The National Museum of Ireland in Turlough Park, Castlebar has recently opened a temporary exhibit titled ‘Soap Box Dreams in 1950s Ireland’, which celebrates the Soap Box car racing era, marked by a series of trails and championships that captivated the nation.
Featuring a wide variety of items that provide a range of different perspectives in this era, the exhibit is a tribute to the youthful aspiration and the thrilling experience of Soap Box racing.
“1956 is remembered historically as a dramatic year. Internationally it was the year of the Suez Crisis, uprisings in Hungary and Poland and the marriage of Grace Kelly to Prince Rainier of Monaco. Elvis Presley’s breakthrough album of the year gave us ‘Hound Dog’, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. In the sporting world, Cork had to experience a different heartbreak when losing three All-Ireland finals in Gaelic football, camogie and hurling. Towards the end of the year sporting glory was achieved by the late Ronnie Delaney when he won an Olympic gold medal for Ireland in the Melbourne games.
Closer to home but also dreaming of sporting glory, a young Joseph Moran raced his Soap Box car in Westport, County Mayo. Success in Mayo could lead to the National Finals in Dublin and perhaps the possibility to race in the All-American finals in Akron, Ohio.”
Find out more about this exhibition and its story here