Irish Eyes Smiling

We asked the question post race yesterday, in the wake of the third place in LMP2 for the Murphy Prototypes team, an Irish team has been on a World Championship  podium:
 
Predictably Janos Wimpffen was quick to supply a comprehensive answer:
 
“In the 1953 Tourist Trophy, held at Dundrod, N. Ireland, a privateer team from over the Republic border of Redmond Gallagher won the 1500cc class in a Gordini T15S. Gallagher co-drove with M. Pierce Cahill (also Irish).

The same team, same car won the class a year later, but with British driver Don B. Beauman co-driving with Gallagher. Also at the 1953 TT, the second placed car in the 5-liter class, 8th overall, was entered by Ireland’s Joe Kelly, with Kelly and the well-known English driver Jack Fairman on the team.

Next was in 1976 Silverstone 6 Hours where Tony Brennan’s Escort was 2nd in the Touring car class with Brennan and Arthur Collier (also Irish).

So then Greg Murphy et al put an Irish entered sportscar on a sportscar World Championship podium for the first time in 36 years.