MGEC Ireland

MGEC History

How the Club got started

When MG Production ceased in 1980, many MG owners in Ireland were worried about how they were going to keep their cars on the road for a reasonable time. At that stage nobody could visualise the MG spare parts industry that has subsequently arisen in the United Kingdom. 

So when a small noticed appeared in the Evening Press (the Press Group of newspapers went out of existence in 1995) inviting interested MG owners to a meeting in the Deerpark Lounge (the Deerpark Lounge in Clonskeagh has since been demolished, and is now an apartment complex) on Sunday 20th September 1981, some seventy MG owners turned up.

At this inaugural meeting an ad hoc committee was elected and charged with the task of how best the interests of Irish MG owners could be advanced. Regular meetings followed at which progress, or lack of progress was reported to the interested parties, dates for thee meetings was advised by post.

The MG car Club (Ire.) was established around 1947 as a "region" of the UK club. Initially most of the Irish members owned MGs, but as time went on less and less members had MGs, and although the Club ran  Motor Races, Hillclimbs, Economy Runs, etc by 1981 their interest in MGs was minimal. So when our newly formed group approached them to see if our interests could be accommodated the best they could offer us was associated membership. (In fairness the MG Car Club felt that if so many MG owners were to join their Club as full members in one go, it would completely alter their operation and focus, and in truth this would probably have been the case).

Various other methods and types of associations were explored before final agreement was reached on the setting up of the MG Enthusiasts Club, and this officially came into existence in February 1982. The original ad hoc committee was re-elected to serve until the first AGM. A programme of events was drawn up and the MGEC was now a reality.