This year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Kingdom Veteran Vintage & Classic Car Club.
On Saturday morning May 18th the club members will sign in between 9am-11am and at 11:30am the first cars will head off on the 2019 Ring of Kerry Run from The Gleneagle Hotel.
This year the members will stay in the Derrynane Hotel after starting their run in Killarney.
Ahern’s Garage, Cast;eisland is involved with the club as sponsor this year. The late Mick Ahern was a member from the early 1980s.
Garvey’s SuperValu in Castleisland is also supporting the charity event.
Stop in Kilgarvan
This year’s run will finish on Sunday 19th when they complete the Ring of Kerry with a stop on the way home in Kilgarvan as guests of the Roughty Valley Vintage Club.
The club raises money for charity at some of these events and last year it raised over €3,000.
The Kingdom Veteran Vintage & Classic Car Club was formed by Tom Twohill and P. J. O’Riordan in September 1979 after its first outing in the Rose of Tralee run in August of that year.
Chairman for 20 Years
P. J. O’Riordan was chairman of the club for over 20 year and is now president. His grandson David O’Mahony is club PRO and youngest member.
The first official run was held on Sunday 28th of October 1979 and some of those who took part were: John and Joan Mitchell, Lucy Breen, Francie Cantillon, Myles Foley, John Gill, Mick Ahern, John Naughton, Des Walsh and Garrett and Chris Foley.
Every Year Since 1980
The first Ring Of Kerry run took place the following year in 1980 and has been on every year since then. Even during the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001 the chairman at the time, Fintan Foley and secretary Mike O’Connor and committee did an outstanding job in running the event against the odds and with the permission of the Department of Agriculture.
Membership of 200
Disinfectant mats were supplied at the start of the event in the Gleneagle Hotel at that time.
The club now has a membership of 200 and many of the members own more than one car. The club is growing steadily and the membership is looking forward to the next 40 years.
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