IRELAND: Unsung hero

Born and raised in Crosskennan, Co. Antrim, not far from Belfast, Len Ireland first got his hands on a motorbike, a 1949 BSA 350 B31, at the tender age of 15.

This pretty much coincided with his decision to finish up at the local Tec and to start as an apprentice mechanic at the main Armstrong Siddeley dealership. The little BSA was ideal for the daily commute in and out of Belfast but it was at weekends, when it was used for ‘fun’, that it gave Len the most satisfaction. ‘Fun’ involved heading to Bells Crossroads near Kells, Co. Antrim and to a network of local country roads with a group of similarly-minded motorcycle owning youths for what Len casually refers to as unofficial racing.

These were undoubtedly thrilling times for young Len, notwithstanding the frequency with which these lads ended up injured and Len recalls one occasion, rounding a bend only to discover a herd of dairy cows in the middle of the road which, once again, resulted in a spell at the local Massereene Hospital. So frequent were his visits there that the nurses joked about having a bed named after him.

Then, one weekend word came through that at a similar unofficial racing event at another nearby set of roads known as the Rumbler, a young rider was killed and Len realised that he’d have