This report is reproduced from MotorWeek 14th March 1970
Report by Paul Phelan.

A T.V. Trial but No T.V.

Following a lapse of a year. this year’s “TV Trial” was held last Saturday at the Glenabbey factory, Tallaght, Dublin.

Owing to a strike at R.T.E., which was onlv settled the week before the event, it was not possible to televise this year’s competition, and in fact, there was considerable doubt up to three days beforehand whether or not it could be run at all, owing to the lack of a suitable venue.

However, Glenabbey came to the rescue, and made their car park available, along with the very welcome facilities of their canteen and offices.

The 1968 winners, Leinster, fielded Hewison champion and Hopkirk Trophy
leader, Dermot Carnegie (998 Mini), Terry Power (Cooper S), Larry Mooney (VW 1500), and Des Cullen (Midget) while of the visitors, Ulster had Albert Lucas, Charlie Irwin, Derek Boyd and Roger Cree. Munster and Connacht looked, on paper, not to have quite the same quality.

TWO TESTS

Each team was asked to design two tests, all to be held in the same area, in order to prevent “cribs” about too-tight tests afterwards. Charlie Irwin set the pace on test 1, 37.8 compared to Larry Mooney’s 40.2 and Carnegie and Cree both on 40.4.

It is interesting to note that these four were all in different classes, so the test seemed fair for everyone. At the end of test 1, Ulster had a 2.7 second lead from Leinster. Connacht were in dire trouble, as their sports car driver, Alan Murray, was without a car. Eventually, it was agreed that he could drive his own Cooper S instead, and that a handicap would be applied later, based on class averages.

Carnegie was best on the second test, 37.7, from Connacht’s Con Linehan (1098 Mini), 38.1, and Mooney, 38.4. Both Power (Leinster) and Boyd (Ulster) had penalties here, but these two teams stayed at the head of the field nevertheless. Leinster gained 0.1 here. leaving the northern visitors with a 2.6 sec. lead.

ERROR

On test 3 Carnegie made one of his rare mistakes, having a line fault, although his time was best (37.2 plus 10), from Ray Murphy for Connacht (37.4), and Irwin (37.8).

Boyd beat Mooney in the large saloon class, while Cree, as usual, was the best sports car. Eamonn Cotter (NSU TT) for Connacht, went astray and incurred a maximum penalty. Ulster, aided by Carnegie’s penalty, increased their lead to 15.8.

However, just to even things up, Charlie Irwin overshot the finish of test 4 to make his time 34.1 plus 10. Carnegie regained his form, 31.7, followed by Mooney 32.0 and Albert Lucas 32.8. Roger Cree was beaten here by Cullen. At the end of this test, Ulster’s lead was down to 1.6 secs. and a close finish looked certain.

SLIP-UP

Test 6 fell to Irwin, 34.5 from Carnegie 34.9 and Mooney 37.0. Cree had another slip, and Cullen got hack another 0.7 sec. Murphy got lost in the middle of the test. incurring a Fail.

Alter this. Leinster had taken the lead by the huge margin of 0.2 sec. In view of the extremely cold weather (including snow showers) and generally unpleasant conditions. the four team captains agreed to hold just one more test, which was duly laid out.

Leinster extended their lead in the Mini class, 34.6 to Lucas’ 36.1, but Irwin beat Power by 1.9 to reverse the 0.2 sec. lead. Mooney got Boyd, 34.3 to 34.8, leaving Cree to beat Cullen by 0.3 sec. Roger had 36.1, leaving Cullen to try for better than 36.4. He just failed to do it, recording 37.0, and sending the Inter-Provincial Trophy North for the first time in its short history.

SURPRISE

Proving again the fairness of the tests, Larry Mooney was a surprised individual winner, beating Linehan, while Irwin and Carnegie finished in that order, 0.1 sec. apart

The organisers decided that they could not, after all, classify the Connacht team, as Murray was not in the correct type of car so Munster finished third after a consistent, if not brilliant, performance by Paul O’Flynn, Demmy Fitzgerald, Paddy O’Callaghan and Tom Burke.

RESULTS

1. Ulster 921.1 – A.Lucas (998 Mini) C.Irwin (998 Cooper) D.Boyd (VW1500) R.Cree (Sprite)
2. Leinster 921.7 – D.Carnegie (998 Mini) T.Power (998 Cooper S) L.Mooney (VW1500) D.Cullen (Midget)
3. Munster 988.9 — P.O’Flynn (Elf) D.Fitzgerald (Cooper S) P. O’Callaghan (VW1500) T.Burke (Midget)

Not classified:—
Connacht — Ray Murphy (998 Mini); Con Linehan (1098 Mini); Eamonn Cotter, (NSU TT); Alan Murray, (Cooper S).

Class winners: Carnegie, Linehan, Mooney, Cree.

Overall placings — Mooney 220.2; Linehan 223.8; Irwin 226.4; Carnegie 226.5; Cree 228.2; Lucas 230.5.