a lot of work into getting things right. We had a lot of volunteers helping out on the day - our stewards, the catering women, the teams from Slaney Search & Rescue & Glenbrohane. The support is wonderful.’
Brid and Pat wished to thank everyone who has played a part in the event’s continued success and it once again proved a fine tribute to their late son Gerard who would have turned 31 this year.