Thurles Lions Club’s Annual Vintage/Classic Car Show 2016

Pictures: (1) Lions Club Poster, (2) Car actually used by Kitty Kiernan & Michael Collins, (3) Lions Club Vintage Car Emblem to be presented to all vintage cars on display.

A 1916 Ford Model T, once belonging to Larry Kiernan, brother of Kitty Kiernan and used often by both Kitty and Michael Collins, will be just one of the star viewing attractions at the forthcoming Thurles Lion’s Club Vintage & Classic Car Show on May 8th 2016 next here in Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

One of the principal founders of our Irish State independence and later Chairman of the Irish Provisional Government, Michael Collins was first introduced to the ‘bubbly and cheerful’ Kiernan sisters and their family, by his cousin Gearóid O’Sullivan. Gearóid was already courting Kitty’s sister Maud. Kitty, latter the fiancée of Michael Collins, planned to marry in Dublin on November 22nd 1922, in a double ceremony, to include her sister Maud and Gearóid O’Sullivan. The death of Collins four months earlier sadly however would result in only one wedding taking place, with Kitty attending same, dressed in black.

As already stated, the 1916 Ford Model T belonged to Kitty’s brother Larry and has just recently been restored. Back in 1916, it was then a new car – just of the assembly line, when it first arrived in Granard, Co. Longford, with Larry having it registered then as a hackney vehicle. Larry, trading as L.D. Kiernan, was a successful businessman in Granard, owning the Greville Arms Hotel, a shop and a licensed premises, latter which he inherited from his parents Bridget and Peter Kiernan, following both their deaths in 1908, within a couple of months of each other.

In 1916, the car drove two volunteers to Dublin including Paul Cusack, a relative of Larry Kiernan’s wife and later often collected Michael Collins from Ballywillan Railway Station, situated on the Dublin to Cavan railway line, when he visited Granard to see Kitty.

Over 35 years ago the vehicle was discovered in a field, in the Mullinlaghata/Cloncivid area of Co. Longford; in very poor condition, however, with the help of a local vintage enthusiast, the wreck was brought back to a garage in Granard and since then has been slowly and carefully restored to its original glory.

Thurles Lion’s Club Vintage, Classic Car Show
This vehicle will be just one of the many items on view at the Thurles Lions Club’s Annual Vintage/Classic Car Show and family day, to be held in Thurles Greyhound Stadium on Sunday May 8th 2016 beginning at 12:00 noon – 5:00pm.

Amongst the other attractions will be; a Dog Show; an Artisan Food Fare; Craft Stalls; a Bouncy Castle; Auto-Jumblers; Face Painting; an Obstacle Course; a Fortune Teller and a 1916 Exhibition of rarely seen artefacts, latter not just relating to that troubled period in our Irish history, but to a broader world history of that particular era, one hundred years ago.

With children under 12 years FREE and admission to adults only costing €5, this well organised event is expected to attract a large crowd of visitors to Thurles on Sunday, May 8th next.