The Tandragee 100 is a
motorcycle race
The motorcycle sport of racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and ...
that occurs on the public roads which connect
Tandragee
Tandragee () is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is on a hillside above the Cusher River, and is overlooked by Tandragee Castle. The town is in the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Ballymore, County Armagh, Ballymore and t ...
and
Markethill
Markethill is a village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is beside Gosford Forest Park. It had a population of 1,647 people in the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census. This article contains quotations from this source, which is availabl ...
, near the village of
Clare Clare may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Clare Range, a mountain range in Victoria Land
Australia
* Clare, South Australia, a town in the Clare Valley
* Clare Valley, South Australia
Canada
* Clare (electoral district), an electoral district
* Cl ...
, in
County Armagh
County Armagh ( ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It is located in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and adjoins the southern shore of Lough Neagh. It borders t ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
.
Spanning 5.3 miles, it is sometimes referred to by its organisers as the 'Mini TT'.
History
The first race of the North Armagh Motorcycle & Car Club (abbreviated to 'North Armagh MC & CC') was held on Saturday 19 April 1958 over a distance of 100 miles – hence the number in the name. For safety and organisational reasons and because of the increased performance of the participating motorcycles, the distance was repeatedly reduced. In the meantime, depending on the racing class, only four to seven laps are driven on a track, so that a race lasts an average of a quarter of an hour. It is one of the first races of the Irish road racing season. According to organisers, the race attracts about 120 drivers and up to 12,000 spectators.
While typically held annually, the Tandragee 100 was not held in 1972 and 2001.
The race was again cancelled in 2010 due to the "economic climate and circumstances beyond
he organiser'scontrol". The race also did not take place during 2020 or 2021 due to
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
.
It was also cancelled in 2023 (due to insurance costs) and again in 2024 (due to the condition of the road surface).
As of 2024, it was set to return once again in 2025 following the announcement that resurfacing work on the course would occur.
Participants
The Tandragee 100 has previously played host to a number of notable road racers. These have included:
Guy Martin
Guy Martin (born 4 November 1981) is a British former motorcycle racer, heavy vehicle mechanic and television presenter. He retired from motorcycle racing in July 2017.
Martin started racing in 1998 and in 2004 competed on a road circuit fo ...
,
Joey Dunlop
William Joseph Dunlop (25 February 1952 – 2 July 2000) was a Northern Irish roadracing motorcyclist from Ballymoney, County Antrim. In 2015, he was voted Northern Ireland's greatest-ever sports star.
Dunlop lies second on the list of all-ti ...
,
Ryan Farquhar
Ryan Alan Robert Farquhar (born 2 February 1976, Dungannon, Northern Ireland) is a former motorcycle sport, professional motorcycle racer who primarily competed in road racing. Farquhar won the Geoff Duke Trophy as Champion of the Duke Road Ra ...
,
Philip McCallen and
Michael Dunlop
Michael Dunlop (born 10 April 1989) is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle road racer and the record holder for the number of wins and podiums at the prestigious Isle of Man TT, having amassed a total of 33 victories and having stood o ...
.
Winners Record
Fatalities at the event
Martin Finnegan, from County Dublin, was killed following a crash at the course in 2008. Several other riders died, following accidents on the course, at the 2007, 2014 and 2017 events. A memorial garden, to the 10 riders and two spectators who
died during the annual event, was submitted for planning assessment in late 2019.
References
External links
* {{official, https://www.tandragee100.co.uk/
Motorcycle races
Motorsport in Northern Ireland