1.
Athy
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Athy is a market town at the meeting of the River Barrow and the Grand Canal in south-west County Kildare, Ireland,72 kilometres southwest of Dublin. A population of 10,490 makes it the sixth largest town in Kildare, from the first official records in 1813 until 1891 and again in 1926–46 and 1951–61 Athy was the largest town in Kildare. In 1837 the population was 4,494 and it has recently entered the news because of a suspect device found by a member of the public on 15 November 2016. Athy or Baile Átha Í is named after a 2nd-century chieftain, Ae, the earliest maps show development on the river Barrow i the area, Ptolemys map of Ireland circa 150AD clearly names the Rheban district as Rheba. The town developed from a 12th-century Anglo-Norman settlement to an important stronghold on the estates of the FitzGerald earls of Kildare. The town was bombarded by cannon fire many times and the Dominican Monastery, the local castles, the current bridge, the Crom-a-Boo Bridge, was built in 1796. The first town charter dates from 1515 and the hall was constructed in the early 18th century. The completion of the Grand Canal in 1791, linking here with the River Barrow, from early on in its history Athy was a garrison town loyal to the Crown. English garrisons stayed in the barracks in Barrack Lane after the Crimean War, home for centuries to English soldiers, Athy gave more volunteer soldiers to the Great War of 1914–18 than any other of similar sized town in Ireland. Athy has evolved as a centre for Hiberno-English, the mix of the Irish and English language traditions, a dialect starting with old Irish beginnings, evolved through Norman and English influences, dominated by a church whose first language was Latin and educated through Irish. Athy in particular was a pot of languages that led to modern Hiberno-English. Many locals words borrow from the Irish tradition, such as bokety, fooster or sleeveen, while words like kip and this tradition of spoken word led to a lyrical approach to composition and perhaps explains the disproportionate number of writers Athy has produced. Athy becomes subject and object of creative endeavours – the traditional folk song, other songs in this tradition include Lanigans Ball and Maid of Athy. Another song of note from the area is called The Curragh Of Kildare, Athy is referenced by Patrick Kavanagh in his poem Lines Written on a Seat on the Grand Canal, Dublin, And look. A barge comes bringing from Athy/And other far-flung towns mythologies, on Thursday,2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Athy. It was the first international race to be held in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard J, local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the Light Locomotives Bill was passed on 27 March 1903. Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit, the route consisted of two loops that comprised a figure of eight
2.
Ireland
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Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, Ireland is the second-largest island of the British Isles, the third-largest in Europe, and the twentieth-largest on Earth. Politically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland, which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, in 2011, the population of Ireland was about 6.4 million, ranking it the second-most populous island in Europe after Great Britain. Just under 4.6 million live in the Republic of Ireland, the islands geography comprises relatively low-lying mountains surrounding a central plain, with several navigable rivers extending inland. The island has lush vegetation, a product of its mild, thick woodlands covered the island until the Middle Ages. As of 2013, the amount of land that is wooded in Ireland is about 11% of the total, there are twenty-six extant mammal species native to Ireland. The Irish climate is moderate and classified as oceanic. As a result, winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, however, summers are cooler than those in Continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant, the earliest evidence of human presence in Ireland is dated at 10,500 BC. Gaelic Ireland had emerged by the 1st century CE, the island was Christianised from the 5th century onward. Following the Norman invasion in the 12th century, England claimed sovereignty over Ireland, however, English rule did not extend over the whole island until the 16th–17th century Tudor conquest, which led to colonisation by settlers from Britain. In the 1690s, a system of Protestant English rule was designed to materially disadvantage the Catholic majority and Protestant dissenters, with the Acts of Union in 1801, Ireland became a part of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland saw much civil unrest from the late 1960s until the 1990s and this subsided following a political agreement in 1998. In 1973 the Republic of Ireland joined the European Economic Community while the United Kingdom, Irish culture has had a significant influence on other cultures, especially in the fields of literature. Alongside mainstream Western culture, an indigenous culture exists, as expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music. The culture of the island shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the English language, and sports such as association football, rugby, horse racing. The name Ireland derives from Old Irish Eriu and this in turn derives from Proto-Celtic *Iveriu, which is also the source of Latin Hibernia. Iveriu derives from a root meaning fat, prosperous, during the last glacial period, and up until about 9000 years ago, most of Ireland was covered with ice, most of the time
3.
Podium
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A podium is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek πόδι, in architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podia can also be used to people, for instance the conductor of an orchestra stands on a podium as do many public speakers. Common parlance has shown a use of podium in American English to describe a lectern. In sports, a type of podium is used to honor the top three competitors in such as the Olympics. In the Olympics a three-level podium is used, traditionally, the highest level in the center holds the gold medalist. To their right is a lower platform for the silver medalist. At the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, however, the Silver, in many sports, results in the top three of a competition are often referred to as podiums or podium finishes. In some individual sports, podiums is a statistic, referring to the number of top three results an athlete has achieved over the course of a season or career. The word may also be used, chiefly in the United States, as a verb, to podium, meaning to attain a podium place. Podia were first used at the 1930 British Empire Games in Hamilton, Ontario and subsequently during the 1932 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the winner stands in the middle, with the second placed driver to his right and the third place driver to his left. Also present are the selected by the race organisers who will present the trophies. In many forms of motorsport, the three top-placed drivers in a stand on a podium for the trophy ceremony. The recordings are versions of the national anthems, ensuring the podium ceremony does not exceeded its allocated time. Should a driver experience problems with his car on a lap in Formula One. The drivers will generally refrain from spraying if a fatality or major accident occurs during the event. Also, in countries where alcohol sponsorship or drinking is prohibited, alcoholic beverages may be replaced by other drinks, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the highest level of stock car racing in the United States, does not use a podium in post-game events or statistics. Instead, the team celebrates in victory lane, and top-five
4.
German Empire
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The German Empire was the historical German nation state that existed from the unification of Germany in 1871 to the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1918, when Germany became a federal republic. The German Empire consisted of 26 constituent territories, with most being ruled by royal families and this included four kingdoms, six grand duchies, five duchies, seven principalities, three free Hanseatic cities, and one imperial territory. Although Prussia became one of kingdoms in the new realm, it contained most of its population and territory. Its influence also helped define modern German culture, after 1850, the states of Germany had rapidly become industrialized, with particular strengths in coal, iron, chemicals, and railways. In 1871, it had a population of 41 million people, and by 1913, a heavily rural collection of states in 1815, now united Germany became predominantly urban. During its 47 years of existence, the German Empire operated as an industrial, technological, Germany became a great power, boasting a rapidly growing rail network, the worlds strongest army, and a fast-growing industrial base. In less than a decade, its navy became second only to Britains Royal Navy, after the removal of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck by Wilhelm II, the Empire embarked on a bellicose new course that ultimately led to World War I. When the great crisis of 1914 arrived, the German Empire had two allies, Italy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, however, left the once the First World War started in August 1914. In the First World War, German plans to capture Paris quickly in autumn 1914 failed, the Allied naval blockade caused severe shortages of food. Germany was repeatedly forced to send troops to bolster Austria and Turkey on other fronts, however, Germany had great success on the Eastern Front, it occupied large Eastern territories following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. German declaration of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 was designed to strangle the British, it failed, but the declaration—along with the Zimmermann Telegram—did bring the United States into the war. Meanwhile, German civilians and soldiers had become war-weary and radicalised by the Russian Revolution and this failed, and by October the armies were in retreat, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire had collapsed, Bulgaria had surrendered and the German people had lost faith in their political system. The Empire collapsed in the November 1918 Revolution as the Emperor and all the ruling monarchs abdicated, and a republic took over. The German Confederation had been created by an act of the Congress of Vienna on 8 June 1815 as a result of the Napoleonic Wars, German nationalism rapidly shifted from its liberal and democratic character in 1848, called Pan-Germanism, to Prussian prime minister Otto von Bismarcks pragmatic Realpolitik. He envisioned a conservative, Prussian-dominated Germany, the war resulted in the Confederation being partially replaced by a North German Confederation in 1867, comprising the 22 states north of the Main. The new constitution and the title Emperor came into effect on 1 January 1871, during the Siege of Paris on 18 January 1871, William accepted to be proclaimed Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles. The second German Constitution was adopted by the Reichstag on 14 April 1871 and proclaimed by the Emperor on 16 April, the political system remained the same. The empire had a parliament called the Reichstag, which was elected by universal male suffrage, however, the original constituencies drawn in 1871 were never redrawn to reflect the growth of urban areas
5.
Camille Jenatzy
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Camille Jenatzy was a Belgian race car driver. He is known for breaking the speed record three times and being the first man to break the 100 km/h barrier. He was nicknamed Le Diable Rouge after the colour of his beard, on 17 January 1899 at Achères, Yvelines near Paris, France, he reached the speed of 66.66 km/h over the kilometer, driving a CGA Dogcart. That same day, the record was broken by Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat and this record was again broken by Chasseloup-Laubat, who applied rudimentary streamlining to his Jeantaud. In 1902, he lost the land speed record to Léon Serpollet, Jenatzy won the 1903 Gordon Bennet Cup in Athy, Ireland, at the wheel of a Mercedes. Jenatzy died in 1913 in a hunting accident and he went behind a bush and made animal noises as a prank on his friends who were hunting with him. Alfred Madoux, director of the journal LEtoile Belge, fired, when they realised it was Jenatzy, they rushed him to hospital by car, he bled to death en route, fulfilling his own prophecy he would die in a Mercedes. He is buried at the Laeken Cemetery in Brussels
6.
Belgium
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Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a sovereign state in Western Europe bordered by France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, and the North Sea. It is a small, densely populated country which covers an area of 30,528 square kilometres and has a population of about 11 million people. Additionally, there is a group of German-speakers who live in the East Cantons located around the High Fens area. Historically, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were known as the Low Countries, the region was called Belgica in Latin, after the Roman province of Gallia Belgica. From the end of the Middle Ages until the 17th century, today, Belgium is a federal constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. It is divided into three regions and three communities, that exist next to each other and its two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia. The Brussels-Capital Region is a bilingual enclave within the Flemish Region. A German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia, Belgiums linguistic diversity and related political conflicts are reflected in its political history and complex system of governance, made up of six different governments. Upon its independence, declared in 1830, Belgium participated in the Industrial Revolution and, during the course of the 20th century, possessed a number of colonies in Africa. This continuing antagonism has led to several far-reaching reforms, resulting in a transition from a unitary to a federal arrangement during the period from 1970 to 1993. Belgium is also a member of the Eurozone, NATO, OECD and WTO. Its capital, Brussels, hosts several of the EUs official seats as well as the headquarters of major international organizations such as NATO. Belgium is also a part of the Schengen Area, Belgium is a developed country, with an advanced high-income economy and is categorized as very high in the Human Development Index. A gradual immigration by Germanic Frankish tribes during the 5th century brought the area under the rule of the Merovingian kings, a gradual shift of power during the 8th century led the kingdom of the Franks to evolve into the Carolingian Empire. Many of these fiefdoms were united in the Burgundian Netherlands of the 14th and 15th centuries, the Eighty Years War divided the Low Countries into the northern United Provinces and the Southern Netherlands. The latter were ruled successively by the Spanish and the Austrian Habsburgs and this was the theatre of most Franco-Spanish and Franco-Austrian wars during the 17th and 18th centuries. The reunification of the Low Countries as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands occurred at the dissolution of the First French Empire in 1815, although the franchise was initially restricted, universal suffrage for men was introduced after the general strike of 1893 and for women in 1949. The main political parties of the 19th century were the Catholic Party, French was originally the single official language adopted by the nobility and the bourgeoisie
7.
Mercedes (marque)
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Mercedes was a brand of the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. DMG began to develop in 1900, after the death of its co-founder, by Jellineks contract, the new model contained a newly designed engine designated Daimler-Mercedes. This engine name is the first instance of the use of the name, Mercedes, the automobile design would later be called, the Mercedes 35 hp. Later he contracted with DMG for a series of dedicated sports cars containing an engine that officially bore his daughters name. He raced them successfully, gaining recognition that increased interest in customers. This model was a significant advancement in the history of automobiles, Jellinek seems to have become obsessed with the name and even had his name changed to Jellinek-Mercedes. Maybach quit DMG in 1907 and started up his own business, and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft in that year. Since Jellinek was a member of the board of directors by the time of the merger, Mercedes was a brand in the Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft which began to develop in 1901, after the death of its co-founder, Gottlieb Daimler. This caused DMG to abandon racing, the contract also included an order for 36 standard DMG8 hp cars. The first one was not delivered to Jellinek until 22 December, however, Jellinek laid down strict specifications for the new model stating I dont want a car for today or tomorrow, it will be the car of the day after tomorrow. Over the next few months, Jellinek oversaw the development of the new car—at first by daily telegrams—and later by traveling to Stuttgart. He took delivery of the first one on 22 December 1900, at Nices railway station—it had already sold to the Baron Henry of Rothschild. In 1901, the car amazed the automobile world, Jellinek again won the Nice races, easily beating his opponents in all the capacity classes and reaching 60 km/h. The director of the French Automobile Club, Paul Meyan, stated, We have entered the Mercedes era, the records set by the new Mercedes 35 hp model amazed the entire automobile world. The number of employees increased from 340 in 1900 to 2,200 in 1904
8.
France
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France, officially the French Republic, is a country with territory in western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The European, or metropolitan, area of France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, Overseas France include French Guiana on the South American continent and several island territories in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. France spans 643,801 square kilometres and had a population of almost 67 million people as of January 2017. It is a unitary republic with the capital in Paris. Other major urban centres include Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Nice, Toulouse, during the Iron Age, what is now metropolitan France was inhabited by the Gauls, a Celtic people. The area was annexed in 51 BC by Rome, which held Gaul until 486, France emerged as a major European power in the Late Middle Ages, with its victory in the Hundred Years War strengthening state-building and political centralisation. During the Renaissance, French culture flourished and a colonial empire was established. The 16th century was dominated by civil wars between Catholics and Protestants. France became Europes dominant cultural, political, and military power under Louis XIV, in the 19th century Napoleon took power and established the First French Empire, whose subsequent Napoleonic Wars shaped the course of continental Europe. Following the collapse of the Empire, France endured a succession of governments culminating with the establishment of the French Third Republic in 1870. Following liberation in 1944, a Fourth Republic was established and later dissolved in the course of the Algerian War, the Fifth Republic, led by Charles de Gaulle, was formed in 1958 and remains to this day. Algeria and nearly all the colonies became independent in the 1960s with minimal controversy and typically retained close economic. France has long been a centre of art, science. It hosts Europes fourth-largest number of cultural UNESCO World Heritage Sites and receives around 83 million foreign tourists annually, France is a developed country with the worlds sixth-largest economy by nominal GDP and ninth-largest by purchasing power parity. In terms of household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world. France performs well in international rankings of education, health care, life expectancy, France remains a great power in the world, being one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council with the power to veto and an official nuclear-weapon state. It is a member state of the European Union and the Eurozone. It is also a member of the Group of 7, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Trade Organization, originally applied to the whole Frankish Empire, the name France comes from the Latin Francia, or country of the Franks
9.
Panhard
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Panhard is a French manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its current incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed by the acquisition of Panhard by Auverland in 2005, Panhard had been under Citroën ownership, then PSA after the 1974 takeover of Citroën by Peugeot, for 40 years. The combined company now uses the Panhard name, this was decided based on studies indicating that the Panhard name had better brand recognition worldwide than the Auverland name, Panhard once built innovative civilian cars but ceased production of those in 1968. Many of its military products however end up on the market via third sources. Panhard also built railbuses between the wars, Panhard was originally called Panhard et Levassor, and was established as a car manufacturing concern by René Panhard and Émile Levassor in 1887. Panhard et Levassor sold their first automobile in 1890, based on a Daimler engine license, Levassor obtained his licence from Paris lawyer Edouard Sarazin, a friend and representative of Gottlieb Daimlers interests in France. Following Sarazins 1887 death, Daimler commissioned Sarazins widow Louise to carry on her late husbands agency, the Panhard et Levassor license was finalised by Louise, who married Levassor in 1890. Daimler and Levassor became fast friends, and shared improvements with one another and these first vehicles set many modern standards, but each was a one-off design. They used a pedal to operate a chain-driven gearbox. The vehicle also featured a front-mounted radiator, an 1895 Panhard et Levassor is credited with the first modern transmission. For the 1894 Paris–Rouen Rally, Alfred Vacheron equipped his 4 horsepower with a steering wheel and this was to become the standard layout for automobiles for most of the next century. The same year, Panhard et Levassor shared their Daimler engine license with bicycle maker Armand Peugeot, in 1895,1,205 cc Panhard et Levassors finished first and second in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race, one piloted solo by Levassor, for 48¾hr. However during the 1896 Paris–Marseille–Paris race, Levassor was fatally injured due to a crash while trying to avoid hitting a dog, arthur Krebs succeeded Levassor as General Manager in 1897, and held the job until 1916. He turned the Panhard et Levassor Company into one of the largest and most profitable manufacturer of automobiles before World War I, Panhards won numerous races from 1895 to 1903. Panhard et Levassor developed the Panhard rod, which used in many other types of automobiles as well. From 1910 Panhard worked to develop engines without conventional valves, using under license the sleeve valve technology that had been patented by the American Charles Yale Knight. Between 1910 and 1924 the Panhard & Levassor catalogue listed plenty of models with conventional valve engines, following various detailed improvements to the sleeve valve technology by Panhards own engineering department, from 1924 till 1940 all Panhard cars used sleeve valve engines. Under the presidency of Raymond Poincaré, which ran from 1913 till 1920, the military were also keen on the sleeve valve engined Panhard 20HP
10.
Henri Farman
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Henri Farman was an Anglo-French aviator and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother Maurice Farman. His family was British and he took French nationality in 1937, born in Paris, France, and given the name Henry, he was the son of a well-to-do British newspaper correspondent working there and his French wife. Farman trained as a painter at the École des Beaux Arts, since his family had money, he was able to pursue this interest as an amateur sportsman. In the 1890s he became a championship cyclist, and at the turn of the century he discovered motor racing, competing for Renault in the Gordon Bennett Cup. When the Voisin brothers started their aircraft construction business in 1907 Farman was one of their first customers and he used this aircraft, the Voisin 1907 biplane to set numerous official records for both distance and duration. These include the first to fly a circuit of 1 kilometre and 2 kilometres. Some sources state that on 29 March, he became the first to take a passenger into the air, later in 1908, on 30 October, Farman went on to make the first cross-country flight in Europe, flying from Châlons to Reims. In 1909, he opened a school at Châlons-sur-Marne at which George Bertram Cockburn was the first pupil. The same year he made further record breaking flights of 180 kilometres in just over 3 hours and 232 kilometres in 4 hours 17 minutes and 53 seconds. At the end of 1909 Farman fell out with Gabriel Voisin because Voisin had sold an aircraft that had built to Farmans specifications to J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon, and started manufacturing aircraft to his own design, the first of these, the Farman III, was an immediate success and was widely imitated. In partnership with his two brothers Maurice and Richard, he built a successful and innovative aircraft manufacturing plant. Their 1914 model was used extensively for artillery observation and reconnaissance during World War I, the Farman Aircraft companys Goliath was the first long-distance passenger airliner, beginning regular Paris-London flights on 8 February 1919. He was made a chevalier of the French Légion dhonneur in 1919, Henry Farman took French nationality in 1937. He died in Paris and is buried in the Cimetière de Passy in Paris. Farman Aviation Works Farman III Farman F.60 Goliath Farman F.121 Jabiru Farman F.170 Jabiru Farman F.222 Farman F402 Léon Lemartin – Farmans support engineer for the Gnome Omega rotary engine. Notes References Media related to Henri Farman at Wikimedia Commons A more extensive telling of the Farman brothers story
11.
Gordon Bennett Cup (auto racing)
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As one of three Gordon Bennett Cups established by James Gordon Bennett, Jr. millionaire owner of the New York Herald, the automobile racing award was first given in 1900 in France. In 1899 Gordon Bennett offered the Automobile Club de France a trophy to be raced for annually by the clubs of the various countries. The trophy was awarded annually until 1905, after which the ACF held the first Grand Prix motor racing event at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the 1903 event in Ireland gave rise to the birth of British Racing Green. Under the rules, the races were hosted in the country of the years winner. As the races were between national teams, it led to the reorganisation and standardisation of national racing colours, count Eliot Zborowski, father of inter-war racing legend Louis Zborowski, suggested that each national entrant be allotted a different colour. Britain had to choose a different colour from its national colours of red, white and blue, as these had already been taken by USA, Germany. The international motor car race from Paris to Lyons for the Gordon Bennett Cup took place on June 14,1900. The start from Paris was made at 3 oclock in the morning and Charron was the first to reach Lyons, in 1901 the Gordon Bennett Cup race was run in conjunction with the Paris-Bordeaux race on 29 May over a distance of 527.1 km. The race was won by Henri Fournier driving a Mors with a time of 6h 10m 44s, the first of the Gordon Bennett Cup contestants was Leonce Girardot, driving a Panhard with a time of 8h 50m 59s. The 1902 Gordon Bennett Cup was run over a distance of 565 km from Paris to Innsbruck in conjunction with the Paris-Vienna motor car race, the race started in Paris on June 26. Competing were 30 heavy cars,48 light cars, six voiturettes, each nation was allowed to nominate up to three cars to compete for the Gordon Bennett Cup, but only six entries were received, three French and three British. The Automobile Club of Great Britain announced that car No.160 driven by Mr White,45, made by Napier & Son of London with Dunlop tyres, driven by Mr Edge would represent the club. The Times announced on June 30 that Edge had won the Gordon Bennett Cup and it was announced in Vienna on July 1 that M. Marcel Renault had won the Paris-Vienna race, with M. Henri Farman second. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard J, local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the Light Locomotives Bill was passed on 27 March 1903. Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which became known as British racing green although the winning Napier of 1902 had been painted Olive green. The official timekeeper of the race was Mr. T. H, woolen of the Automobile Club of Great Britain and Ireland. Ninety one Chronographs for timing the race were supplied by the Anglo-Swiss firm Stauffer Son & Co. of La Chaux-de-Fonds, competitors were started at seven-minute intervals and had to follow bicycles through the control zones in each town
12.
Selwyn Edge
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Selwyn Francis Edge was an Australian-born British businessman, racing driver, and record-breaker. He is principally associated with selling and racing De Dion-Bouton, Gladiator, Clemént-Panhard, Napier, Edge was born in Concord township, near Sydney, on 29 March 1868, his parents were Alexander Ernest Edge and Annie Charlotte Sharp. At age three, he was taken to London where in his teens he competed successfully as a bicycle racer, one of the English Team and aged 23 he came 3rd in the first Bordeaux–Paris cycle race in 1891. He worked for Rudge then Harvey Du Cros as manager of his new Dunlop offices in London, in 1892 he married Eleanor Rose Sharp who died sometime before 1917, his second wife, Myra Caroline Martin, whom he married in 1917, had two daughters by him. From 1910 until at least 1922 he resided at Gallops Homestead, Ditchling, Sussex and he died 12 February 1940 in Eastbourne, Sussex, England. In 1899, he went into partnership with pioneering motorist Charles Jarrott and Herbert Duncan to found De Dion-Bouton British and he had become friends with Montague Napier, another keen cyclist, and in 1898 asked Napier to carry out some improvements to his Panhard. Edge Ltd, to Napier in 1912, for £120,000, the sale included an agreement not to be involved in motor manufacturing for seven years. During this period he devoted himself to farming at Ditchling, Sussex, in 1917 he was appointed controller of the agricultural machinery department of the Ministry of Munitions. When the embargo on motor manufacturing expired in 1919 he started to build up a shareholding in AC Cars, about 1923 Edge was also managing director of William Cubitt & Company, who had entered the car market with the Cubitt marque, but were out of business by 1925. Edge switched the contract for purchasing engines for the AC car from Anzani, where he sat on the board, to Cubitt. Edge purchased AC cars outright for £135,000 in 1927, when AC collapsed in 1929, Edge sold his interest in the company and took no further business interest in the motor industry. He did the same at the 837 mi Paris-Toulouse-Paris rally in June, in the 1901 Gordon Bennett Cup, Edge entered a special 17-litre Napier which he was only able to test en route because it had been completed on 25 May, only four days before the event. Montague Napier was the riding mechanic, the car was too powerful for the Dunlop tyres and fitting new French tyres led to disqualification, since they were not of the same national of origin. In the concurrent Paris-Bordeaux rally, it retired with clutch trouble, for the 1902 Gordon Bennett, Edges Napier was the sole British entrant, with his cousin, Cecil Edge, as riding mechanic, he won, at an average 31.8 mph. The preparation of the car was hurried with some parts being fitted on the train to Paris, at the 1903 Gordon Bennett, Edge had an 80 hp Napier, the Type K5, but was disqualified. Edge fared no better with the K5 in the 1904 Gordon Bennett in Germany, Selwyn Edge, Director of the Napier Car Company and famous racing driver. Spotted Miss Dorothy Levitt amongst his staff, a secretary with long legs. In a bid to promote his cars, Edge decided that she should take part in a race, though first he had to teach her to drive
13.
D. Napier & Son
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D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engineering company best known for its luxury motor cars in the Edwardian era and for its aero engines throughout the early to mid-20th century. Napier was founded as an engineering company in 1808 and for nearly a century produced machinery for the financial, print. In the early 20th century it moved for a time into internal combustion engines and its powerful Lion dominated the UK market in the 1920s and the World War Two era Sabre produced 3500 hp in its later versions. Many world speed records on land and water, as well as the Hawker Typhoon, during World War Two the company was taken over by English Electric and engine manufacture eventually ceased. Today, Napier Turbochargers is a subsidiary of the American company Wabtec, david Napier, second son of the blacksmith to the Duke of Argyll, was born in 1785. While cousins became shipbuilders, he took engineering training in Scotland before coming to London, there in 1808 he founded the firm that was to become D. Napier & Son in Lloyds Court, St Giles, London. He designed a printing press, some of which went to Hansard. The company moved to Lambeth, South London in 1830, between 1840 and 1860, Napier was prosperous, with a well-outfitted factory and between 200 and 300 workers. Napier made a variety of products, including a centrifuge for sugar manufacturing, lathes and drills, ammunition-making equipment for the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Davids younger son James Murdoch, born 1823, joined the firm in 1837 and became a partner in 1847, James proved an excellent engineer, but a poor businessman, considering salesmanship undignified. It became so bad that there were as few as seven employees in 1895, and James attempted to sell the business, James son Montague, born 1870, inherited the business in 1895, along with his fathers engineering talents. Montague was a racing cyclist, and at the Bath Road Club. Edge Edge persuaded Napier to improve his Panhard, converting from a tiller to a steering wheel, dissatisfied, Napier offered to fit an engine of his own design, an 8 hp vertical twin, with electric ignition, superior to the Panhards hot tube type. By June 1900, eight 16 hps had been ordered, and Edge entered one in the 837 mi Paris-Toulouse-Paris race, the 301.6 cu in sidevalve suffered problems with its ignition coils and cooling system, and failed to finish. For 1901, Montague designed a car not to lack speed, having a 16. 3-liter sidevalve four capable of 103 bhp at 800 rpm, on a wheelbase of 115 inches with four-speed gearbox. Called the 50 hp, only two or three were completed, including one for Rolls, in the concurrent Paris-Bordeaux rally, it retired with clutch trouble. For the 1902 Gordon Bennett, three entrants contested for France, with Edge in a Napier and two Wolseleys, the Napier was a three-speed, shaft-drive 6. 44-litre four of 44.5 hp. Piloted by Edge and his cousin, Cecil, it wore what would become known as British racing green and it was the first British victory in international motorsport, and would not be repeated until Henry Segrave took the French Grand Prix in 1923
14.
Royal Automobile Club
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The Royal Automobile Club is a British private club and is not to be confused with RAC, an automotive services company, which it formerly owned. It has two houses, one in London at 89–91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey. Like many other clubs in London today, the Royal Automobile Club welcomes women as members. It was founded on 10 August 1897 as the Automobile Club of Great Britain, the headquarters was originally in a block of flats at 4 Whitehall Court, moving to 119 Piccadilly in 1902. In the face of considerable opposition a speed limit of 20 mph was retained in addition to the creation of the offence of driving recklessly, dangerously or negligently, in 1905, the Club organised the first Tourist Trophy motorcycle race, the oldest regularly run motor race. The Club became the body for motor sport in Britain. King Edward VIIs interest in motoring led to the command in 1907 that the Automobile Club of Great Britain and it cost over a quarter of a million pounds and is described in the Survey of London as a polished essay in the late French Renaissance manner. In September 1914, a group of RAC members put themselves and their cars at the disposal of the British Red Cross. The RAC was responsible for organising the first British Grand Prix motor race at Brooklands, Surrey in 1926 and also runs its sister organisation, in 1978 during a re-organisation the Associate Section was established as a separate company RAC Motoring Services Ltd, which was owned by the organisation. In 1991 the RAC Foundation was split off as the arm of RAC Motoring Services. In September 1999 members sold RAC Motoring Services to Lex Service plc, RAC Plc was then acquired by Aviva plc in March 2005 for around £1.1 billion. As of 2009, the subscription is £1,125 per year. The entrance fee is on a scale, ranging from an additional £940 to £1,600. The patrolmen had a rank structure with corporals, sergeants. Mounted on Matchless motorbikes with sidecars containing a tool kit, fanbelts, engine hoses, until around 1930 control could only contact the mobile patrolmen by telephone, so they waited by public telephone boxes for the callout. From 1957 onwards they were equipped with sets for two way contact with their local headquarters. Although they were never as numerous as AA boxes there was a measure of cooperation between the two motoring clubs—keys fitted both types of box and members messages were passed on. The telephones were installed in locked boxes painted in blue with the RAC logo badge mounted on the top of the box
15.
Claude Johnson
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Claude Goodman Johnson, motor vehicle manufacturer, was the British businessman who built Rolls-Royce Limited. Claude Johnson was born in Datchet, Berkshire on 24 October 1864 to the middle of the family of William Goodman Johnson. His father was on the staff of the South Kensington Museum, known as CJ, Johnson was a large broad-shouldered extrovert. The RAC Clubs Jubilee Book simply stated To him is owed the fact of the existence today. At first responsibilities were divided three ways, Claude Johnson brought the necessary business acumen to the partnership of Rolls and Royce. The board soon recognised that Royce was a production engineer. In 1908 after four years of incessant work Royces health failed, Johnson persuaded increasingly temperamental Royce to work at home with a team of draughtsmen. Rollss death in 1910 triggered a breakdown in Royces health and he underwent a major operation, Johnson persuaded him to live in a villa in the south of France—next to Johnsons own villa— with his drawing office and personal staff of eight in adjoining premises. Thereafter Royce divided his time between winters in France and Kent, later West Wittering in Sussex and never came within a hundred miles of Derby. It was Johnsons idea to limit their various car models to one, a journalist promptly dubbed it the best car in the world. He drove his unique Silver Ghost non-stop around Britain for 15,000 miles and then asked the RAC to strip it down, instead of the major overhaul any other car of the day would have required, the Silver Ghosts repair bill came to only £2. 2s 7d. The name Silver Ghost caught on and though never officially used is used for all 7,874 of the 40/50 model which remained in production until his death in 1926. For the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot he hired the sculptor Charles Sykes who used as his model the society belle Eleanor Thornton, secretary to John Scott Montagu, by 1918 Johnsons business was the worlds largest producer of aero-engines. Post-war the business prospered Johnson died on 12 April 1926 aged 61 at his house in London,3 Adelphi Terrace House, Robert St, though suffering from a cold he had insisted on attending a nieces wedding and succumbed to pneumonia. Married twice, in 1891 and 1919, Johnson left a widow, Evelyn Maud who remarried and died in 1955, and two surviving children, a daughter from each marriage. Since we last met the company has suffered a loss by the death of Mr Claude Johnson to whose policy, coupled with the engineering achievements of Mr Royce. A memorial to him designed by Sir Herbert Baker and with a written by Mr Rudyard Kipling is to be erected at the works. Mr Basil Johnson, who has appointed the new managing director, was previously the general manager
16.
County Kildare
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County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is located in the province of Leinster and is part of the Mid-East Region and it is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the authority for the county which has a population of 222,130. Kildare is the 24th largest of Irelands 32 counties in area and it is the eighth largest of Leinsters twelve counties in size, and second largest in terms of population. It is bordered by the counties of Carlow, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Dublin, as an inland county, Kildare is a generally lowland region. The countys highest points are the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains bordering to the east, the highest point in Kildare is Cupidstown Hill on the border with Dublin, with the better known Hill of Allen in central Kildare. The county has three rivers running through it, the Barrow, the Liffey and the Boyne. The Grand Canal crosses the county from Lyons on the east to Rathangan, a southern branch joins the Barrow navigation at Athy. The Royal Canal stretches across the north of the county along the border with Meath, the Bog of Allen is a large bog that extends across 958 km2 and into County Kildare, County Meath, County Offaly, County Laois, and County Westmeath. Kildare has 243 km2 of bog mostly located in the south-west and north-west and it is habitat to over 185 plant and animal species. There are 8,472 hectares of Forested land in Kildare,4,056 hectares of this is Coniferous, while there is 2,963 hectares of Broadleaf and the remaining area are Unclassified Species. Coillte and Dúchas currently own 47% of the forestry, coillte run Donadea Forest Park which is in North-Central Kildare. The forest covers 259 hectares of mixed woodland and is the largest forest park in Kildare, Kildare was shired in 1297 and assumed its present borders in 1832, following amendments to remove a number of enclaves and exclaves. The county was the home of the powerful Fitzgerald family, parts of the county were also part of the Pale area around Dublin. Kildare County Council is the authority for the county. The Local Electoral Areas of Kildare are Athy, Celbridge - Leixlip, Maynooth, Kildare - Newbridge, the current council was elected in May 2013. Under the Local Government Reform Act 2014 the towns of Leixlip, Naas, Newbridge, for elections to Dáil Éireann, there are two constituencies in the area of the county, Kildare North, which returns four TDs and Kildare South which returns three TDs. As part of the Mid-East Region, it is within the purview of the Mid-East Regional Authority, for elections to the European Parliament, it is part of the Midlands North-West constituency which returns four MEPs
17.
County Laois
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County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is located in the south of the Midlands Region and is located in the province of Leinster. The modern county takes its name from Loígis, a medieval kingdom, Laois County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 80,559, according to the 2011 census - 20% higher than it was in the 2006 census, the first people in Laois were bands of hunters and gatherers who passed through the county about 8,500 years ago. They hunted in the forests that covered Laois and fished in its rivers, gathering nuts and these people of the Neolithic period cleared forests and planted crops. Their burial mounds remain in Clonaslee and Cuffsborough, starting around 2500 BC, the people of the Bronze Age lived in Laois. They produced weapons, tools and golden objects, visitors to the county can see a stone circle they left behind at Monamonry, as well as the remains of their hill forts at Clopook and Monelly. Skirk, near Borris-in-Ossory, has a Bronze Age standing stone, the body of Cashel Man indicates that ritual killing took place around 2000 BC. The next stage is known as the pre-Christian Celtic Iron Age, for the first time iron appeared in Ireland, as factions fought bloody battles for control of the land. At Ballydavis, archaeologists have discovered ring barrows that date from this time period, the county name derives from Loígis, of which the modern county is only a part. In the 11th century, its dynastic rulers adopted the surname Ua/Ó Mórdha and they claimed descent from a member of the Red Branch Knights By the first century AD, the western third of Laois was part of the Kingdom of Ossory. The eastern part was divided roughly into seven parts, which were ruled by the Seven Septs of Loígis, O’More, O’Lalor, O’Doran, O’Dowling, O’Devoy, O’Kelly, when Ireland was Christianized, holy men and women founded religious communities in Loígis. St. Ciarán of Saighir founded his monastic habitation in the western Slieve Bloom Mountains as the first bishop of Ossory and his mother Liadán had an early convent nearby at what is now Killyon. Between 550 and 600, St. Canice founded Aghaboe Abbey, an early Christian community lived at Dun Masc or Masc’s fort, on the Rock of Dunamase. The Synod of Rathbreasail that established the Irish dioceses was held near Mountrath in 1111, as religious orders with strong ties to Rome replaced older religious communities, the wooden buildings of the early Christian churches in Laois gave way to stone monasteries. The Augustinians and Dominicans established themselves at Aghaboe Abbey, while the Cistercians took over a religious community at Abbeyleix. The Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169-71 affected Laois as it was a part of the Kingdom of Leinster. In Laois, the fortress on the Rock of Dunamase was part of the dowry of the Irish princess Aoife, advancing Normans surveyed the county from wooden towers built on top of earthen mounds, known as mottes
18.
Shades of green
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Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a green or other hue mixed with white, a large selection of these various colors is shown below. Green is common in nature, especially in plants, many plants are green mainly because of a complex chemical known as chlorophyll which is involved in photosynthesis. Many shades of green have been named after plants or are related to plants, due to varying ratios of chlorophylls, the plant kingdom exhibits many shades of green in both hue and value. Artichoke is a color that is a representation of the color of a raw fresh uncooked artichoke, another name for this color is artichoke green. The first recorded use of green as a color name in English was in 1905. This is the color called green in Pantone. The source is Pantone 18-0125 TPX Asparagus is a tone of green that is named after the vegetable, Crayola created this color in 1993 as one of the 16 to be named in the Name the Color Contest. It is also the color of a wild asparagus plant blowing in the wind of the 1949 classic film Sands of Iwo Jima, another name for this color is asparagus green. The first recorded use of green as a color name in English was in 1805. Avocado is a color that is a representation of the color of the surface of an avocado. The color avocado is a dark yellow-green color, avocado was a common color for metal surfaces, as well as the color harvest gold, during the whole decade of the 1970s. They were both also popular colors for shag carpets, both colors went out of style by the early 1980s. Dark green is a shade of green. A different shade of green has been designated as green for certain computer uses. Fern green is a color that resembles ferns, a Crayola crayon named fern was created in 1998, which is a lighter shade of the top color shown on the right. The first recorded use of green as a color name in English was in 1902. Forest green refers to a green color said to resemble the color of the trees, the first recorded use of forest green as the name of a color in the English language was in 1810
19.
British racing green
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British racing green, or BRG, a colour similar to Brunswick green, hunter green, forest green or moss green, takes its name from the green international motor racing colour of the United Kingdom. Although there is some debate as to an exact hue for BRG, currently the term is used to denote a spectrum of deep. British racing green in motorsport terms meant only the green in general – its application to a specific shade has developed outside the sport. In the days of the Gordon Bennett Cup, Count Eliot Zborowski, father of racing legend Louis Zborowski. Every component of a car had to be produced in the competing country, the races were hosted in the country of the previous years winner. As a mark of respect for their Irish hosts the English Napier cars were painted shamrock green, in keeping with these Irish/Napier roots, many of the earliest greens used on British racing cars were of a lighter olive, moss or emerald green. Later, darker shades became more common, though there was a return to lighter greens by HWM, the foremost British participant in International Motor Racing at the highest echelons both before and after the Great War was Sunbeam. Green liveried Sunbeam Racing Cars won the 1912 Coupe de l’Auto as well as being the first British team to win the European Grand Epreuves Grand Prix in both 1923 and 1924. The Green Sunbeams driven by the likes of Henry Segrave and K L Guinness were during the vintage period, in the 1920s Bentley cars were hugely successful at the Le Mans 24h races, all sporting a mid- to dark-green. The first recorded use of the darkest green shades was on the Bugatti of Briton William Grover-Williams, driving in the very first Monaco Grand Prix and this colour has become known as British Racing Green. In the 1950s and 1960s British teams such as Aston Martin, Vanwall, Cooper, Lotus, scottish teams such as Ecurie Ecosse and Rob Walker Racing used a dark blue, which did not strictly conform to the CSI rules but was tolerated by officials. The Australian-owned but British-based Brabham team also used a shade of BRG, under pressure from a number of teams, most famously the Lotus team who wished to use the Gold Leaf livery on the Lotus 49, in 1968 sponsorship regulations were relaxed in F1. In 1970 the FIA formally gave Formula One an exemption from the national colours ruling and this exemption has since been extended to all race series, unless specific regulations require the adoption of national colours. The history of the famous greens was revived in 2000 by Jaguar Racing in Formula One, but after this team was sold to Red Bull by Ford in 2004, other traditionally British manufacturers have since followed suit. Bentley returned briefly to the Le Mans circuit in 2001,2002 and 2003, winning with the Bentley Speed 8, in recent years Aston Martin has also returned to endurance racing, with their DBR9s painted in, a typically Aston, light BRG. Rocketsports Racing also used green for its Jaguar XK in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and American Le Mans Series, in 2010 the Lotus name returned to Formula One after a gap of 16 years with the Lotus Racing teams Lotus T127 car liveried in dark green with yellow. With the many successes of British racing teams through the years, British Racing Green became a popular paint choice for British sports, originally a solid colour, British Racing Green is increasingly a metallic paint due to the limited range of solids offered by todays manufacturers. Similarly, the modern BMW-owned Mini Hatchback marque, which is assembled at their Oxford, Birmingham, originally a somewhat murky dark olive, this was updated to a fresher shade of metallic green in the 2011 version
20.
Kilcullen
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Kilcullen, formally Kilcullen Bridge, is a small town on the River Liffey in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 3,473 (2011 Census makes it the 12th largest settlement in County Kildare, Kilcullen Bridge replaced the original settlement of Kilcullen, now Old Kilcullen, in the centuries following the building of the great bridge at the future site of the town. In its hinterland are a number of stud farms, Kilcullen is situated near the main Dublin to Waterford road, between Naas and Kilkenny, and is centred on the crossroads of the R413 and R448 regional roads. Kilcullen straddles the River Liffey and is about 50 km from Dublin, under 5 km from Newbridge, first built in the 1310s, the six-arch bridge over the Liffey was last reconstructed c. 1850, and renovated and widened in the early 1970s, the face is modern while if viewing from downstream. At the western edge of the town is the Pinkeen Stream, a tributary of the Liffey. At least two small streams lie further downstream in the Castlemartin area, the town comprises one main street, with a few connecting roads. The main street slopes from Old Kilcullen and the Athy Road and motorway access, after joining with the Newbridge Road, down to the Liffey, and back up again, more steeply. The current town and the barony of the name are named for an earlier settlement, Kilcullen, on a hilltop a few kilometres to the south. Begun as a settlement, in the mid-5th century, it was at its peak an Anglo-Norman walled town with seven gates and seven, or perhaps eight. Little now remains visible beyond a damaged round tower and a churchyard and this town was perhaps related to the nearby Dun Ailinne, a ceremonial and possible palace site related to the kings of Leinster, though Dun Ailinne precedes any known settlement at Old Kilcullen. Old Kilcullen was raided by Vikings, landing at the location of the town, at least twice. It took over, over succeeding centuries, from the previous settlement, originally, as shown on maps even as late as the late 18th century, the new settlement was wholly on the eastern bank of the Liffey, outside the Barony of Kilcullen. Kilcullen was influenced for much of its history by the Eustace family, the town was in the vicinity of the Battle of Kilcullen in the 1798 Rebellion, and Castlemartin the base of operations for the British Army in Kildare, under Dundas. There was a station and a dispensary, and petty sessions were held. At that time, the population of the area of Old Kilcullen still exceeded that of the town by a multiple. Old Kilcullen may have related to the site of a palace or ceremonial place of the Kings of Leinster at Dun Ailinne. The site was launched at the Spring Equinox, and formally in summer,2008
21.
Curragh
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The Curragh is a flat open plain of almost 2,000 hectares of common land in County Kildare, Ireland, between Newbridge and Kildare. This area is known for Irish horse breeding and training. The Irish National Stud is located on the edge of Kildare town, also located here is Pollardstown Fen, the largest fen in Ireland. This area is of particular interest to botanists and ecologists because of the bird species that nest. There are also rare plants that grow there. It is composed of a sandy soil formed after an esker deposited a sand load and this makes it a popular location for training racehorses. Used as a site during Pre-Christian societies, the Curragh is shrouded in a mist of mythology. The hill north of the Curragh is called the Hill of Allen and is the place of the mythical Fianna. Legend has it that in about 480 AD, when St Brigid became intent on founding a monastery in Kildare town, when he granted her as much land as her cloak would cover, she then placed her cloak on the ground to cover the entire Curragh plain. On 1 April 1234, Richard Marshal, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, Marshal was wounded in the battle, and died at his castle at Kilkenny on 16 April. It was a site for mustering the armies of the Pale. During the 1798 Rebellion there was a massacre in the Curragh at Gibbet Rath, the Curragh Camp is now located there, where the Irish Defence Forces undergo training. At a natural bowl-shaped amphitheatre on the Curragh known locally as Donnellys Hollow the Irish champion boxer Dan Donnelly defeated the English champion George Cooper in 1815, before a large crowd. Donnelly had a reach and the remains of his arm were on show until recently in the Hideout Pub in the nearby town of Kilcullen. In 1866, a commission was appointed by the British Treasury to report into the use made of the Curragh and it reported in 1868, and led to the Curragh of Kildare Act,1868. On 2 January 1941 the Curragh was bombed by the Luftwaffe, one SC250 bomb remains unaccounted for. The Curragh Racecourse on the plain is Irelands Premier Flat Racecourse and it hosts all five classic races in the racing calendar, the Irish Derby Stakes, the Irish Oaks, the Irish 1,000 Guineas, the Irish 2,000 Guineas and the St. Leger. These races are held annually, during which Iarnród Éireann trains stop at a station near the track
22.
Kildare
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Kildare is a town in County Kildare, Ireland. Its population of 8,412 makes it the eighth largest town in County Kildare, although Kildare gives its name to the county, Naas is the county town. The town lies on the R445, some 50 km west of Dublin – near enough for it to have become, despite being a centre in its own right. Rich in heritage and history, Kildare Town dates from the 5th Century and this became one of the three most important Christian foundations in Celtic Ireland. It was said that Brigids mother was a Christian and that Brigid was reared in her fathers family, from her mother, Brigid learned dairying and the care of the cattle, and these were her occupations after she made a vow to live a life of holy chastity. Hence the name Cill Dara, the church of the oak, not too far away, on Dún Ailinne, lived the King of Leinster who had donated the site to the holy woman. A story told was that the King had offered Brigid as much land as her cloak would cover, when she spread her garment it miraculously stretched out to embrace the entire Curragh. True to his promise, the King gave her the fertile plain, on Thursday,2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Kildare. It was the first international race to be held in the United Kingdom as it then existed. Local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the Light Locomotives Bill was passed on 27 March 1903, eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which became known as British racing green. Competitors were started at intervals and had to follow bicycles through the control zones in each town. The 328 miles race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, see Annals of Inisfallen AI697.1 Kl. Repose of Forannán of Cell Dara, repose of the daughter of Corc, coarb of Brigit. Murthán, abbots of Cell Dara, fell asleep, the plundering of Cell Dara by the foreigners of Áth Cliath, and the female erenagh died in the same year. AI1031.9 Cell Dara and Port Láirge were burned, Kildare Town Tourist Office & Heritage Centre situated in the Market House in Kildare Town. St. Brigids Cathedral and Norman tower House in the town center St Brigids Well on the outskirts of the town, Father Moores Well on the Milltown Road The National Stud and Japanese Gardens. The Curragh Race Course Just outside the town Kildare Village is an outlet located on the outskirts of Kildare Town and has become a large shopping
23.
Monasterevin
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Monasterevin is a town in County Kildare in Ireland. The town lies on the River Barrow and the Barrowline a canal branch of the Grand Canal and its population of 3,710 makes it the 11th largest town in Kildare and the 105th largest in Ireland. Monasterevin is well connected by rail, with trains from Dublin to the southwest and west all serving the town, also on the canal network of Ireland, linking the Grand Canal and the River Barrow. Monasterevin is a town, with Georgian houses, on a flat expanse of country. Monasterevin is situated on the border of Counties Kildare and Laois, the towns and districts of Rathangan, Kildare, Portarlington and Athy surround the parish. The main geographical features of the countryside are the Barrow River, its tributaries, the extensive bogland, more than anything else, it is location that has shaped the history of Monasterevin. In prehistoric times glacial activity shaped the landscape, the melt water from the retreating ice-sheet formed outwash plains of gravel to the east and west. These are of course the Curragh and Heath, the land between is mainly limestone and proved an ideal path for the River Barrow, fed by its tributaries the Black and the Figile. Evidence of the early Stone Age is sketchy but traces of Neolithic man in the area are more plentiful, a dolmen, now collapsed, once marked the burial of some important tribal potentate in a local townland. During the Barrow drainage hundreds of stone axe heads were found on the riverbed at each of the three crossing points that occur within the town. Their presence may indicate the importance of Monasterevin as a point on the mystical Baru. Neolithic travelers may have sacrificed the valuable axe heads to the spirit of the Barrow or Baru, or they may have been placed in the shallow water to mark the significance of crossing the boundary between two peoples. The importance of Monasterevin as a boundary or interface between “them and us” is a theme throughout history. The Bronze Age in Monasterevin was the age of the farmer as evidenced by several earthwork enclosures. One such is the earthwork enclosure just above the town referred to as the Aquafort, at the time it would have been in use the water level was much higher meaning that approaching the defenses was more difficult. This was also the age of ancient Ireland when the sagas of Fionn. The pattern of fortified settlement continues into the Iron Age and we also know that by this time the bogland around Monasterevin was fully formed. Traversing these areas would have been difficult but the importance of the fords on the Barrow meant that some solution had to be found, the equivalent of the M7 motorway was needed and indeed it was provided by what is known as “The Danes Road”
24.
Stradbally
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Stradbally is a town in County Laois, Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland along the N80 road, a National Secondary Route, about 12 km from Portlaoise. It is also a townland, a parish and historic barony. It is known for the birth of motor racing, the Steam Rally, Stradbally comprises a long linear street with two squares on the western side – The Market Square and The Courthouse Square. Milling was an important activity in the development of the town, but has now become obsolete, the main function of the town is that of a service centre for the surrounding agricultural hinterland. In 2012 there were reports of a Bigfoot sighting in the woods on the outskirts of the town, the history of Stradbally reaches from the 6th century when a monastery was established at Oughaval, close to the town and within the present-day parish. Stradbally later developed under the influence of the Cosby Family, owners of Stradbally Hall located west of the main street, on Thursday,2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup ran through Stradbally. It was the first international race to be held in Ireland. The editor of the Dublin Motor News, Richard J, local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the Light Locomotives Bill was passed on 27 March 1903. Eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which became known as British racing green. Competitors were started at intervals and had to follow bicycles through the control zones in each town. The 520 kilometres race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, between 2011 and 2016 the population of Stradbally increased by 11. Traction engines and other steam-powered vehicles are brought to the rally and displayed and demonstrated, there is also a Steam Museum in Stradbally Town itself. One of the group of founders was Harold Condell who was an avid Steam enthusiast and he along with his co-founders established the Irish Steam Preservation Society. It also operates narrow gauge railway in the grounds of Stradbally Hall. Stradbally is stepped in steam history since the post industrial revolution, the locale has very rich volcanic soil reputed to be the best soil in Ireland and possibly the world as the high yields in the world for barely and wheat were recorded here in the early 2000s. Steam traction engines were in abundance in Stradbally after the turn of the last century, in the forest skirting the field where the rally is held is a Steam railway operated by volunteers of the Irish Steam Preservation Society. It began with the acquisition of one of the Guinness companys steam engines, No 15 built in 1895, in 1969 it was replaced by a then surplus steam locomotive, part of BNMs failed experiment in Steam Traction, No2/LM44, built in 1949
25.
Castledermot
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Castledermot is an inland village in the south-east of Ireland in County Kildare, about 75 km from Dublin, and 10 km from the town of Carlow. The N9 road from Dublin to Waterford previously passed through the village but upon completion of a bypass in 2010. The main bus route serving Castledermot is J. J, kavanagh & Sons route 736 providing a limited number of daily services to Carlow, Waterford, Dublin and Dublin Airport inter alia. South Kildare Community Transport operate a route from Castledermot to Athy twice a day each way Mondays to Fridays inclusive, bus Éireann used to serve Castledermot frequently but the solitary route 7 Sunday evening journey at 19. 15hrs to Dublin was withdrawn in 2015. Castledermot is also served by bus route 880 operated by Kildare Local Link on behalf of the National Transport Authority, there are several buses each day including Sunday linking the town to Carlow and Naas as well as villages such as Moone in the area. Carlow railway station is approximately 11 kilometres distant, Athy railway station is around 14 kilometres distant. The population of the town was 887 at the time of the census, the settlement is growing due to its proximity to Dublin. The River Lerr flows through the town, in the town there are various remains including Castledermot Round Tower, Saint Johns Tower and two well-preserved granite high crosses and the ruins of Castledermot Abbey, a Franciscan friary. 5 km away is Kilkea Castle, once the residence of the Duke of Leinster, the castle was built by the English Norman Hugh de Lacy in 1180, and later passed to the Fitzgeralds. Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, is said to have practised magic in Kilkea Castle which earned him the nickname the Wizard Earl, the earliest known Irish Parliament met at Castledermot on 18 June 1264. Also, the oldest intact window in Western Europe can be found in the town, the window, although large, is only stone work. The glass, if there, is long gone. St. Laurence OToole, or Lorcán Ua Tuathail, was born at Castledermot, in July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup passed through Castledermot. There are two schools in the town, the national school, Scoil Diarmada, is newly built on the Athy road out of Castledermot and opened January 2009. It has two floors, and an elevator for easier access for disabled people, the secondary school, Colaiste Lorcain, is located on the main street. Castle Villa, whose grounds are at Mullarney Park, have been Kildare senior league champions on several occasions. List of towns and villages in Ireland List of abbeys and priories in Ireland Media related to Castledermot at Wikimedia Commons
26.
Carlow
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Carlow is the county town of County Carlow in Ireland. It is situated in the south-east of Ireland,84 km from Dublin, County Carlow is the second smallest county in Ireland by area, occupying 841 square kilometres. According to the 2016 census there is a population of 56,875 people living in County Carlow, the River Barrow flows through the town, and forms the historic boundary between counties Laois and Carlow, the Local Government Act 1898 included the town entirely in County Carlow. The settlement of Carlow is thousands of old and pre-dates written Irish history. The town has played a role in Irish history, serving as the capital of the country in the 14th century. It was voted the cleanest town in Ireland by Irish Business Against Litter in 2010, the name Carlow is an anglicisation of the Irish language name Ceatharlach. Historically, it was anglicised as Caherlagh, Caterlagh and Catherlagh, according to logainm. ie, the first part of the name derives from the Old Irish word cethrae, which is related to ceathar and therefore signified four-legged. The second part of the name is the ending -lach, some, such as Deirdre Flanagan, believe that the name should be Ceatharloch, since ceathar means four and loch means lake. It is directly translated as Four lakes, although, there is no evidence to suggest that these lakes ever existed in this area. Now part of the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin, several Early Christian settlements are still in evidence today around the county, st Mullins monastery is believed to have been established around the 7th century, the ruins of which are still in evidence today. Old Leighlin was the site of one of the largest monastic settlements in Ireland, st Comhgall built a monastery in the Carlow area in the 6th century, an old church building and burial ground survive today at Castle Hill known as Marys Abbey. Carlow was an Irish stronghold for agriculture in the early 1800s which earned the county the nickname of the scallion eaters, famine wiped out a lot of the population, cutting it in half. Carlow Castle was constructed by William Marshal, Earl of Striguil and Lord of Leinster, c1207-13 and it was also to serve as the capital of the Lordship of Ireland from 1361 until 1374. This imposing structure survived intact until 1814 when it was mostly destroyed in an attempt to turn the building into a lunatic asylum. The present remains now are the West Wall with two of its cylindrical towers, the bridge over the river Barrow – Graiguecullen Bridge, is agreed to date to 1569. Another convent belonging to the Presentation Order of nuns now houses the County Library and beautifully restored, the Cathedral, designed by Thomas Cobden, was the first Catholic cathedral to be built in Ireland after Catholic Emancipation in 1829. Its construction cost £9,000 and was completed in 1833, beside the cathedral, Saint Patricks College dates from 1793. The College, was established in 1782 to teach the humanities to both lay students and those studying for the priesthood, the Carlow Courthouse was constructed in the 19th century
27.
Calverstown
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Calverstown is a small village in County Kildare, Ireland. It lies 6 km south of the town of Kilcullen and about 16 km from each of the towns of Athy, Kildare, Naas and it is an old settlement located close to the archaeological sites of Dún Ailinne and Old Kilcullen. The village has a stream running through it with another to the south, in the 2006 Census it had a population of 650. Calverstown has been in existence as a location since the early medieval period. The Irish name Baile an Chalbhaigh was historically anglicised as Ballinchalwey, Ballinchallowe and he purchased the manor of Norragh, in which Calverstown is situated, from Geoffrey de Norragh before his death in 1332. The name of the town appears to be derived from the name of the le Veele family. It is explicitly mentioned in a Rental of Gerald Earl of Kildare begun in 1518-191518 as In baronia de Norragh, item, in the barone of the Norragh & may be distraynet at Calfiston, £6, and in the Extents of Irish Monastic Possessions 1540-41. In the former, the name is spelled Calfiston, in the latter Calveston, a map from 1752 shows a layout very similar to that of today. The natural environment reflects the predominance of well-established enclosed agricultural land and this is presently improved grassland or tillage, some of which is now succumbing to residential development. In 738 at the Battle of Uchbad, Aed Allin defeated the Laigin, the site has since then been known as Battlemount. On Thursday,2 July 1903 the Gordon Bennett Cup started at the Ballyshannon cross-roads 1 mile from the centre of Calverstown. It was the first international race to be held in Great Britain. Local laws had to be adjusted, ergo the Light Locomotives Bill was passed on 27 March 1903, eventually Kildare was chosen, partly on the grounds that the straightness of the roads would be a safety benefit. As a compliment to Ireland the British team chose to race in Shamrock green which became known as British racing green. Competitors were started at intervals and had to follow bicycles through the control zones in each town. The 328 miles race was won by the famous Belgian Camille Jenatzy, there is a well maintained green at the centre of the village with some seating available at the stream. The sense of community is strong with a Tidy Towns committee, there is a pub, called The Stream Inn. A local shop with a takeaway located inside the shop, the ruins of Calverstown Castle can still be seen adjacent to the village
28.
N78 road (Ireland)
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The N78 road is a national secondary road in Ireland. The 50km long road links the N77 national secondary road north of Kilkenny, en route it passes through the towns of Castlecomer in County Kilkenny, Ballylynan in County Laois, and Athy in County Kildare. The now R418 section once formed a part of the T6 - the old trunk road that connected the cities of Cork. Roads in Ireland Motorways in Ireland National primary road Regional road Roads Act 1993 Order 2006 – Department of Transport
29.
N9 road (Ireland)
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The N9 road is a national primary road in Ireland running from Junction 11 on the N7, located near Kilcullen, County Kildare, to Waterford city. The route connects Dublin and Waterford, the section of the route from junction 11 on the M7 at Kilcullen to the intersection with the N24 road outside Waterford is motorway standard since 2010 and is designated as the M9 motorway. In line with Irish practice, all sections previously designated N9 were renumbered at that time, only a short section of the route is still designated as N9 between the Quarry roundabout junction with the N24 and the N25 Grannagh Roundabout junction. The route starts as motorway southwest of Newbridge, and on the southwest side of Kilcullen, prior to the 1993 opening of the Newbridge bypass, the N9 had run from Naas. The previous route is now the R448, the previous route continued south through Kilgowan, the intersection with the N78 to Athy, Ballitore, the R747, Timolin, Moone and through Castledermot in County Kildare. Now this is bypassed by the Kilcullen to Carlow section of the M9 opened in December 2009 and this then joins with another 18.5 km stretch of motorway, opened 29 May 2008 bypassing Carlow, rejoining the old N9 at Powerstown. Further south, the N9 crosses the River Barrow bypassing Leighlinbridge to the west, at Paulstown the N10 diverges west/southwest to serve Kilkenny and the present section of the M9. The N9 bypasses Gowran, Dungarvan and Thomastown and this section of the N9 opened as motorway in September 2010 and completed the M9 motorway. Motorists join the M9 via the N10 from Kilkenny onto the M9 section from Danesfort to Waterford, from Powerstown and further on, just north of Ballyhale the present N10 rejoins the R448, having proceeded south from Kilkenny. Lukeswell, Mullinavat and Dunkitt lie along the R448 route south towards Waterford, the M9 ends at the Quarry roundabout junction with the N24. A short section of the designated as N9 continues towards the Granagh interchange where the route terminates. The National Development Plan included plans for a motorway from Dublin to Waterford, while these plans were later altered to High Quality Dual Carriageway, in July 2008 the road was reclassified as a motorway once more. An EIS was published and a CPO issued in February 2005 for the 64 km southern section of the upgraded route, the southern section of route differs more from the existing N9 alignment than most of the national road upgrade projects in recent years. The N10 at present provides a link to Kilkenny, to the west of the N9, the new alignment of the M9 passes further west, closer to Kilkenny, with a new shorter N10 link to the M9 on the northeast side of Kilkenny. The existing N10 remains as far as Danesfort for the link southeast of Kilkenny and it opened as a section of the N9, although built to motorway standards, and was officially upgraded to motorway on 24 September 2008. M9/N10 Carlow/Knocktopher,40 km, completed and opened on 9 September 2010 M9 Waterford/Knocktopher,24 km, a bypass of Waterford was opened in 2009, as part of the N25 that previously passed southeast/northwest through the city. As part of the project, the new M9 joins at a roundabout just off the Granagh Interchange which then allows access to Waterford City or the bypass to Rosslare/Cork
30.
N7 road (Ireland)
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The N7 road is a national primary road in Ireland, connecting Limerick and Dublin. The majority of the route is motorway standard and is designated as the M7 motorway, at the Rosbrien interchange in Limerick the route continues as the N18 dual carriage to Shannon and Ennis. The road passes through the midlands of Ireland, and acts as a route out of Dublin for the N8 and N9 national primary routes to Cork. It forms part of European route E20, from the M50, the N7 passes south of Clondalkin leaving the city as part of the Naas Road. The N7 route continues in a south west direction with 3 lanes of each way towards Naas for approximately 15 km. Construction of the third lane commenced on the 4 January 2005 and concluded on 14 August 2006, at Newlands Cross a flyover and exit slip roads replaced the at-grade signal controlled crossing in November 2014. This eliminated the last signal-controlled crossing on the N7/M7 route between the M50 and Limerick, traffic for Clondalkin to the north and Tallaght to the south leave the N7 by slip roads connecting to the R113. The N7 continues southwards to bypass Citywest, Saggart, Rathcoole, Kill and these locations are all served with grade-separated interchanges which were constructed as part of the upgrade works completed in the mid-2000s. The old junctions consisted of lights with a break in the dual-carriageway median. The three lane section ends at junction 9 with a left hand lane-drop/lane-gain for traffic leaving/entering here, the section of the N7 between Naas and the M50 Motorway is the second busiest road in the country with frequent daily tailbacks from the Naas North junction on the southbound side. This part of the route is the section that remains designated as N7 as the road is not motorway standard. Left-in/left-out access is provided to minor roads and to homes, farms, from Naas motorway restrictions are enforced and the route is designated as the M7 motorway. The route continues in a south west direction bypassing the towns of Naas, Newbridge, Kildare, Monasterevin, the M9 to Waterford diverges from the route at junction 11. From Birdhill the route continues towards Limerick city where it forms part of the Limerick Southern Ring Road bypassing Annacotty, the route terminates at the Rosbrien Interchange to the south of Limerick City. The road continues as the N18 into county Clare, at the Rosbrien Interchange access is available to the M20 motorway via a slip road from the M7. Originally the N7 was a single route between Dublin and Limerick and passed through the main towns on the route that are now bypassed. The old N7 route was downgraded to regional road status and is designated as the R445 road. The R445 is a route between Limerick and Dublin
31.
N80 road (Ireland)
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In common with most National secondary routes, the N80 is a simple two lane road without hard shoulders for much of its route. Some of the worst bends may have been removed through the years and some junctions improved, but general pavement quality is rather poor. Earlier works of note on the N80 include, a bypass of Tullamore, mountmellick inner relief road - project appears to have been abandoned. Realigned section where it crosses over the M7, kildavin bypass Southern terminus of the N80 at the N11 converted from a simple T-junction to a roundabout. The Tullamore bypass is a new 14 km single carriageway upgrade to the N52, a spur designated part of the R443 was constructed from the northern section of the route to the Tullamore Western Relief Road forming a near complete orbital route around Tullamore. The N80 now terminates at the N52 junction on the bypass, Roads in Ireland Motorways in Ireland National primary road Regional road Roads Act 1993 Order 2006 – Department of Transport
32.
Pound sterling
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It is subdivided into 100 pence. A number of nations that do not use sterling also have called the pound. At various times, the sterling was commodity money or bank notes backed by silver or gold. The pound sterling is the worlds oldest currency still in use, the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey and Jersey produce their own local issues of sterling, the Guernsey pound and the Jersey pound. The pound sterling is also used in the Isle of Man, Gibraltar, the Bank of England is the central bank for the pound sterling, issuing its own coins and banknotes, and regulating issuance of banknotes by private banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Sterling is the fourth most-traded currency in the exchange market, after the United States dollar, the euro. Together with those three currencies it forms the basket of currencies which calculate the value of IMF special drawing rights, Sterling is also the third most-held reserve currency in global reserves. The full, official name, pound sterling, is used mainly in formal contexts, otherwise the term pound is normally used. The abbreviations ster. or stg. are sometimes used, the term British pound is commonly used in less formal contexts, although it is not an official name of the currency. The pound sterling is also referred to as cable amongst forex traders, the origins of this term are attributed to the fact that in the 1800s, the dollar/pound sterling exchange rate was transmitted via transatlantic cable. Forex brokers are sometimes referred to as cable dealers, as another established source notes, the compound expression was then derived, silver coins known as sterlings were issued in the Saxon kingdoms,240 of them being minted from a pound of silver. Hence, large payments came to be reckoned in pounds of sterlings, in 1260, Henry III granted them a charter of protection. And because the Leagues money was not frequently debased like that of England, English traders stipulated to be paid in pounds of the Easterlings, and land for their Kontor, the Steelyard of London, which by the 1340s was also called Easterlings Hall, or Esterlingeshalle. For further discussion of the etymology of sterling, see sterling silver, the currency sign for the pound sign is £, which is usually written with a single cross-bar, though a version with a double cross-bar is also sometimes seen. The ISO4217 currency code is GBP, occasionally, the abbreviation UKP is used but this is non-standard because the ISO3166 country code for the United Kingdom is GB. The Crown dependencies use their own codes, GGP, JEP, stocks are often traded in pence, so traders may refer to pence sterling, GBX, when listing stock prices. A common slang term for the pound sterling or pound is quid, since decimalisation in 1971, the pound has been divided into 100 pence. The symbol for the penny is p, hence an amount such as 50p properly pronounced fifty pence is more colloquially, quite often, pronounced fifty pee /fɪfti, pi and this also helped to distinguish between new and old pence amounts during the changeover to the decimal system
33.
Mors (automobile)
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The Mors automobile factory was an early French car manufacturer. It was one of the first to part in automobile racing, beginning in 1897, due to the belief of the company founder, Émile Mors. By the turn of the century, automobile racing had become largely a contest between Mors and Panhard et Levassor, Mors was one of the first automobiles to use the V engine configuration. The Mors 60 horsepower Grand Prix car was powered by a 10 litre V4 side valve engine, with magneto ignition and dry sump lubrication, the car had a steel chassis and a four-speed transmission that drove the rear wheels via chain drive, and rear-wheel brakes. In 1902, Mors added pneumatic shock absorbers to their cars, with this car, Henri Fournier was able to win the highly significant Paris-Berlin race, with the drive chain breaking immediately afterwards. Plans to return to auto racing were cancelled due to World War I, andré Citroën became chairman of Mors in 1908 and restored the companys viability. In 1925, Citroën bought Mors outright and closed it down, the company produced a number of models which were sold widely in Europe and in the USA. In 1905 these ranged from 2.3 litres to the 8.1 litre 40/52 HP, post-1918 only sleeve valve engines were used. The marque was resurrected briefly when a few electric cars were made during World War II by a subsidiary electrical company of Émile Mors. Central Automobile Company was the US importer of Mors automobiles in New York, the 1904 Mors 18 HP was a touring car. Equipped with a tonneau, it could seat 4 to 6 passengers, the vertically mounted water-cooled straight-4, situated at the front of the car, produced 18 HP. The pressed steel-framed car was quite modern, with a cellular radiator, the Mors 11 HP sold for US$5000. The St. Louis Car Company also manufactured the American Mors, after making the American Mors for three years, the company turned to the manufacture of a car of their own design, the Standard Six. Frank Leslies Popular Monthly Georgano, Nick, the Beaulieu Encyclopedia of the Automobile. ISBN 1-57958-293-1 Kimes, Beverley Rae, & Clark Jr, Henry Austin, Standard Catalog of American cars, 1805-1942
34.
United Kingdom
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The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom or Britain, is a sovereign country in western Europe. Lying off the north-western coast of the European mainland, the United Kingdom includes the island of Great Britain, Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom that shares a land border with another sovereign state—the Republic of Ireland. The Irish Sea lies between Great Britain and Ireland, with an area of 242,500 square kilometres, the United Kingdom is the 78th-largest sovereign state in the world and the 11th-largest in Europe. It is also the 21st-most populous country, with an estimated 65.1 million inhabitants, together, this makes it the fourth-most densely populated country in the European Union. The United Kingdom is a monarchy with a parliamentary system of governance. The monarch is Queen Elizabeth II, who has reigned since 6 February 1952, other major urban areas in the United Kingdom include the regions of Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Liverpool and Manchester. The United Kingdom consists of four countries—England, Scotland, Wales, the last three have devolved administrations, each with varying powers, based in their capitals, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, respectively. The relationships among the countries of the UK have changed over time, Wales was annexed by the Kingdom of England under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. A treaty between England and Scotland resulted in 1707 in a unified Kingdom of Great Britain, which merged in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Five-sixths of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present formulation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, there are fourteen British Overseas Territories. These are the remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, British influence can be observed in the language, culture and legal systems of many of its former colonies. The United Kingdom is a country and has the worlds fifth-largest economy by nominal GDP. The UK is considered to have an economy and is categorised as very high in the Human Development Index. It was the worlds first industrialised country and the worlds foremost power during the 19th, the UK remains a great power with considerable economic, cultural, military, scientific and political influence internationally. It is a nuclear weapons state and its military expenditure ranks fourth or fifth in the world. The UK has been a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council since its first session in 1946 and it has been a leading member state of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community, since 1973. However, on 23 June 2016, a referendum on the UKs membership of the EU resulted in a decision to leave. The Acts of Union 1800 united the Kingdom of Great Britain, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have devolved self-government
35.
Pierre de Caters
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Baron Pierre de Caters was a Belgian adventurer, aviator and car and motorboat racer. He was the first Belgian to fly an aircraft in 1908 and he was also the first Belgian to receive a pilot license from the Belgian air club on 2 December 1909 and received a gold medal for the first kilometer in the same year. He was the first aircraft manufacturer in Belgium and the first instructor of the military aviation and he also took part in car and motorboat races in Belgium and France. Briefly in 1904, he held the World Land Speed Record, driving a DMG Mercedes Simplex at 97.25 mph. over a 1 km. course on a beach in Ostend, Belgium. In World War I he joined the Belgian military aviation, commanding the school of Étampes. On 16 November 1910, de Caters embarked to India with two Aviator airplanes and he was accompanied by Jules Tyck, another Belgian pilot. The city of Bombay refused the organization of an aviation meeting, then the two airmen traveled to Calcutta with their aircraft crated. In Calcutta, de Caters flew several times from the Club of Tollygunge, on 21 December, he flew for 27 minutes with Mrs. Sen Beil, sister of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar as passenger. One of the Aviators was damaged by fire, on 2 February 1911, de Caters and Tyck flew in Bangalore. They were received by the Maharaja of Mysore, from 16–18 February, Pierre flew from Secunderabad in the Hyderabad state. The Indian tour was completed and Pierre de Caters returned to Europe, a little later Aviator was dissolved and the baron would not take part in competitions any more. 1906 Targa Florio Brussels Air Museum Restoration Society Brussels Air Museum Foundation Brussels Air Museum Foundation Biography on Amazon
36.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci
37.
Winton Motor Carriage Company
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The Winton Motor Carriage Company was a pioneer United States automobile manufacturer based in Cleveland, Ohio. Winton was one of the first American companies to sell a motor car, scottish immigrant Alexander Winton, owner of the Winton Bicycle Company, turned from bicycle production to an experimental single-cylinder automobile before starting his car company. Winton owned a large estate in Lakewood, Ohio. In the mid-1960s the home was demolished and a high rise condominium was constructed aptly named Winton Place. The company was incorporated on March 15,1897 and their first automobiles were built by hand. Each vehicle had fancy painted sides, padded seats, a leather roof, B. F. Goodrich made the tires for Winton. By this time, Winton had already produced two fully operational prototype automobiles, in May of that year, the 10 hp model achieved the astonishing speed of 33.64 mph on a test around a Cleveland horse track. Alexander Winton, in Cleveland, Ohio sold his first manufactured semi-truck in 1899, on March 24,1898, Robert Allison of Port Carbon, Pennsylvania, became the first person to buy a Winton automobile after seeing the first automobile advertisement in Scientific American. Winton sold 22 cars that year, in 1899, more than one hundred Winton vehicles were sold, making the company the largest manufacturer of gasoline-powered automobiles in the United States. This success led to the opening of the first automobile dealership by Mr. H. W. Koler in Reading, to deliver the vehicles, in 1899, Winton built the first auto hauler in America. One of these 1899 Wintons was purchased by Larz Anderson and his new wife and it is still on display at Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts. Publicity generated sales and in 1901 the news that both Reginald Vanderbilt and Alfred Vanderbilt had purchased Winton automobiles boosted the companys image substantially and that same year, Winton lost a race at Grosse Pointe to Henry Ford. Models Winton vowed to come back and win, producing the 1902 Winton Bullet, the Bullet was defeated in another Ford by famed driver Barney Oldfield, but two more Bullet race cars were built. In 1903, Dr Horatio Nelson Jackson made the first successful automobile drive across the United States, on a $50 bet, he purchased a slightly used 2 cylinder,20 hp Winton touring car and hired a mechanic to accompany him. Starting in San Francisco, ending in Manhattan, the trip took sixty-three days, twelve hours, jacksons Winton is now part of the collections at the National Museum of American History. The 1904 Winton was a five-passenger tonneau-equipped tourer which sold for US$2,500, models Wintons flat-mounted water-cooled straight-2, situated amidships of the car, produced 20 hp. The channel and angle steel-framed car weighed 2300 lb, models Winton continued to successfully market automobiles to upscale consumers through the 1910s, but sales began to fall in the early 1920s. This was due to the conservative nature of the company
38.
Alexander Winton
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Alexander Winton was a Scottish-American bicycle, automobile and diesel engine designer and inventor. He also was an automobile racer. Winton was born in Grangemouth, Scotland and his father was a marine engineer, and young Alexander followed in his fathers profession. He emigrated to the United States in 1879, for three years he worked at Delameter Iron Works, and for two years thereafter as a marine engineer on ocean vessels. In 1891, he founded Winton Bicycle Co. and in 1897 he founded the Winton Motor Carriage Company and his cars were custom made, in 1898 he sold a car for $1000. In 1901, Henry Ford defeated him at a race at Grosse Pointe, when he first started manufacturing cars, he wanted to be able to ship them directly to customers without putting any miles onto the product. He therefore developed a car hauler for use by his company and this is the first instance of a semi-trailer truck product. The Winton Motor Carriage Company grew rapidly after the turn of the 20th century, in 1902 three buildings were built, and four more were added in 1903. The company employed 1200 workers in 1903, Winton was an important member of Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturer, an organization originally formed to challenge the litigation of the fledgling automobile industry by George B. Selden and the Electric Vehicle Company, Winton was a prolific inventor, with over 100 patents in the field of motor cars and engines. He also had several important bicycle inventions and he was known for allowing free use of his patents when a question of safety was involved. One of his first famous races was against Henry Ford, which he lost in 1901, in 1902 he built the first of three custom race cars, all three of which he called the Bullet. Bullet No.1 was the first car to win a race at Daytona Beach. Bullet No.2 was built for the Gordon Bennett Cup in Ireland in 1903 and it was one of the first 8-cylinder automobiles ever built. It suffered mechanical difficulties and did not complete the race, although after being back to the United States Barney Oldfield drove it to a near-record 80 miles per hour at Daytona. Winton retired from racing, but built a Bullet No.3 which Oldfield raced around the United States in his famous career and he married Jeanie Muir McGlashan in 1883, they had six children, Helen, James, Agnes, Jeanie, Cathrine, and Alexander. He married LaBelle McGlashan in 1906, they had two children, LaBelle and Clarice and he married Marion Campbell in 1927 and divorced in 1930, and in 1930, he married Mary Ellen Avery. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 2005, the Winton Place Condominium in Lakewood, Ohio, was built in 1962 on the site of his former mansion
39.
Foxhall P. Keene
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Foxhall Parker Keene was an American thoroughbred race horse owner and breeder, a world and Olympic gold medallist in polo and an amateur tennis player. He was rated the best all-around polo player in the United States for eight years, a golfer who competed in the U. S. Open. In addition to his involvement in flat racing, he was also a founding member of the National Steeplechase Association. He was born in San Francisco, California on December 18,1867 to Sarah Jay Daingerfield, at the time of his birth, his father was president of the San Francisco Stock Exchange. James R. Keene was a golfer who competed in the 1897 U. S. Open. Although he played at a level in a number of sports. A 10-goal player, he was a member of the Rockaway Hunting Club in Lawrence, Nassau County, New York, today the oldest country club in the United States. With team captain Tommy Hitchcock, in 1886 he was part of the first U. S. international polo team competed in the inaugural International Polo Cup matches against England. He was rated the best all-around polo player in the United States for eight consecutive years, following its formation, he was inducted posthumously into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 1992. Keene also competed as a tennis player, reaching the semifinals of the 1883 U. S. National Championships. With the advent of automobile racing, Keene competed in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup at Athy, County Kildare, in a race won by Camille Jenatzy, he did not finish after his car experienced axle problems. Keene maintained a home at Monkton, Maryland and a home in England with a stable at Melton Mowbray where he kept up to ten field hunters for fox hunting. In addition, he had a residence at Ayers Cliff. He died in poverty on September 25,1941 at Ayers Cliff and his father named one of his horses Foxhall who won the 1882 Ascot Gold Cup in England. Recently, two Thoroughbred racehorses, one born in 1983 and another in 2002, were named after Foxhall Keene, the Sporting Memoirs of Foxhall Keene
40.
Peerless Motor Company
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Peerless Motor Company was an American automobile manufacturer that produced the Peerless brand of motorcars in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1900 to 1931. One of the Three Ps-Packard, Peerless, and Pierce-Arrow-the company was known for building high-quality, Peerless popularized a number of vehicle innovations that later became standard equipment, including drum brakes and the first enclosed-body production cars. Established in Cleveland in 1900 at 43 Lisbon Street, Peerless Motors began producing De Dion-Bouton machines under license from the French Company, engineer Louis P. Mooers designed the first Peerless models, as well as several proprietary engines. The first Peerless-branded vehicles appeared in 1902, with an engine driving the rear wheels through a shaft. This later became the standard vehicle propulsion layout for automobiles, in 1904, Mooers penned the Green Dragon racecar and enlisted Barney Oldfield to drive it. The Green Dragon brought notability and success to Peerless, as Oldfield used it to set a number of early world automobile speed records, in 1905, the 35-horsepower Green Dragon, competed in the worlds first 24-hour endurance race in Columbus, Ohio. Piloted by Earnest Bollinger, Aurther Feasel, and briefly by Barney Oldfield, from 1905-1907, Peerless experienced a rapid expansion in size and production volume. As the Peerless namesake grew in fame, the company began producing increasingly higher-priced models with a focus on luxury, notable customers included Cornelius Vanderbilt and John D. Rockefeller. In 1911, Peerless was one of the first car companies to introduce electric lighting on their vehicles, in 1915, the firm introduced its first V8 engine, intending to compete with the Cadillac V8 introduced a year earlier. This model became Peerless staple production vehicle until 1925, when produced by other manufacturers were first used in Peerless models. During World War I, Peerless manufactured military vehicle chassis and trucks, in 1929, the entire Peerless range was redesigned to compete with other vehicles produced by Stutz and Marmon. This move saw increased sales, and for 1930 another design refresh was undertaken, the Peerless-designed V8 was replaced by a Continental straight-8 as a cost-saving measure. However, the Great Depression that began in 1929 greatly reduced the sales of luxury automobiles, Peerless stripped down production and attempted to market one line of vehicles to wealthy Americans who were not affected by the depression. In 1930-31, Peerless commissioned Murphy Body Works to design what the company envisioned as its 1933 model, the task was assigned to a young Frank Hershey, who produced a remarkably clean, elegant vehicle. A single V16-engined 1931 Peerless was finished in June 1931, the last Peerless ever produced, Peerless remained an idle business until the end of Prohibition in 1933 allowed the manufacture of alcohol. Peerless then revamped its factory and gained a license to brew beer under the Carling Black Label, hersheys single prototype remained in Peerless factory until the end of World War II and it is now owned by the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum. The following Peerless vehicles are deemed classic cars by the Classic Car Club of America,1925 Series 67,1926 —1928 Series 69,1929 Model Eight-125, 1930-1 Custom 8, however, all Peerless vehicles are considered collectible
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Charles Jarrott (racing driver)
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Charles Jarrott was an English racing car driver and businessman. Jarrott raced from 1900 to 1904, winning the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes race and he co-founded a car import firm in 1902 and was a founder member of the Automobile Association, serving as chairman in 1922. Jarrott was born at 25 Hendon Street, Pimlico, London, to Martha and Robert Jarrott and he implied that his education may have been schools in London, Cambridge and articled to a solicitor. Jarrott married Violet Aline Vyner in 1903 and their son Charles became a film director, Jarrott raced from 1900 to 1904, winning the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes race and competing in the 1903 and 1904 Gordon Bennett Cup races. In 1901 he finished 10th in the Paris–Berlin Trail, driving a Panhard et Levassor No 13, in 1902 he finished 3rd in the Paris–Arras–Paris race, driving a Panhard et Levassor No 3, and completing the 864 km in 13 hours 4 minutes and 12 seconds. He later entered the Paris–Vienna Trail where he finished 23rd in the Panhard et Levassor number 8, completing the 990 km in 20 hours,44 minutes and 12 seconds. Jarrotts greatest success was winning the 1902 Circuit des Ardennes in the Panhard et Levassor, completing the 6 lap,512 km race at Bastogne in car number 8, Jarrott had inherited the lead on lap 3 after Baron Pierre de Crawhez retired in his Mors Z. In 1903 he finished 3rd in the Paris–Madrid Trail race, driving a De Dietrich car No 1, but he failed to finish in the Circuit des Ardennes at Bastogne after his de Dietrich No 4 suffered multiple tire failures. In 1904 Jarrott entered the Gordon Bennett Cup Eliminator, the that was held in the Forest of Argonne, in 1902, in association with W. M. Letts, Jarrott founded the car import firm Charles Jarrott & Letts Ltd. In 1905, Jarrott was amongst those who founded the Automobile Association and he served as the Associations chairman in 1922. During the First World War, Jarrott served with the Royal Flying Corps, grand Prix History – Paris – Madrid Race of 1903. The Race of Death By Charles Jarrott
Camille Jenatzy (BEL)
René de Knyff (FRA)
Selwyn Edge (GBR)
Percy Owen (USA)
