1964 Double Diamond Rally

McCartney and Harryman win IMRC Double Diamond Rally

This report by Des Bradley is reproduced from Ulster Motorist Magazine – April 1964. Photographs are provided by Edward Fitzgerald.

During January we had the two ‘biggest’ rallies of the season, discounting the Circuits of Ireland and Munster, of course, and the MG/Monaghan pre-circuit event which was first held last year and which promises to be a good‘un again on March 7th.

The first was the I.M.R.C, Rally, which attracted 26 entries, with 22 starters, including four from the North. The field set off from Dundalk on a straight navigation section through Cavan and Monaghan before swinging South through Meath and Kildare to Naas for a Supper Stop. First retirement was Noel Smith and Ed Pearson, who toppled their Cooper S into a bed of mud just after the first check, fortunately without any very serious damage.

It soon became obvious that we were on a treasure hunt, seeking letters off walls and bridges which were only roughly on the location of the given grid references, and although there were two of these manned, one of them was mobile because the officials in charge were moving around as different competitors persuaded them they were in the wrong position. The other was correctly sighted and caught everyone on time with the exception of Ronnie McCartney in a Cortina, navigated by Terry Harryman, Jack Fildes in his blown MG 1100, navigated by Sheila O’Clery, Peter Johnson (Cooper) with Frank Main, and Dave Glover (Cooper) with Mike Bassett.

Four driving tests were held in the Kilcock-Kildare area and Peter Johnson was the supper-time leader, with Glover and Fildes breathing down his neck, and Ronnie McCartney in fourth spot. Archie Reid and Jimmy Millard in an MG Midget were leading the Sports Car class from the Aer Lingus Triumph team of Bill Pryor and Alan Bradbury. in a Triumph Spitfire.

After 90 minutes in Lawlers of Naas, the teams set off on a regularity section which started at Kilbride and went ovér some very well-known country around the Rifle Range, Glenasmole, Pine Forest, Glencullen, Powerscourt and Old Long Hill, where there was supposed to be a check.

To my knowledge only a few crews managed to find this particular letter, but the strange thing was that none of the finishers had an empty spot on their road books — so much for letters on walls! The letter in question was actually on the New Long Hill, about a mile from the reference.

Another check near the bottom of Altidore Hill was also out of place, but all cars had to pass it before reaching the correct reference so, once again, everybody were checked OK on their roadbooks. Through the Glen o’the Downs and Ashford, picking checks all the way, the route led down to the Rathdrum area where two well-known racing men were in charge. I doubt if it has been sorted out yet whether the check or the reference was wrong, but only two of us reached this point, and it was discounted.

Through Rathdrum and along the M.E.C. racing circuit, we crossed to Aghavannagh by a “road” that was new to me and then by way of a few “letters” to Donard, where there was another control. Across the Blessington road there was more navigation with a driving test in the area south of Portarlington and Monasterevan, finishing up with another non-existent check at the southern tip of the Curragh before returning to Lawler’s of Naas for a very pleasant breakfast, provided by the club.

The positions had now changed as both Glover and Johnson had rung some clangers during the night. Jackie Fildes had dropped only 56.3 marks to the 56.6 of Ronnie McCartney and had therefore taken over the lead. Cecil Vard made a brilliant recovery from a couple of bad mistakes on the first section, plus a delay to help Smith, and had lost only 57.7 during the night and was coming back into the picture, although over 30 marks behind the leaders.

One of the Ulster team, Donald McEnaney (Auto Union) had gone out with engine trouble near Enniskerry and Charlie Gunn and Rickie Foote had retired their Cooper with a cracked sump on the Kilbride Rifle Range Road. Pat Naismith had cruel luck in Naas when another competitor, who was trying his Cortina during the breakfast break, put a conrod rather badly out of place for him.

Navigation over, the survivors set off on a 50-mile circus of tests, the first in Mullingar, another near Longford, one in Oldcastle, then to Navan and Drogheda to the final one at Roden Place, Dundalk.

Cecil Vard was driving like a demon and gained back much of his deficit to pull himself into third place, while Ronnie McCartney in the Cortina cut down Jack Fildes’ lead and gained an advantage of seven marks to win the rally outright, with Jackie second overall and winner of the big saloon class.

Sheila O’Cleary was the best navigator (lowest marks lost on the navigation sections) and she was followed by Frank Main who had navigated Peter Johnson of Omagh into fourth place and a class win. Archie Reid and Jimmy Millard won the sports car class, and Bill Pryor, who was second there, also won the Novice Award.

RESULTS:

1. Ronnie McCartney / Terry Harryman (Ford Cortina GT) 392.4;
2. Jack Fildes / Shiela O’Cleary (MG 1100) 399.4;
3. Cecil Vard / Dudley Reynolds (Austin Cooper) 410.5;
4. Peter Johnston / Frank Main (Austin Cooper) 452.7;
5. David Glover / Mike Bassett (Austin Cooper) 468.2;
6. Brian Kehoe / Jim Cullen (VW) 469.4;
7. Archie Reid / Jimmy Millard (MG Midget) 487.5;
8. Michael Ivis / Ralph Meyer (Austin Cooper) 506.4;
9. Larry Mooney / Alan Park (VW) 556.5;
10. Billy Kilroy / Hope Kilroy (VW) 569.3;