From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
BLACK'S GUIDE TO IRELAND:
From our vantage point more than 100 years distant from the events of Automobile Fortnight in Ireland, the two weeks of motoring activity organised around the Gordon Bennett Race of 1903, it's difficult to imagine the interest and excitement generated by the Irish race.
As well as a huge number of visitors to Ireland for the race, several thousand cars were transported here so that their owners could view the race and tour a country which was known to be relatively free from the police harassment of motorists which was then commonplace in Britain.
A slim 32-page volume came into my hands recently which helps illustrate this excitement as well as the very different motoring conditions which then prevailed. The volume is A GORDON BENNETT SUPPLEMENT TO BLACK'S GUIDE TO IRELAND. It was written by RT Lang and priced threepence was published in London by Black. It's a very comprehensive publication describing itself as providing "special information for Visitors to Ireland in connection with the great Automobile Contest on July 2nd".
It begins with a description of "How to reach Ireland". The surprise is the number of ways one could do so. There are no fewer than 15 firms listed offering passage for people and cars to Ireland from Britain through Belfast, Cork, Dublin, Greenore, Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire), Larne, Waterford and Wexford. All these firms undertook to transport cars which of course were hoisted on and off the ships, and were requested "to be uncharged with electricity, petrol, gas, oil or other inflammable material". The notes on sailing times remind the intending traveller that Irish time is 25 minutes later than Greenwich time. A typical cost for transporting a car was £1 at the owners risk or 25 per cent extra at the company's risk.
The full programme for the two weeks is set out also with an event listed for each day from 1st to 15th July. The author also anticipated that many would stay on to tour in Ireland after the official events and "the fact of the Royal visit to Ireland in the latter part of the month will also serve as an inducement to many owners to stay longer in the country, apart from the natural inducements".
A detailed explanation of the Gordon Bennett contest follows, its rules and a short history of previous events. Biographical notes of the British, American and French drivers are included but none on the German drivers. Presumably this is because the German Automobile Club was then embroiled in a row over the desire by Mercedes that professional drivers - rather than 'gentlemen' drivers - should drive its cars in the contest. This dispute was eventually conceded by the Mercedes management who nominated three 'gentlemen' drivers, not one of which was German!
The major part of the booklet is then taken up with a detailed description of the course and the arrangements for the race itself, before ending with some general notes. These deal with the anticipated (correctly, as it turned out ) likely overcharging by hotels in the vicinity of the course and such essential items as where petrol supplies could be obtained. This lists 49 such establishments throughout the length and breath of Ireland. These are mostly newly established garages but include a number of hotels which provided their own petrol supply. The Guide finishes by recommending - not altogether convincingly - eight "motor firms in Dublin who may be of service to those requiring repairs".