Ards and North Down Borough Council has unveiled a plaque in memory of the eight spectators who died after an accident during the 1936 Ards Tourist Trophy (TT) race in Newtownards. The plaque was unveiled during a civic event at Ards Arts Centre and has been installed on a wall near Ards Community Hospital, close to where the tragic accident occurred on Church Street.
In 1936, the Ards TT was a world-renowned event. Held on closed roads between Newtownards, Comber and Dundonald, competitors travelled from around the world to battle against local drivers over 35 laps of the 13.5mile route. The race provided a huge spectacle and was a massive tourist attraction with thousands of excited spectators lining the roads to watch.
Tragically, that excitement turned to despair on Saturday 5 September 1936 and Newtownards was plunged into mourning when one of the competing cars lost control on Church Street. The car crashed off the road and into a group of spectators who had been watching the race from the footpath adjacent to the road.
Up to 40 people were injured with eight succumbing to their injuries. They were:
- Ernest Jacobs, a schoolteacher from England.
- Samuel McAuley, a foreman at Kiltonga Beach Works.
- William McGimpsey, a 15-year-old who had been serving his apprenticeship at a local garage.
- James McKnight, a quiltmaker in the Irish Tapestry Company.
- William Thorne, an engineer from England.
- Hans Wallace, a farmer from Drumawhey.
- Alexander Warden, a foreman in Walkers Mill.
- Samuel Wilson, who had just left school at the age of 14 and was working at a hosiery factory in Newtownards.
The Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Alistair Cathcart, said:
“In 1936, the Ards TT was a hugely popular, international event, with spectators and competitors travelling to Northern Ireland from all over the world. Thousands of spectators lined the course. When a car lost control at high speed on Church Street, the driver was powerless in avoiding some of those innocent bystanders.
“Motorsport can be dangerous, and even in 1936, those risks were appreciated. However, nobody expected that eight spectators, who were there purely for joy and excitement, to never return home again. This plaque will provide a lasting tribute to those who lost their lives on that tragic day.”
Local motoring historian, Paul Robinson, who recently published a book about the County Down Trophy Races that were held between 1934 and 1936, was the guest speaker at the unveiling. It was also attended by relatives of the late Samuel Wilson.
