Motormouth’s Mutterings- Picnic On The Pier with the NEVCC
Many moons ago, Dad had an MG TD and we used to go on lots of classic car run. These were mainly run by the Classic Section of the IVVCC and usually started at the (long gone) Deerpark pub in Clonskeagh. There were far fewer classic car clubs back then but when one started near his native Drogheda, Dad joined up immediately. The Rathgory Old Vehicle Club, was based out of a small car museum North of Drogheda, run by brothers Paddy and Jimmy Byrne and Liam Clarke, from memory.
The club always had great runs and we went on many of them over the years. Dad’s membership gradually lapsed but in recent years we have been doing more and more runs and so when I met the guys from the (now renamed) North East Vintage Car Club (NEVCC) at the RIAC Show in the RDS, I joined again on Dad’s behalf, just for old times sake. They posted out a few bits to Dad, a car badge etc and they text me any time a meeting or run is coming up, which is handy. A few weeks back a text came through saying they were going to meet on the pier in Annagassan on the following Thursday for a picnic. I thought this would be a good time to meet up with them all, so I freed up the afternoon and headed to Dad’s on the day. We gave the trusty Merc (350 SL) a quick clean and then headed to Tesco for supplies!
Having picked up a disposable BBQ and a few burgers etc, we headed up the M1, top down and shades on. We arrived a little bit early so decided to check out the local watering hole, The Glyde Inn– or “Paul’s” as the locals call it. We booked a room for the night and enjoyed a glass of wine at the bar before walking the short distance back to the Pier to await the arrivals of the others. We didn’t have to wait long as some very impressive machinery began to arrive. Soon, the burgers were sizzling and the banter was in full flow- Dad was enjoying catching up with some old names and chatting about the club and the area.
After a very enjoyable evening (thanks NEVCC), we locked the car and walked back to our hostelry, where we sat out the back watching the sun go down over Northern Ireland. Next morning, we had the full Irish breakfasts, served by Paul himself, grabbed the car and after a quick visit to Sean Woods Racing, were on our way back down the road.
Our adventure didn’t end there though. As the sun was beating down and the hood was down, we decided to become tourists for the day. A detour to the coastal town of Blackrock, just outside Dundalk, yielded a coffee and a pair of 99s, while for lunch we headed to a favourite of ours, the Fisherman’s Catch Shop on the harbour in Clogherhead. Usually, we order two portions of their amazing chowder but they have recently begun to serve fresh Fish N Chips on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays- so obviously we ordered two of them. Predictably, they were delicious, but after the BBQ the night before and the aforementioned full Irish that morning, we had to roll back into the SL to head home.
Diet starts tomorrow.
Leo Nulty
Categories