It is quite possible that the most famous Irish sports star in the first half of the 20th century was motorcycle racer Stanley Woods. His record of 10 Isle of Man TT victories between 1923 and 1939 was not surpassed until 1967 by Mike Hailwood.
Known as the “Irish Dasher” and for his spectacular tail-sliding riding style, Woods won over 25 motorcycle Grand Prix events in his career. During the 1930s, Woods also competed in several car racing events and was a major draw while enjoying some modest success.
Woods was born in Rathgar, in south Dublin in 1903 and educated at The High School on Harcourt Street. His father was a confectioner and owned an early Harley Davidson motorcycle that Stanley learned to ride and then compete in races across Ireland. He made his Isle of Man debut in 1922 on a Cotton finishing in fifth place before recording his first TT victory in 1923. He moved from Cotton to Norton where he enjoyed the most successful period of his racing career in the early 1930s becoming a major star in Ireland and abroad.
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Promoters of motor racing events soon saw the value of Woods as a headline attraction and, as early as the 1929 Irish International Grand Prix at the Phoenix Park, efforts were made to get Woods into the race. This did happen due to a conflict with the Belgian Grand Prix, but Woods was in his first car race at the Ards TT in 1929 racing a Lea-Francis. He retired with front axle failure following a crash. In 1935 he entered the Ards TT in an Adler (retired) and was a driver for the works Austin team at Limerick, and the Phoenix Park failing to finish in either race.
Woods most successful year car racing was 1939. He had purchased Des McCracken’s 1937 Leinster Trophy winning 1172cc Morgan 4/4 when McCracken fell ill with TB and campaigned it throughout 1939 winning the Ballinascorney Hill Climb, Lincoln Cup Trial, Autumn Cup Trial and IMRC Trial.
Woods entered the Leinster Trophy at Tallaght where he retired before scoring a fine 5th place at the Phoenix Park on September 10th, 1939 in what was to be the last major motor race held in Europe at the outbreak of World War II. Interestingly, Wood’s Morgan 4/4, the first ever assembled in Ireland, is currently for sale at Bonham’s summer 2024 auction where it is expected to bring in over £40,000. We will be covering the story of this exceptional Irish-built car in an upcoming episode on Ireland Made.
Stanley Woods Morgan 4/4 Specifications,
Make: Morgan
Model: 4/4 Sports
Year: 1937
Registration: ZC 1176,
Chassis no. 265,
The first Irish-assembled Morgan brought to Ireland in April 1937 and assembled by Gorman Brothers of Dublin
While his car racing career did not match the heights that his career on two wheels did, Woods was certainly a proficient driver and his “tail-out” style suited the cars of the time. Without World War II he most likely would have continued to compete in car events but by 1945, Woods was 42 and had retired from competition.
During the ‘Emergency’ Woods joined the Irish Armed Forces rising to the rank of major in charge of training and oversight of the Motorcycle Corps. Post-war he was involved with the motor trade with his brother-in-law up until his retirement in 1966. Woods enjoyed an active retirement frequently visiting the Isle of Man for demonstration runs. In 1967 he was voted the greatest TT rider of all time. He was the first motorsports competitor inducted into the Texaco Irish Sports Hall of Fame. Stanley Woods passed away in 1993 at the age of 89.
Story by Brian Manning
Brian, a biotechnology professional and motorsports enthusiast, officiated his 40th Formula One event at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix. His interest in motor racing history led him to identify errors in the Leinster Trophy’s record. He received the 2023 RIAC Dudley Reynolds Award for preserving Irish motor racing history. Brian moved from Dublin in 1992, lived in Paris and London, and settled in the USA in 1996. He lives in New Jersey with his wife Amy and their children, Andrea and David.
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Video and Photos Credit:
1. British Pathé. MOTOR RACING: International tourist trophy race (1929)
2. Austin Dixi. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
3. Stanley Woods IOM Cotton 1923 © Uncredited
4. Woods IOM 1935 Descending Bray Hill © Alamy
5. Stanley Woods Vauxhall car. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
6. Stanley Woods Delage DR70 Tourer. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
7. 1929 Ards TT Cover © Brian Manning collection
8. Stanley Woods in the pits at Dundonald. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
9. British Pathé. MOTOR RACING: International tourist trophy race (1929)
10. Stanley Woods crashed and retired. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
11. Ards TT start line. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
12. Stanley Woods 1935 retainer. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
13. Austin Dixi. STANLEY WOODS: The World’s First Motorcycle Superstar by David Crawford
14. 1935 Limerick Cover © Brian Manning collection
15. 1935 Limerick Austin 747cc © RIAC Archive
16. Limerick 1935 Woods works Austin entry © Brian Manning collection
17. Woods Morgan 4/4 1939 Trophies © Michael Connaughton collection
18. 1937 Des McCracken winner with Sean T. O’Kelly, LMC President JJ Shiel © RIAC Archive
19. Morgan 4/4 Bonham’s Auction for sale. © Bonhams
20. 1935 Phoenix Park Cover © Brian Manning collection
21. 1937 Leinster Trophy Cover © Brian Manning collection
22. 1938 Leinster Trophy Cover © Brian Manning collection
23. 1939 Phoenix Park Cover © Brian Manning collection
24. Woods with Leinster Motor Club Committee 1980. L-R Gordon Lennox, Alex Sinclair, Stanley Woods, Dominic Murphy, Frank Gavin. © Leinster Motor Club
Sources of Information:
1. Dictionary of Irish Biography: Woods, Stanley. Retrieved from: https://www.dib.ie/index.php/biography/woods-stanley-a9119
2. Stanley Woods Wikipedia. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Woods
3. 1932-1939 Phoenix Park, Tallaght, Limerick Motor Racing Programmes. Collection of Brian Manning.
4. The Tallaght Motor Races 1935-1948. Robin McCullough (2011). Published by Dreoilín Press Irish Transport Series.
5. Green Dust. Ireland’s Unique Motor Racing History 1900-1939. Brendan Lynch (1988). Published by Portobello Publishing.
6. The ex-Desmond McCracken, Stanley Woods 1937 Morgan 4/4 Sports. Retrieved from: https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/29332/lot/233/1937-morgan-44-sports-chassis-no-265-engine-no-to-be-advised/
7. Jacobs, A. J. (2017). Automotive FDI in emerging Europe: shifting locales in the motor vehicle industry. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-1-137-40786-3.
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