Motorcycle Explorer August 2015 Issue 7 | Page 168

The recession hit hard here in Ireland 2007/2008. I lost my Building Surveying practice, just about
got a job and faced into the black and uncertain future.
I witnessed my generation having their homes repossessed , emigration , unemployment , depression,
suicide and reckoned there had to be some way to keep a glimmer of madness, a spark , a ray of some
kinda light so I just kept thinking "what would I like to go too in a years’ time". So I was at a show
meeting one night with the Doon Village vintage society and someone asked me if I or anyone else
had any ideas to help add to the show to come forward and "anything goes" , well I just blurted it
out the whole rather rough Idea of the Paddy Dakar. Orienteering on Dual sport motor cycles , road
legal, road rubber, €40 per rider , and we would get them a breakfast , a BBQ , free camping , a tee
shirt , stickers , prizes , 2 days off roading and I was laughed at . 2008 20 bikes showed up, I ironed
on the event transfers to the tee shirts it was that cheap, in 2014 180 bikes showed up , Nicky Plumb
from Touratech UK was the only Welsh Man and Paddy mad enough to say these boys are alright and
he allowed us to print the touratech logo on the event tee shirts and sponsored them with Teds
Trucking another UK based logistics company. I’ve turned the event it into a family weekend (the
wife insisted)with a junior Paddy DAKAR kids cycle , bicycle maintenance , bushcraft (The Father
comes down and bamboozles the kids and teaches them how to light fires ).Helps the guys if they
say come on were all going there's something for all of us at this mad max meets father Ted Paddy
Dakar thing....