The officers and members of the Mourne Motorcycle Club Ltd would like to take this opportunity to wish all our members and anyone associated with the club, a very Merry Christmas and prosperous and safe Happy New Year.
Best Wishes for 2013 and beyond!
The clubs popular Cross Country events kick back into full swing in 2013 on Saturday 19th January at Saintfield Road, Crossgar.
This will be our first event of the 2013 calendar and will be a Fun event for all solo competitors. Perfect time to work off the Christmas turkey and hone your bike skills back in again for the 2013 season ahead.
Entry Forms are now available to download from this website or by clicking here
Entries close on Wednesday 16th January 2013 so get them in early.
As parking is restricted at this event we will be using a car park to the side of Bells Tyre depot. We would ask that NO vehicles are left on the forecourt at Bells Tyre depot.
The club’s cross-country team hosted their latest winter event at Dunmore Mountain on Saturday 3rd November 2012.
After the cancellation of the first round due to bad weather and despite the poor weather leading up to this event, the track was in great condition for the 56 riders taking part in the two-hour race.
The Experts set off at the front of the pack with Saintfield’s Gary Bell and Crossgar man Joel Brown leading the way for the first four laps. Then on lap five Killinchy’s Paul McMinn moved to the front and led all the way to the chequered flag followed byBellin second and Brown in third position after eleven laps. Larne man Josh Caldwell, who completed ten laps, won the Clubman’s class.
Results will be posted over the next few days.
The club held their Annual General Meeting on Monday 15th October 2012 at 8pm in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch.
The election of officials was conducted by Mrs Anne McLarnin, who made history on the night being the first woman to officiate at the club AGM. Our thanks must go to Anne for the smooth running of the election of officiers.
The club is now going to be guided by one of our ex-chairmen, Billy McLarnin. Billy has previously guided the club from strength to strength and we all have no doubts that he will again lead us all from the front for the next year. Assisting Billy this year, in the vice-chairmans seat is Matthew King. There are also many people who work in the background within the club, filling other roles but their names go unmentioned sometimes. These people hold very important positions like our Club President, Junior Burrows; Club Secretary/Press Officier, Stuart Campbell; Treasurer, George Porter; Assistant Secretary/Child Protection Officier, William Campbell; Competition Secretaries, Keith Conway & Rowan Conway; and Chief Flag Officier, Andrew Shields.
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.
Last but by no means least, we thank our outgoing chairman; John Bassett and outgoing vice-chairman; Ken Dickson for all their hard work over this last two years. The club has done excellently in respresenting off-road sport in County Down over this last many years, but this would not have been possible without the leadership of men like John and Ken. To you both a big thank you from all within Mourne Motorcycle Club.
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.
2013 Season Club Membership forms are now available for download under the ‘Club Forms’ section of this website.
The club will be once again hoping to kick off our Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 Cross Country events on Saturday 3rd November 2012 at the same venue as the cancelled Round 1; Dunmore Mountain, Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down.
After the scheduled first round for October 6th at the same venue had to be cancelled due to the extreme wet climate we are experiencing this year. The club hopes to kick the Cross Country events into full swing again the fast flowing, and technical venue on Dunmore Mountain near the Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down.
These are always very well supported events and we run two classes for clubmen and expert riders alike.
For anyone unsure of directions to this event, the address is Dunmore Road, Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down, BT24 8QQ, a map can also be viewed by clicking the event info here
Entries are now available to download by clicking here (Anyone who had pre entried the cancelled event on 6th October, please contact Arthur McMullan on 07710 130965 to re-arrange their entry)
Saturdays upcoming Cross Country at Dunmore Mountain, Spa, Ballynahinch is going ahead. Entries are still low, so we are taking entries on the day. If possible please contact anyone from the club if you are proposing to ride. Many Thanks to those who have entried already.
The club will be kicking off our Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 Cross Country events with Round 1 being held on Saturday 6th October 2012 at Dunmore Mountain, Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down.
This will be the first of our usual four Cross Country events, run over the Autumn of 2012 to the Winter of 2013. This year we are kicking off the the fast flowing, and technical venue on Dunmore Mountain near the Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down.
These are always very well supported events and we run two classes for clubmen and expert riders alike.
For anyone unsure of directions to this event, the address is Dunmore Road, Spa, Ballynahinch, County Down, BT24 8QQ, a map can also be viewed by clicking the event info here
It is with regret that we have taken an early decision to CANCEL this event for next Saturday, as the ground is very water logged at the venue with the rain over this past two days.
We will be rescheduling this event until our next date on 3rd November, with a venue for this to be announced closer to the time.
The Mourne Motorcycle Club held its sixth annual charity motocross event on 20th June 2012, to raise monies for Cash for Kids and The Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund.
This year the members of the Mourne club are delighted to say that we have raised a total of £6000, which means that we have been able to present both charities with a cheque for £3000 each
This year the Mourne Motorcycle Club would also like to thank The Ballynahinch Lions Club, Ballynahinch United Football Club, Gascon Ice-cream, Herrons Country Fried Chicken; Ballynahinch, who donate the trophies every year, Fish City; Ballynahinch and of course the Millbrook Lodge for their help with the event.
The annual charity event may have been a new idea within the club, but this year we are pleased to have carried on the great work which has now seen us hand over a total of £45,000 to the charities we have been involved with in the last six years.
The charities that 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.
Photo caption: (L to R) Dawn Burrows (Reece Burrows mother), John Bassett (Mourne Motorcycle Club Chairman), Darren Fowler (Cash for Kids) and George Porter (Mourne Motorcycle Club Treasurer)
Photo © Stuart Campbell
Again a big Thank-You to all who made these amounts possible!
Our ever popular ‘Summer Evening Motocross’ at George Porter’s Leitrim Motocross Track will be running again this year on Wednesday 18th July 2012. We will be running the usual Grade A, Grade B and Grade C solo classes along with the addition of Classic/Evo class for the older models of machinery.
Entry fee is £22 (£10 extra for additional class) + an additional £3 each for all competitors and spectators to be paid at the gate.
Entry forms are now available to download on our club website, please click here. Get your entries in as this is a popular event and attracts large numbers of riders.
Directions to this event can be viewed on our events page, please click here
After discussion at our monthly meeting, it is with regret that we have decided to CANCEL this event completely, due to the shortening in the evenings and the unavailability of a suitable Saturday date to re-run this event. All entries have/will be returned; Please contact someone from the club if you have not received your entry back.
Wednesday 20th June 2012 was our 6th Annual Charity Grasstrack event to this year raise money for the Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund and Cool FM’s Cash for Kids. The night was once again an overhelming success, with record crowds in attendance!
We would like to thank all those people who came along to spectate and enjoy a great night out. Also to the riders who form the main attraction on the night, some excellent racing took place in all classes, with a massive 24 races being run in slick fashion as always.
We are indebted to the continued support from our sponsors who come back year after year to support us, they are Country Fried Chicken, Ballynahinch; Cafe Rossi, Ballynahinch; Millbrook Lodge Hotel, Ballynahinch; Sam Robinson Printing & Business Systems; Ironside Trophies & Engraving; Douglas Autoparts, Ballynahinch; and Norspace. With the support of these local businesses, all money raised is donated to the chosen charities.
We would also not be able to run the event without help from many people in the background, who do a very major jobs where most do not realise: Mr Roy Neill, Commentator; Liz Patterson & Anne McLarnin, the Secretaries, Signing-on and Timekeeping team; The First Aid Personnel; and the Press.
Grade A/B Start
Photo © Pat Kelly
Brilliant crowds line the trackside spectator areas
Prize Winners on the night with Judith McDowell (Cash for Kids) & Dawn Burrows (mother of Reece Burrows)
Photo © Stuart Campbell
(There will be more photos uploaded over the coming week, please check back regularly)
We will be announcing the total amount raised for the two charities in the coming days, and will be handing over cheques to the Reece Burrows Cerebral Palsy Fund and Cash for Kids.
Results are now available under the results tab, or by clicking here
