Vintage Opel and Vauxhall enthusiasts from all over Kerry, Cork and Limerick met at Ahern’s on Tralee Road for the fourth annual such gathering at the venue in recent years.
Denis Murphy, the Southern representative of the Opel / Vauxhall Club Ireland was mightily impressed with the enthusiasm and the turnout.
“This is always a great event here and it’s lovely to come down to it,” said Mr. Murphy. Pressed for more specifics from a seasoned show-goer he expanded: “There’s always an atmosphere about the place. There’s fierce interest in the vehicles and I just find that there’s a great welcome for us as well,” he said.
Bygone Days
Groups of people were deep in conversation and debate around various cars and trucks of bygone days. The vehicles and their vintage status provided a conduit which took many a conversation down memory lane.
John Supple from Rathkeale was firing questions on people he knew during his truck dealing days with Ahern’s of old.
He remembered dealing with company founder, Jack Ahern since the early 1960s. He recalled Timmy Nolan, Tommy Broderick and the unforgettable Denny Flynn working in Ahern’s all those years ago. He also recalls the late Mike Hickey working for Dave Crowley on the timber bodies of trucks on the side of the street across from Limerick Road Corner.
Scartaglin native and Kilcummin domiciled, Mike Lenihan had his 1982 Bedford truck in gleaming good health as usual.
Bought in Castleisland
He likes telling the story that the truck was bought in Castleisland from Mick Ahern in 1982. It was bought by a Michael Lenihan but not, we’re assured, by the man in whose caring hands it was lucky enough to fall into over a decade and a half ago.
It now takes pride of place at shows and vintage meetings around the county and Mike will give you chapter and verse on its restoration if you look even crooked at it.
Then, ‘vintage days’ are for that class of shop talk. As the man said: “There’s fierce interest in the vehicles.” There is indeed and in the times of their working lives.
You can get a greater insight to the club activity with a click on the link here: www.opelvauxhallclubireland.com
