An Cosantóir

8 | PRESERVE, RESTORE, DISPLAY: The Military Vehicle Club of Ireland BY SGT WAYNE FITZGERALD PHOTOS COURTESY OF MVCI O A JM9 half-tracked vehicle throughout the island of Ireland. The club has seen its membership grow beyond the founders' wildest dreams, with a steady ne Saturday morning in 1993 in Clarke NCOs' Mess, Curragh Camp, a meeting of 13 military vehicle enthusiasts from all over Ireland resulted in the formation of the Military Vehicle Club of Ireland (MVCI), to promote the preservation, restoration, and display of military vehicles stream of new members and vehicles, and new branches and shows springing up all over Ireland. In the early years the majority of privately owned military vehicles were in Northern Ireland but of vehicles displayed in a small car park at the back of the racecourse to being held in the main racecourse arena. It is now regard- ed as one of Ireland's main military vehicle events. This year, due to the increasing numbers of vehicles and displays, the show will be moving to an even larger site beside the old Stand House Hotel, but still at the Curragh Racecourse. This will allow for vehicle movement displays and battle re-enactment along with the usual living history displays. The MVCI is a non-profit club and all money raised from the annual show is given to the club's chosen charities. In the past 15 military vehicles and giving people a great day out for a minimal fee. Entry prices have remained the same for the last six years and entry is free to senior citizens, retired members of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána and children under ten. See you at the Curragh! For more info on the MVCI please contact: Willie Nugent (Club President) at +353 (0)86 8142446, willienugent@eircom.net; or Robin Payne (Club Secretary) at +353 (0)87 2589013, robin@mycompany.ie. years the MVCI has donated over €25,000 to such groups/charities as the Army and Garda benevolent funds, the Curragh and Air Corps soldiers' aid, the Drogheda Memorial Hospice and the Barrettstown Gang Camp. From the MVCI's point of view the main purpose of the Curragh show is promoting the preservation, restoration and display of Jim's Labour of Love MVCI Chairman Jim Smith had long wanted a Defence Forces Nissan Patrol to display. He eventually found one on eBay being sold by a sheep farmer in Wales. The ve- hicle, originally 89 D 1452, which served with the military police, was one of the first batch supplied to the Defence Forces. The vehicle was sold at auction after its military service and was purchased by a UK dealer. It was then sold on to the farmer who used it on his farm for 12 years. Remarkably, when it then turned up on eBay after all this time it still had its fading MP crest on the doors. Jim brought the Nissan home on a low-loader as the The MVCI's 15th annual show in the Curragh Racecourse is scheduled for Sunday May 20th. This show has grown from a handful now ownership is countrywide and there is a vast array of vehicles, including ACMATs, British Ferrets, Russian tracked vehicles, American and German WWII vehicles, and many more. Before of the MVCI's original founders. In addition to the Nissan Patrol, he has also restored a 109 MP Land Rover and a 4 Cav Sqn motorcycle. An Cosantóir May 2012 www.dfmagazine.ie years in the Welsh hills had not been kind to it and it needed a total rebuild. It has now been fully refurbished and is in full working order. There was a lot of hard work but Jim is very happy with the result and plans to display the restored vehicle at this year's annual show. As well as being the current chairman, Jim is also one After

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