PAST IMPERFECT: A plaque has been unveiled at the spot in Dublin where Irish aviation took flight
LAST MONDAY the National Aero Club of Ireland joined with the Royal Irish Automobile Club to unveil a plaque at 34 Dawson Street to herald the launchof the Irish Aero Club here 100 years ago.
To understand what happened in November 1909, you must go back to the dawn of Irish motoring. Early Irish motorists invariably came from a wealthy background and viewed motoring as a new sport – to be added to their existing past-times of hunting, shooting and fishing. Yes, they did employ chauffeurs but they did not deny themselves the pleasure of driving, so the chauffeur was brought along to sort out mechanical problems.
Each journey was an adventure and one set out not knowing when you would return. And that was the attraction – the sense of adventure. But all that changed as cars became more reliable, chauffeurs were trained to drive their master’s car in a dignified manner and, worst of all, motorist were subject to ever increasing laws. Small wonder then that the more adventurous Irish motorists took increasing note of the recent conquest of the air in Europe and America. In Europe on September 13th 1906, the Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont made the first European flight in his 14-Bis biplane just outside Paris. Two years later, Wilbur Wright stunned Europeans with his flights south of Le Mans, demonstrating a huge superiority over European efforts and confirming stories that they had flown as long ago as 1903.
There was such strong interest among members of the Irish Automobile Club that the chairman, WGD Goff, called a meeting on November 5th 1909 where it was agreed to form the Irish Aero Club. The strong links between the Irish Automobile Club and the Irish Aero Club meant all the officers of the motor club became the equivalent officers of the new club. Among the large group present were John Boyd Dunlop, inventor of the pneumatic tyre, his son, Johnny Dunlop, and Harry Ferguson, the Belfast garage owner who on the last day of 1909 would become the first Irishman to fly in a monoplane he designed and built.
The Irish Aero Club organised Ireland’s first Aviation Meeting at Leopardstown in 1910 and two years later an air race from Dublin to Belfast. The war and conflict in Ireland led to the demise of the Irish Aero Club in the early 1920s, although it was briefly revived in the early 1930s. The Irish Automobile Club – now the Royal Irish Automobile Club – still has its headquarters where, in 1909, Irish aviation took off.