Eamon De valeras car is a sorry state.

Run_to_da_hills · 04-10-2010 11:30pm #1

I was passing through Ennis the other day and decided to have a look at De Velaras motor car, a 1947 Dodge which is on display in the grounds of the library on Harmony Row.

I was shocked at the neglected state of the show room and car itself. Leaves had blown in under the door into the show room which is a sign that the building is improperly sealed against the elements. The showroom has also become a store room for junk and the car has several flat tires.

This car was proudly presented to the town by Eamon De Velaras family and the show room sponsored by Syntex of Clarecastle (Now Roche).

If the town is incapable of looking after this car it should be relocated to a motor museum where it can be properly cared for before it deteriorates any further. This car should always be kept in pristine condition and should be driven on national parades.

carchaeologist · 05-10-2010 12:23am

Thats just not good enough! Those tyres look like they have been flat quite awhile too.

I thought this car was taken out for the Patricks day parade every year in Ennis though?

mustang68 · 05-10-2010 8:27am

That is really terrible, it is part of our heritage and we should look after it as such. While the town may argue that it has no funds I'm sure that they could find some volunteers to maintain it every few months.

manta mad · 05-10-2010 9:33am

mustang68 wrote: »

That is really terrible, it is part of our heritage and we should look after it as such. While the town may argue that it has no funds I'm sure that they could find some volunteers to maintain it every few months.

well said ! plenty of vintage + classic people here that would only be to glad to look after that car !

and the headline -- Eamon De valeras car is a sorry state.

should also read -- Eamon De valeras country is a sorry state.

Run_to_da_hills · 05-10-2010 10:39am

Is there a FAS or boy scout chapter in Ennis?

FiSe · 05-10-2010 1:54pm

Irish National Technical/Transport Museum is needed. Although, it would probably serve as hide out of useless relatives of useless politicians who would lookafter their pocket in the first place... So forget about it.
At least is under the roof...for now

who the fug · 05-10-2010 1:56pm

Suggest you send your pictures to the local Clare papers

mikemac · 05-10-2010 2:02pm

A disgrace

Even give to a classic car enthusiast if a State agency won't do it
I know my uncle in Miltown Malbay resotres classics and goes to shows.

If you gave it someone who will maintain it and gave a commitment to do St. Patricks Day in Ennis and several other other festivals like Lisdoonvarna, they should have it

Run_to_da_hills · 05-10-2010 3:03pm

feelingstressed wrote: »

A disgrace

Even give to a classic car enthusiast if a State agency won't do it
I know my uncle in Miltown Malbay resotres classics and goes to shows.

If you gave it someone who will maintain it and gave a commitment to do St. Patricks Day in Ennis and several other other festivals like Lisdoonvarna, they should have it

I would guess there are people in Ennis that don't even know it exists.

One guy in particular that I would recommend to look after and drive it would be Patsy Hogan. He is both mechanically minded and has a collection of restored vintage cars and motorcycles in Ennis.

mikemac · 05-10-2010 3:19pm

I don't know Patsy Hogan.

But loads of classic car enthusiasts around.

Maybe this person you know will maintain it and the only condition is to drive it in several parades a year. Seems fair

cian1500ww · 05-10-2010 3:28pm

Cars will go to wreck and ruin if they're just left sitting, it needs to be somewhere that it'll be used for shows, runs etc.

Silvera · 05-10-2010 9:03pm

Sad to see what is a 'national heirloom' been neglected like that. Just shows how badly we need a dedicated National Transport Museum. (The one in Howth is not adequate...even though the volunteers there do great work with very little state assistance).

aravan2010 · 05-10-2010 9:14pm

There is a few flat wheels but it hardly translates to a sorry state.

amdublin · 05-10-2010 9:17pm

Disgraceful.

I'm no car maintenance expert but should that car not be up on bricks??

(What is the purpose of putting a car on bricks btw?)

carchaeologist · 05-10-2010 9:20pm

amdublin wrote: »

(What is the purpose of putting a car on bricks btw?)

Usually to steal the wheels....

Max_Damage · 05-10-2010 9:22pm

amdublin wrote: »

(What is the purpose of putting a car on bricks btw?)

Ease the stress on the tyres.

dutchcat · 05-10-2010 9:36pm

shame to see it just sitting there,someone could use it for banger racing.

Max_Damage · 05-10-2010 9:42pm

dutchcat wrote: »

,someone could use it for banger racing.

Are you taking the piss?

Run_to_da_hills · 05-10-2010 9:56pm

aravan2010 wrote: »

There is a few flat wheels but it hardly translates to a sorry state.

Flat tyres and as another poster pointed out, ,they look as if they were flat for quite a while, this would also signify a lack of other maintenance such as regularly starting of the motor.

If a car has been left idle for a considerable length of time petol will go stale with possible rust accumilating in the fuel tank, brakes can also sieze. The longer it is left without been driven the more costly it will be to upkeep it in good mechanical order.

You would not find this situation of neglect with General De Galles Citroen DS at the presidential car museum in Burgandy.

V480 · 05-10-2010 10:08pm

Something should be done about this. If this is let slip under the radar the car could quite easily end up on the scrapheap in the future. This is not as daft as it sounds either. The Irish Government scrapped the gunboat that shelled Liberty Hall in the Easter Rising rather than keep it as a tourist attraction!!

Max_Damage · 05-10-2010 11:05pm

V480 wrote: »

The Irish Government scrapped the gunboat that shelled Liberty Hall in the Easter Rising rather than keep it as a tourist attraction!!

The Irish Government are fúcking stupid. With those thick <snip> The Greens in power, they'll have any form of motor transport scrapped.

carchaeologist · 05-10-2010 11:44pm

I wonder if Dev hadnt given the car to the people of Ennis where would it be now? Probably not around at all....
Arguably the most famous presidential car,ZJ5000(Devs Rolls) nearly met with a bad end in the '70s...

The car was always maintained by the Department of Defence and driven by a Military driver, until President Childers took office, then it was passed over to the Garda Siochana where it had been maintained since and driven by a Garda.

Though the matter came up before the Public Accounts Committee in November 1975, the car was allowed to rot away in storage in an army garage. By May 1976 it was reported by the Army Barrack Master that it would cost £3,000 to restore it.
In August 1976, however, an enthusiast active in the veteran and vintage car world in Ireland wrote to the Taoiseach offering to buy the car from the Government. He wished to prevent it going overseas as so many of the interesting early cars in the country did. The matter was shelved. The car had in any case now passed from the Army to the Garda, but then it was decided to just sell it off with the next lot of redundant garda squad cars.
The proposal to auction off Éamon de Valera's presidential car in 1976 resulted in the Attorney general being asked for his opinion on whether the historic car was covered by the National Monuments Act of 1930.
A Dept of Justice memo said a technical report indicated the Rolls Royce (registration ZJ 5000) was not suitable to be used as a State car as it was in need of "a general overhaul" and it was decided to dispose of it. "The question has arisen whether the car could be regarded as coming within the definition of "archaeological object", the memo says. If so that would mean the car could not be exported without a special licence from the minister for education.
It says the car was originally purchased for ceremonial occasions, but in practice was mainly used by the President. After de Valera moved to the Aras an uchtairain in 1959, it was used wholly by him. "As he became increasingly feeble, it was found that the high dimensions of the Rolls facilitated his movement in and out of the car."
When he retired in 1973 he was allowed to continue to use the car until his death in 1975. After he died it was returned to the Government establishment. But by this date ministers preferred to use American or German cars. No-one wanted to use the Rolls.
The Attorney General said it had to be decided was de Valera "an historical person" and whether the value of the Rolls Royce would be inflated because of his association with it. He said it could not be doubted that de Valera "played a significant role in the life of the country" but it was a matter of opinion whether his presidential years represented the most significant period of his career. Eventually it was decided that he was. But nevertheless the lawyers saw no difficulty about selling off the car.
But at the end of the year the matter crept into the papers. Questions were asked: Where is ZJ 5000?
The Minister for justice, Gerry Collins, took up the matter. The decision was reversed at a cabinet meeting on 6 September 1977. The car was saved. The mechanics went to work on it and it was restored from its shabby condition for mere £400-£500.
In due course in the spring of 1978 the car, splendidly restored, with Minister Gerry Collins on hand, was unveiled to the public in its more mature role as an archaeological relic.
The by-now quite bulky file on the matter closes in September 1978 with observation that the car "is now in running order and will be available for use by the President for ceremonial State occasions".

He wished to prevent it going overseas as so many of the interesting early cars in the country did

What early cars were these?

Hermy · 06-10-2010 12:04am

manta mad wrote: »

...Eamon De valeras country....

Since when?:rolleyes:

Kevin_Herron · 06-10-2010 12:21am

carchaeologist wrote: »

I wonder if Dev hadnt given the car to the people of Ennis where would it be now? Probably not around at all....
Arguably the most famous presidential car,ZJ5000(Devs Rolls) nearly met with a bad end in the '70s...

What early cars were these?

Try and find yourself a copy of "Automobile Treasury of Ireland" written by Finbarr Corry.
It is jam packed with photographs etc. of some of the most beautiful and not to mention rarest Vintage and Veteran cars that lived in this country once upon a time. They were being discovered all over the country and the majority featured in Finbarrs book left the country.

Sure in the last couple of years we almost lost the Silver Stream when it was auctioned in England!

G Luxel · 06-10-2010 12:38am

:eek: Where are the Management of that complex? have they gone on a junket to see how they put air into presidential cars in other countries...?

kasper · 06-10-2010 12:42am

no, just anything to do with inflation they do not want anything to do with it

Morlar · 06-10-2010 12:49am

That is pretty ****ing disgraceful.

Esel · 06-10-2010 4:41am

The fact that the car was once used by de Valera does nothing for me at all. The fact that a nice classic car is not being maintained properly does.

Run_to_da_hills · 06-10-2010 8:14am

esel wrote: »

The fact that the car was once used by de Valera does nothing for me at all. The fact that a nice classic car is not being maintained properly does.

That's true, there are plenty of people in this country that would sooner let this car rot because of its association with Eamon De Valera, same could be said for Hitlers Mercedes.

manta mad · 06-10-2010 9:20am

Hermy wrote: »

Since when?:rolleyes:

sorry about that statement !!!!!!!!!!!

tony melia · 06-10-2010 9:31am

that car should be cut in half and one half buried with mc quaid other with the gangster dev :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Eamon De valeras car is a sorry state.

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