Eire is one of those places that you leave wishing that you could stay, having arrived to the feeling of "why did I leave it so long before returning?". The welcome is fulsome, the craic legendary, the beer excellent, the countryside beautiful, the weather treacherous - 'though this time it was wall to wall sunshine, and on top of it all I was watching some awesome road racing!
Not only that, but I was taken under the wing of John Burrows and his team, who tolerated me as one of their pit-crew for the two day meeting - someone obviously failed to warn them about my record of total disaster around things mechanical! Nonetheless, every race team needs a gopher and I managed not to break anything all weekend - something of both a record and a relief.
We arrived Friday afternoon and having met John, we were treated to three laps of the course as he showed Maria Costello the line - this was Maria's first visit to the Skerries and John was returning the favour that Maria had afforded him when he first went to the TT. It was a considerable privilege to be present when two such gifted riders discussed how to race the circuit, and I will not forget the experience, particularly as I was able to gain an insight into the minds of road racers who are something of a breed apart, (I used to listen to DJ as he "talked" us through a lap of the TT, and the similarities brought a lump to my throat), clearly Maria was nervous and her adrenaline levels high as she planned her approach to the 1st practice session in twenty minutes - and I'm left with a memory of courage and skill in abundance. Maria finished 9th in the 650 Supertwin class and rode a superb race, for all the world as if she was an old hand @ the Skerries.
Practice over, Friday's Classic race saw vintage machines thrashed around the track with the aroma of Castrol R hanging in the air. Those guys were racing old machines, held together with Gaffa tape & bailer wire, shod with tyres a quarter of the width of our road bikes', and setting times that I'd fail to achieve on my Multistrada - respect!
Saturday; race day, saw John B. achieve a 1st - 650 Supertwin race, 2nd - Open class, and a 5th - Grand Final. This despite a weekend plagued with mechanical snafus. He, his team, and his supporters are a revelation, nothing is too much trouble, no job too menial, or difficult, or demanding, everyone pitches in, does their very best and contributes to the aim of putting "Joni B." on the podium. In doing so, they have a superb time, enjoy each others company, wind each other up, take the Michael constantly, and revel in their shared affection - if it sounds as if I'm smitten, it's because I am. Road Racing shares the openness and mutual support to be found in Trialling, or in Hillclimbing, and takes it further. I have been humbled by strangers in rival's pits breaking off from fixing their rider's bike, in order to help me find the special tool or part that I need to sort John's - on track they race to the limit, in the paddock everyone is a friend and supporter. Am I impressed? Yes.
Sunday & Dave flies off back to the Isle of Man to attend his latest granddaughter Lillie's christening, leaving Shay and me to travel north to Balleymoney to pay our respects to "Yer Maun", @ Joey's Bar. I'm the world's worst passenger; control freak that I am, but being chauffeured around has its recompenses & I can attest to the quality of the Guinness north & south of the border.
Our return to Skerries allows us to meet a certain PC Stuart Douglas on the M1 southbound, and a more professional, reasonable and affable traffic officer it would be difficult to imagine - he made the loss of £60 almost painless.
Before catching our flight back to John Lennon airport on Monday evening, Shay & I spent the day in Dublin being tourists. Shay took loads of photos of his namesake, Daniel O'Connell's statue, and I got to fulfil a long cherished desire to see The Book of Kells in Trinity College - no queue, I just walked straight in!
We've booked the B&B for next year, and are talking about the possibility of taking our bikes over, making a 14/17 day trip out of it, touring around the south, and catching three road race weekends whilst there - now all I've got to find is the money and brownie points...........
Below are some photographs from the jaunt, hopefully so that you can get an idea of the atmosphere.
Looking downtrack towards Finnegan's Corner, a slow bumpy left-hander.
The view back uptrack from the same position, looking toward the Grandstand and the Start/Finish line.
I'm sure that it is the fan who is supposed to support the rider?! But both Dave and John seem to be enjoying themselves.
A couple of minutes later, John was to ride the ER6 back to the paddock having discovered a gearbox fault - this after having spent the previous evening and all that morning fixing a rectifier malfunction.
Didn't even get to the warm up lap.
Finnegan's Corner again, viewed from the pit crew area. The Hi-Viz, red helmeted rider standing behind the racers & facing the camera, is one of the travelling Doctors. They ride along the circuit; at race speeds, to attend any incident where medical intervention is needed.
The "Prostate Brothers" and Shay, taken outside our excellent B&B, "Jantol House", Skerries.
Joey's SP, enjoying pride of place in "Yer Maun's" Bar in Balleymoney.
All the best, Jim.
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