120th Anniversary World’s First Motorcycle Race – Winner John Paul Burney | Season 4 – Episode 31
Wheels May 03, 2024
The world’s first ever motorcycle road race took place on July 19, 1904, from Belfast to Derry/Londonderry finishing in Glengormley, County Antrim, Ireland. An article dated October 26, 1927, in “The Irish Cyclist and Motor Cyclist” asserts that this race, was the first-ever road race and John Paul Burney, riding a 3 ½ hp Royal Enfield clinched the victory.
THE RACE
Writing in 1927 a reporter of The Irish Cyclist and Motor Cyclist outlined the event: “A 200 miles reliability trails was held on Tuesday 19th July 1904 to mark the occasion of the marriage of the Honourable Leopold Canning, President of the Ulster Centre…”.
SECRECY REQUIRED
While the Ulster Centre of The Motorcycle Union of Ireland had always been on good terms with the police regarding events, a two-hundred-mile road race on the public roadways was taking things too far.
And the solution they came up to be able to hold the race? Complete silence – not a word! The Ulster Centre arranged to run the race under the guise of “road trials” and so the help of the police would not be required.
On race day when the riders and a few supporters gathered at the Belfast Banking Company premises on Donegall Street at 6:00 am the secret had been so well guarded by the officials and riders that even the best-informed pressmen didn’t hear of it beforehand!
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THE COMPETITORS
Including John Paul Burney riding a 3 ½ horsepower belt-driven Royal Enfield, seventeen competitors entered the race including R.G. Wilkinson, J.B. Ferguson (Excelsior), A.W. Hamilton (F.N.), R. McGahey, John and James McFerran, A. Parker (Minerva), H. Cooke, W. McStay, T. Ireland, J. Stewart (Humber Centaur), T. Mallon, and R.W. Ireton (Riley). We have unconfirmed reports of L. Cooks riding a Raleigh, B. Robb riding a Rex motorcycle and one other un-named rider. Other motorcycle marques racing on the day were Centaur, Rex, Bat and Ormonde.
While the race was publicised as a reliability trail to appease the police, each of the riders were under no illusion as to what was required of them – it was a race and the first man home would be the winner. We know that this race was a major event because the Marquis de Mouzilly St Mars presented the trophy to the winner.
PRE-RACE REPAIRS
On the Saturday before the race, John Paul Burney broke the crank bracket axle on his Royal Enfield and was deprived of both the pedalling gear and the pedals, which he used as foot-rests. He had abandoned the idea of starting in the race, but, on his way home, passed the shop of Bob Ireton, who was inside preparing his own machine. Burney mentioned his issue, and he and Ireton between them made a repair which served the purpose on the day of the event.
THE COURSE
The course was to be approximately two hundred miles long from Belfast to Derry/ Londonderry via the coast road and Carrickfergus, Cushendall, Portrush and Coleraine, returning by an inland route, through Maghera and Toome, and finishing at the Crown and Shamrock Inn on the Antrim side of Glengormley, County Antrim.
Because of the dreadful road conditions encountered after departing Belfast, and barely 12 ½ miles later at Carrickfergus on Belfast Lough, the silencers, tool bags, pumps and spare parts had vibrated off the majority of the motorcycles.
RACE LEADER
Alex Parker on a fast Continental Minerva motorcycle (used for track racing and pace-making on cycle tracks) led the field for the first fifty miles. But due to the poor road conditions he was forced to retire at Cushendall with a split petrol tank.
John Paul Burney rode well and did not get flustered when apparently faster men passed him out. He kept a steady pace while they wrecked their engines or had crashes caused by speed and poor roads. Burney only opened ‘the horses’ from Ballycastle onwards and that secured him the race win.
RACE WINNER
Burney crossed the finishing line at the Crown and Shamrock Pub in Glengormley and can lay claim to have won the world’s first motorcycle road race. J.B. Ferguson came second as he had lost a lot of time due to his unfamiliarity with the race route. Harry Cooke of Ballymena had a couple of nasty falls and a puncture and was placed third and “Bertie” Robb had a nightmare race with seven punctures, coming in fourth.
Burney’s Royal Enfield had been trouble-free throughout the race, and he was able to maintain an average speed of more than twenty miles per hour and cross the finish line forty-five minutes ahead of the next rider. At the finish line he removed his overalls and proudly posed for a photograph alongside his reliable 3.5 hp belt-driven Royal Enfield.
CUP AWARDED
The was cup presented by the Marquis de Mars, a French friend of the Honorable Leopold Canning, (Lord Garvagh), who was then president of the Ulster Centre of the Motor Cycle Union of Ireland.
In July 2024 it will be one hundred and twenty years since John Paul Burney rode those two hundred miles and won the world’s first ever motorcycle race. To commemorate the anniversary a two-day event retracing the original route is planned for 20 & 21 July 2024 and all bikes are welcome.
On the evening of the first night there will be a gala dinner in Ballykelly and a talk from Gordon May, the Royal Enfield historian. Further details from Joan Crawford [email protected]
ROYAL ENFIELD BELFAST
Before winning the first ever motorcycle race in 1904, John Paul Burney (1875 – 1949) had existing ties to Ireland when he secured a job in 1902 as a sales traveller with the motor firm John Alexander in Belfast who were the Royal Enfield distributors.
In the early 1920s, travelling in Ireland was difficult due to the lack of main roads and trains only served the major towns. However, because John Paul had only recently concluded his cycle racing career, he was fit enough to use the train to travel to a major town and then his bicycle to get to the villages further afield. The bicycle allowed him a huge commercial advantage, and enabled him to open a large number of accounts that had previously been neglected by his competitors.
MOVING TO DUBLIN
In 1907 still employed by Alexander’s, John Paul moved from Belfast to Dublin as the sales representative for Belsize Motors who had expanded with a new agency at 104 Anne Street Dublin. Belsize Motors are regarded as Manchester’s first automobile manufacturer and their cars were similar to the French Hurtu and German Benz.
When war broke out in 1914 there were no motorcycles to sell due to the war effort, and Burney opened a workshop to service and keep Royal Enfield motorcycles on the road, this garage became known as Burney Bros.
BURNEY BROS DUBLIN
In 1920, John Paul Burney opened his new Royal Enfield dealership ‘Burney Bros Engineers’ at 67a Great Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street), where he would later be joined by his sons John Gordon and George Desmond. Burney also had premises at 53/54 Sandwith Street Upper, just off Great Brunswick Street. Both of John Paul Burney’s sons followed in their father’s footsteps in motorcycle sport and with rare photographs graciously provided by the Burney family we will be bringing you their stories in the near future here on Ireland Made.
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Every week we bring you two new Irish transport videos. Please support our content creation and our work in preserving the stories of Irish transport subscribe via www.irelandmade.ie
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STANLEY WOODS
The Burney brothers were firm friends with renowned motorcycle racer Stanley Woods and John Gordon married Woods’ sister Violet in 1930.
ENFIELD ASSEMBLY DUBLIN
In 1933 George Desmond travelled to England and joined the Royal Enfield company at the Redditch site. However he was back in Dublin in 1936 to marry Irene Burney, and they had two daughters – Pauline and Patricia.
In 1946 Burney Bros changed its name to “Stanley Woods and Burney”, with a shop on Pearse Street, Dublin. After war service in India George Desmond returned to Ireland and opened an assembly line for Royal Enfield cycles and motorcycles on Lombard Street East, Dublin, which existed from about 1947 to 1957.
By 1972 Stanley Woods and Burney Ltd. were listed as Main Opel Dealers offering sales, parts and service, at the 67a Pearse Street premises. The following year the Pearse Street building was vacated and all of the business transferred to 53/54 Sandwith Street Upper, however, by 1974 this premises was also listed (Thom’s Directories) as vacant.
THE TRADITION CONTINUES
George Desmond’s daughter Pauline had two sons, Ian and Bruce. His younger daughter Patricia was a was a keen motorcyclist and passed her love of riding to her son Steven and daughter Julie – and all four of George Desmond’s grandchildren are now motorcyclists.
The youngest of them, Julie Patricia Horne, has appeared in many features for motorcycle magazines from 2006 – 2020 with travels all over the world and, in keeping with family tradition, rides a Royal Enfield.
John Paul Burney lived out his retirement at 41 Fortfield Terrace, in the Dublin suburb of Rathmines. He died on 4 July 1949 and is buried in Dean’s Grange Cemetery, Blackrock, County Dublin.
Further details of the race-route recreation to be held on 20 – 21 July 2024 can be obtained from Joan Crawford [email protected]
If you have an idea for a story, please email Kevin Reid [email protected]
Sources of Information:
Belfast Live
Pauline Burney
Red FM Patna
Royal Enfield
Royal Enfield: a Complete History (2021) – Greg Pullen
Royal Enfield: the Complete Story (2002) – Mike Walker
Thom’s Directories
