LATE EUGENE INSPIRED LOVE OF VINTAGE

THE name which sprang to many Club member’s lips as the person who got them hooked on vintage cars was poignantly the late Eugene Gillespie and his brother Brian.

67- year- old Eugene died from injuries sustained in an assault at his home on Old Market Street, during what Gardaí believe was an aggravated burglary.

“Eugene Gillespie introduced me to vintage cars,” said Sean Gilligan who drives a 1962 Ford Anglia.

“I first met him in 1970 and I used to go in to him every Wednesday night,” said the retired welder.

Chris Cunningham from Calry was also introduced to the wonders of vintage cars by Eugene and Brian Gillespie.

“They got me into them with the cars they had. Just being over with Eugene and seeing his car,” said Chris, who drives a red Ford Classic 315 from 1963 - the same model he drove his new wife off on honeymoon in when he got married in 1974.

Chris likes the “strangeness” of vintage cars compared to 21st century cars, the way the door handles are under the door and the petrol lids can be hidden behind the registration plate.

“A lot of different things young fellas wouldn’t have any clue about,” he adds.

Chris’ car is a show winning car, having won Best Car of the Show in the Streete village vintage car show in Longford in 2013. He also won a similar prize in the Breffni show in Cavan a year later.

“It’s a nice car to drive, very comfortable. You’d get to 60kph but I normally do 40- 50kph,” he says.

The Ford Classic 315 was only manufactured for two years, being on the expensive side at the time, they didn’t take off. As a result, the cars are scarce.

“You get brides calling you looking for it for weddings but I don’t do it,” he says.

He loves the beeping and waving that goes with a spin in the Ford and the fact that every event is for a good cause.

Last year they supported Acquired Brain Injury ( which has a Sligo unit near the Racecourse) , Epilepsy Ireland and St Vincent de Paul.

Over ¤ 10,000 was fundraised for those charities last year.

Norman Gribbons gave 42 years to the motor trade in Sligo. Now retired, he enjoys taking his 1980 Ford Escort out for a spin: “There’s only 21,000 miles on it from brand new. I bought it in Galway in 2009. An old couple had it originally. I keep her in the garage. She’s lovely to drive,” he told this newspaper.

What does he get out of it? “I love raising money for charity, there’s a real buzz. You meet up with great friends and you make good friends,” he adds.

Each member is caught by the nostalgia and magic that driving in a vintage car inspires.

For Club Treasurer Frank McGowan, it brings him back to his boyhood days.

“We used to have them when we were young, my Dad used to have one. That’s why I like it,” he beams beside his 1969 Wolseley 1660.

Now retired from a career in Finance, he’s somewhat of a collector - the pale green Wolseley sits next to a black model at his home in Manorhamilton.

Like others, he’s an avid interest in cars and does the maintenance on them himself.

The social side is important to all - they regularly go on weekends away and hold an annual Christmas dinner dance, the proceeds of which go towards St Vincent De Paul.

On their runs, club members bring spot prizes and they raffle them off for charity. In Manorhamilton they attend the Agricultural Show and sell tea, again all proceeds going to St Vincent de Paul.

Club Secretary Tommy McPartlan has been involved in vintage cars for the last 15 years.

“I’ve always had an interest in it. I’d always pull up beside one and look at them. I always wanted one before I retired so I got one and I’m still working,” he smiles.

He drives a 1964 white and blue Anglia Ford Super 1200.

“I love the old cars. There’s something about them when you’re out in them,” he adds.

“I’ve a fascination with the nostalgia,” chips in Sean Farrell who drives a 1977 Triumph 2000 TC.

“It was the fourth last off the assembly line,” he says.

John Clancy of Rathcormac likes the reliability of his 1978 Ford Escort Ghia: “You could head to Cork in that no problem.”

Liam McBride drives the oldest car in the parking lot - his beloved 1954 Austin A30 which he bought 20 years ago.

“The insurance is reasonable and I pay 56 Tax a year. I love the comradeship at the events, the club atmosphere,” he says.

Joe Dolan loves meeting people from “all walks of life” in his 1975 MG Midget. He’s been involved in cars since he was young with Liam and his brother. “It’s a great social outlet. Everybody likes the old cars. People remember when they had one themselves way back,” he adds.