The Ulster Motocross Championship returns to County Down on Monday, May 4, when the Mourne Motorcycle Club will host their annual May Day motocross event.

The Mourne club will be hosting the second round of the 2015 Ulster Motocross Championship at clubman Norman Green’s Seaforde Moto Park.

The first round of the championship was held at Desertmartin, Cookstown, on April 6 and there will be County Down men competing for top places in every class at Seaforde.

Comber man Wayne Garrett leads the Grade A MX1 class after two wins and a second placed finish at Desertmartin. He is followed by Lisburn’s Richard Bird and Portavogie man Robert Hamilton.

Speaking at the launch, Ulster and Irish Championship leader Wayne Garrett said, “So far I’ve had a really good start to the season.I’m trying to enjoy it and have fun, as it makes a big difference if you get the bike right and enjoy it. I know you can’t win every race, but I feel like I’m back to where I was a few years ago. The more races you win, the more you feel that you should be at the front,” he said.

In the Grade A MX2 class Loughbrickland’s Jason Meara leads Ballyclare man Glen McCormick by three points after they finished first and second in every race at the first round.

The Mourne club is holding the event with support from Brennan’s Service Station and Stick Restaurant, Bannside Pallets and Noel Cochrane Car Sales and Spares, along with help from the Ballynahinch Lions on the day.

Bikes will be out on the track from 9.30am and entry to the event will cost £5 for adults, while children go free and car parking is also free.

Back row – Wayne Garrett, Norman Green and Mourne Club Chairman; Billy McLarnin.

Front row – Schoolboy motocross competitor Nathan Green.

The club held their annual prize giving at the Millbrook Lodge Hotel on Saturday 21st February 2015, celebrating the top competitors at our 2014 events.

Seven trophies were presented on the night, recognising the top finishers at the second round of the 2014 Ulster Open Motocross Championship, hosted by the Mourne club at Seaforde Moto Park on May Day 2014.

Ballynahinch man Roy Neill compered the night, announcing the winners, along with a special recognition award for Mourne club members Ricky Portis and Roy Beattie, both from Lisburn, who represented Ireland at the Sidecarcross of Nations in Italy last year.

The Bertie Campbell Memorial Cup was presented to Dromore man Stephen Poots, who went on to finish second overall in the Ulster Grade C MX1 Championship.

Dromore’s Jack Wilson, who eventually finished runner-up in the 2014 Ulster Grade C MX2 Championship, received the Harry Palmer Perpetual Trophy to recognise his success at Seaforde Moto Park.

The Harry Palmer Memorial Cup was presented to Crossgar’s Mark Patterson, who had won the 2014 Ulster and Irish Grade B MX2 Championships.

The Seaforde Cup, presented on behalf of track owner Norman Green, was awarded to Dromara man Samuel Donnelly, who had won the Ulster and Irish Grade B MX1 Championships.

The Herron Cup was awarded to Ballygowan Grade A MX1 rider Gary Gibson, who was unable to make it on the night, so his award was collected by Ben Kennedy from Seaforde.

Larne man Glenn McCormick who won the Ulster Expert MX2 Championship and had led the Irish Championship, before a broken leg ended his season, was awarded the President’s Cup.

The final award for the most active club member, The Norman Campbell Memorial Trophy, was presented to Lisburn man Richard Portis for his work during 2014.

Prize Winners for 2014 season with Club Chairman; Billy McLarnin (L to R) Stephen Poots, Ben Kennedy (received on behalf of Gary Gibson), Billy McLarnin (Chairman), Glenn McCormick, Mark Patterson, Jack Wilson, Samuel Donnelly, Ricky Portis, Roy Beattie, and Richard Portis

More photos can be viewed in our online gallery by clicking here

The club is holding are now annual club prize giving and buffet in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch, on Saturday 21st February 2015… 7.30pm ’til late. This event is always a great nights craic and to catch up with everyone before the start of another season of racing.

Cups will be presented to the prize winners from events run in the 2014 season. (All prize winners will be notified by post)

There will be a hot-food buffet including desert, tea or coffee. There will also be a raffle on the night. This year we have a entertainment in the form of Rodd Hogg, Magician who comes very highly recommended to the club. We have worked very hard to keep the cost down for this event and are therefore selling tickets at cost price of £18.00 per person to everyone.

Everyone will be made more than welcome as always; old and new faces alike.

 

Tickets can be purchased via this website, (Fill in contact form page) most club members or by contacting Billy McLarnin on 07860 608 418 or Matthew King on 07834 071 524.

The officers and members of the Mourne Motorcycle Club Ltd would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members and everyone associated with the club, a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous and safe New Year.

Best Wishes for 2015!

The club is promoting our first event, and first Cross Country of the 2015 calendar on Saturday 3rd January 2015 at the exciting NEW venue of Slieve Croob Mountain near Dromara, County Down.

Use of this new area of land has been kindly granted by Des Herron of Dree Hill, and it is with our best thanks to him for letting us use this excellent new venue.

The course will be approximately 35-45 minutes per lap and will skirt around the boundary of approx. 600 acres of County Down mountain terrain. Entry forms are now available to download from our club website, but as previously we are using an online entry and payment system and would encourage as many as possible to use this method, especially as there may be delays to postal services due to the Christmas rush. For both online and paper entries, please click here. 2014 competition licences are valid until end of January 2015.

Closest Address for sat nav’s is: Slieve Croob Mountain, Dree Hill, Finnis, Dromara, County Down, BT25 2EF.

There will be one 2 hour race on the day for both expert and clubmen riders, with results being scored individually for both classes. Catering facilities will also be available on the day.

 

Get your entries in now to secure your place for this first class Cross Country at the new venue!

The club held their Annual General Meeting on Monday 20th October 2014 at 8pm in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch.

The election of officials was conducted by Mr Norman Watt, Vice-Chairman of MRA Ireland Ltd. Our thanks go to Norman for conducting the election of officers, smoothly and efficiently.

Back at the helm of the club for another year is Billy McLarnin. Billy has served the club very well over the years with his wealth of experience, and we are more than happy to have him back leading from the front again. Assisting Billy this year again, is Matthew King as vice-chairman. There are also many people who work in the background within the club, filling other very important roles; but their names go unmentioned sometimes. These people hold positions like our Club President, Junior Burrows; Club Secretary & Press Officier, Stuart Campbell; Treasurer, George Porter; Assistant Secretary & Child Protection Officier, William Campbell; Chief Flag Officier, Andrew Shields; and this year we have a new Competition Secretary, William Campbell and Assistant Competition Secretary; Matthew King.

The club would not be as successful as it has been without the support from our regular club members and helpers. We are indebted to all those club members who help with the running of events and making the club the strong team that it is. We have two additional new honorary life members, who are very befitting of this title; Arthur McMullan for his support in organising Cross Country events and Chief Scrutineer and also Billy McLarnin, for his continued good work in putting Mourne Motorcycle Club at the forefront of off-road sport in this country.

All new and exisiting members will be made very welcome on the third monday of the month at the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch from 8pm for our monthly club meeting.

 

2015 Season Club Membership forms are now available for download under the ‘Club Forms’ section of this website.

The club will be holding an ‘Open Practice Day’ for Adult solo competitors only at Seaforde Moto Parc; on Saturday 6th September 2014. The day will include practice sessions in the morning and two short races per class after lunchtime (time permitting)

There will be classes for Adult Solo and Adult Evo. Full First Aid cover and Catering Facilities will be on-site on the day.

 

This is an enter on the day race, so no pre-enter is required. Cost very reasonable £21 for Adults plus £3 at the gate.

 

Due to a re-run round of the MRA Ulster Youth Championship taking place on Saturday 6th September, the club is now unable to run Youth competitors at our practice day on Saturday.
The club would like to apologise for this but the rescheduled Youth race has been decided at late notice.
Adults and Adult Evo will still be taking place as planned at Seaforde Moto Parc

The Mourne Motorcycle Club held its eighth annual charity motocross-racing event at Ballynahinch on Wednesday, June 18.

The Mourne club held its first charity motocross racing event in 2007 to raise funds for the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, Belfast, but since 2008 club members have chosen two local charities to help each year.

This year club members decided to raise funds for the Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research, which is on hand to help everyone in the local community, and the Mitre Trust Spinal Injuries Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital.

The MITRE Trust charity is based at Belfast’s Musgrave Park Hospital and raises money to fund new developments and improve patient services at Northern Ireland’s regional centre for orthopaedics and rehabilitation.

Opened in 2005 the MITRE Rehabilitation Unit (MRU) is among the facilities on offer and when built the Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine facility was one of the largest dedicated physiotherapy facilities in the NHS, containing the largest Sports Medicine facility in the UK.

Following our latest successful charity event the Mourne club is proud to have raised £5,500 to be shared between the Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research and the Mitre Trust Spinal Injuries Unit. In eight years of running charity grasstrack events the Mourne club has now raised and presented more than £60,000 to charities and charitable causes.

 

Charity event history

 

Since our first charity event in 2007 the Mourne Motorcycle Club’s charity work has continued to grow in strength.

The idea was first raised by club man Andrew Shields, from Kilkeel, who suggested the club hold an event for the ambulance services who help at the club’s races, but tragic circumstances were to change who the club choose to raise money for.

Following the passing of Andrew and Alison Shields youngest son Kyle from Sanfilippo Syndrome on October 13, 2006, the club decided to raise money for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice, Belfast, which had provided so much care for Kyle during his short life.

Kyle had been in and out of the hospice for respite sessions since it opened in 2001 and the Shields family were happy for the club to hold the event to raise funds for the Hospice, which had treated the family so well, particularly Kyle who had passed on just five days from his fourteenth birthday on October 18.

Alison Shields had kept a diary during the years of Kyle’s illness and following his passing she decided to write a book of his short life. The book is called ‘Kyle – A mother’s love in action’, with proceeds from the book going to Horizon House, Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice.

 

The charities the Mourne club has been raising money for are:

* 2007 – Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice in Belfast.

* 2008 – Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

* 2009 – Tiny Life and Autism Northern Ireland.

* 2010 – Montalto Medical Centre and Friends of Cancer Centre.

* 2011 – The British Red Cross and St Johns Ambulance.

* 2012 – Cash for kids and The Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund.

* 2013 – The Lucy Parke Appeal and Grove House in Ballynahinch.

* 2014 – The Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research and the Mitre Trust Spinal Injuries Unit, Musgrave Park Hospital

 

For the first time the charity event moved away from the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch, and instead it was held at the Millbridge area of the town.

Once again the Mourne club was helped by The Ballynahinch Lions Club, who started the collection at the first charity event in 2007, Ballynahinch United Football Club and Keith Cullen of Country Fried Chicken, Ballynahinch, who has supplied trophies for the races every year.

Billy McLarnin and George Porter from Mourne Motorcycle Club, with Patricia Humphreys and Terry Loughins from MITRE Trust

Photo © Stuart Campbell

Back row – George Porter and Linda Earls.

Front row – Mourne club Chairman Billy McLarnin with Agnes McKissick, Marion Hunter and Eleanor Hughes from the Ballynahinch Branch of Cancer Research

Photo © Stuart Campbell

Again a big Thank-You to all who made these amounts possible!

The club will hold its 8th Annual Charity Grasstrack event on Wednesday 18th June 2014 at the new venue of Mill Bridge, Ballynahinch. This is directly opposite the old venue at Millbrook Lodge Hotel.

This year we are raising funds for two more worthwhile charities; Cancer Research UK, Ballynahinch Branch and the MITRE Trust Spinal Injuries Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital, Belfast. Since the first event in 2007 the club has raised over £50,000 for 13 different charities, below is a list of those which have benefitted:

2007 – Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice in Belfast

2008 – Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund and Marie Curie Cancer Care

2009 – Tiny Life and Autism Northern Ireland

2010 – Montalto Medical Centre and Friends of Cancer Centre

2011 – The British Red Cross and St. Johns Ambulance

2012 – Cash for Kids and The Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund

2013 – The Lucy Parke Appeal and Grove Day Care Centre, Ballynahinch

In all these years, we have been supported by the Ballynahinch Lions Club and Keith Cullen of Country Fried Chicken, Ballynahinch, who supplies the trophies for the night. Once again this year both parties will be on board and their help is much appreciated.

 

 

Plans for Wednesday 18th June are very much well underway. The press launch took place on Wednesday night past. (June 4th) As with previous years, we will not only have the grasstrack racing to look forward to. We will have displays of classic cars and motorcycles, along with custom trucks. Face painting will also be on hand to keep the kids entertained.

We will be having Grade A, Grade B and Grade C solo classes (entries will be limited to 60 Grade C competitors, first come first served basis) There will also be classes on the night for Quads, Sidecars and Evo’s in our racing programme.

Online entry for this event is now open, please click here. It is possible to download a paper copy, but we would encourage as many as possible to enter online. Get your entries in quickly, as we always have a big demand for this event and can only cater for limited numbers in each class.