Memorial group cavalcade for Downpatrick charity

Memorial group cavalcade for Downpatrick charity

21 August 2024

NEXT month’s annual car and motorcycle cavalcade in Crossgar will be raising funds for the Life Change Changes Lives charity.

Organised by the Brian Steenson Memorial Group the event — now in its sixth year — takes place on Sunday, September 1 and is being organised in conjunction with the Crossgar Community Association.

Two days before the event, a fundraising barbecue is being held at the Corner Inn — also in aid of the Downpatrick charity.

The August 30 fundraiser is to say farewell to group members Jenny and Tony who are moving to Spain.

Meanwhile, the cavalcade is scheduled to leave from the Corner Inn at 3pm, cavalcade participants will be gathering from 12.15pm at the Killyleagh Street venue.

The yard at the Corner Inn and wide footpath in front will be used to park motorcycles and scooters, while cars will be parked at the Central Garage and in the forecourt opposite.

Cars and motorcycles of any age will be welcome to take part in the cavalcade to raise funds for the highly acclaimed Downpatrick charity which supports those affected by mental health, addiction and social isolation. 

The £10 entry fee includes an exhibitor food ticket. Single food tickets can also be bought for £10, with tea and sandwiches served from 1pm to 3pm in the Corner Inn Lounge.

Organisers are hoping to have legendary Dromara Destroyer road racer Ray McCullough’s bikes at the event and there will also be numerous other famous racing motorcycles on display.

The vehicle line-up includes those dating from the roaring twenties, forties, fifties swinging sixties, seventies and eighties right up to modern day classics. 

Trevor Lindsay will have on display photographs and memorabilia of Brian Steenson, some of which have not been seen for years.

And he will also have his Aermacchi on display,  the machine Brian rode in the 1968/1969 seasons to win the Irish championships.

The Ronnie Donnan Memorial Cup will be awarded to the most interesting road motorcycle or scooter, while The J N Brown Memorial Cup will be awarded to the most interesting competition motorcycle. 

Cars will not be included as these are motorcycle memorial cups. 

The cavalcade starts at 3pm with motorcycles and scooters leading off with cars following in that order. 

The run is 18 miles and will commence at the Corner Inn and head in the direction of Killyleagh where it will turn left into the Derryboye Road and on to the Derryboye five road ends where it will turn right into the Clea Lough Road, pass the Clea Loughs and the house where Brian Steenson lived.

It’s then on to Killyleagh through Shrigley heading for Castle Lane and down High Street, where the cavalcade will turn right into Catherine Street and head for Downpatrick over the Quoile Bridge onto the Old Belfast Road to the Belfast Road roundabout to make its way back to Crossgar.

The run will take over 30 minutes to complete and people in Shrigley and Killyleagh should see the vehicle cavalcade pass at approximately 3.15pm.  

Further information is available by contacting Alan Lyons on 07999 954947 or email alan-lyons@hotmail.co.uk