Never Forgotten- Neil Shanahan 25 Years On….

Never Forgotten. It’s an overused phrase isn’t it?  We always hear stories about the incredible talent that this small island produced in the 1970s. Daly, Kennedy, Watson, Byrne, Roe etc. In later years though, there were not quite as many. In the 1990s, we still had plenty of good drivers around, many of whom were capable of winning at an International level.

One though, was a little bit different. Neil Anthony Shanahan, from Churchtown in South County Dublin, was born on 28th of June 1979 to parents Liam and Mary.  Described by his parents as being car mad, he persuaded them to buy him a kart when he was just 13 years old. With his Dad running the kart initially, results were sparse, but when Ger McCarthy began to look after Neil and his machine, his talent became apparent.  It was upon his graduation to Formula Ford though, that it became clear that this young man had something special.

Michael Cullen pointed the Shanahans in the direction of the late Mick Merrigan, a former Formula Vee and Formula Ford racer and by then a team owner, based in Rathnew in County Wicklow. (Mick used to tell a great story about Liam having an unplanned off road excursion en route to Rathnew for their first meeting!) They all got on like a house on fire and Mick immediately took the young racer under his wing. On his first test day at Mondello Park, Neil was immediately on the pace, causing a few seasoned racers to stroll past the MM Motorsport Mercedes Transporter to see who this kid in the white Van Diemen was! He duly won the competitive, and aptly named, FF1600 DHL “Star of Tomorrow” series in his first year, winning 10 of the 11 rounds.  When Mark Cullen, the team’s Formula Ford Zetec driver, could not compete in one of the late season rounds, the decision was made to put Neil in the car. Slick tyres, a more powerful engine, and a different balance to a conventional “Kent” engined Formula Ford made no difference to the young charger as he went toe to toe with the fastest single seater racers in the country, adding further credence to the theory that he really was something special.

At the end of the year, Neil was named as the Motorsport Ireland Young Driver of the Year and received the famous Sexton Trophy, named after Walter Sexton, a former honorary secretary of the RIAC and one of Ireland’s pioneer motorists. For the following 1998 season, Mick and the Shanahans decided to graduate to the Ford of Ireland backed Formula Ford Zetec Championship. Having proved his speed in FF1600, many had him marked for success in what was a more competitive series, and they were not mistaken.  Once again, the MM run car crossed the line first time and time again and Neil was duly crowned champion in his first year in the series, competing against some highly talented, and far more experienced, competitors.  Once again, he was named Young Driver of the Year by  Motorsport Ireland and his team and family began to work on a plan for his career.

People like Michael O’Carroll and David Kennedy used to urge drivers to cross the water to the UK once they had proved themselved to beat the Mondello regulars.  Neil had done exactly that and Mick’s first move was to contact his friend Ralph Firman, who owned the crack Van Diemen squad. The “works” Van Diemen drive was the one that all young drivers wanted as Ralph’s cars were always competitive and ran at the front. Somehow, Mick managed to organise a place on the works team for his protege, while Liam and Mary worked on  the finances, not just for the 1999 season,  but for the years beyond. It all started superbly as Neil, as he had done in FF1600 and Irish Zetec, being right on the pace. He settled in well with the Van Diemen team, probably helped by the fact that he somehow managed to grab the lead at the opening round Donington, ahead of world class opposition. Around this time, he was signed up by Red Bull and in the official photo shoot he looked mature and confident. Luck didn’t go his way in the first few races of the season but Neil, when interviewed, was confident that it would turn around, knowing he had plenty of pace.

Unfortunately , as we all know, Neil never got to fulfill his undoubted promise, his career ending in a horrendous Oulton Park shunt that shocked the Irish Motorsport community to the core. Like Senna, or Elvis if you are old enough, many can remember exactly where they were when they heard the devastating news…..

After Neil’s passing, his parents presented the “Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy”. Since 1999, the winners of the prestigious British Formula Ford Festival that takes place at Brands Hatch in October each year, were awarded with the porcelain trophy. His parents also commisioned “The Chequered Flag”, a beautful trophy designed and made in silver and slate by Irene Brennan, a sucessful karter in her own right.  the Perpetual Trophy is awarded annually to the Irish Junior Karting Champion.

When Mick Merrigan  sadly passed in late 2022, nobody doubted that he was immediately reunitied with Neil- the pair had such a special bond. Where Neil would be now, who knows, but he definitely had special talent, good management, and strong self belief- all the ingredients required to go all the way to the top. It is hard to believe that 25 years have passed since Neil’s passing but the older we get, the faster the years go by.

A lasting legacy, two perpetual trophies in his honour, and a host of incredible memories mean that Neil Anthony Shanahan won’t be forgotten any time soon…..

Leo Nulty