The Birth of Irish Motor Racing

The Birth of Irish Motor Racing is an exhibition at North Down Museum in Bangor marking over a century of the Ulster Automobile Club’s history. It opened on 23 April 2026 and runs until 9 August, tracing how organised motor racing took hold in Ulster from the club’s earliest days through to its role in the wider story of Irish motorsport.

What to expect

The exhibition draws on the Ulster Automobile Club’s own archive to cover the personalities, races and vehicles that shaped early motor racing in the north of Ireland, set inside North Down Museum’s temporary exhibition space in Bangor. Expect photographs, memorabilia and race history rather than the cars themselves, presented as a chronological look at how the club grew from its founding into a fixture of Irish motorsport. It runs alongside the museum’s permanent collection covering the archaeology and social history of North Down, so it is easy to combine both in a single visit before the exhibition closes in early August.

Getting there

North Down Museum sits in Castle Park, reached from Castle Park Avenue in Bangor town centre, within walking distance of the seafront and marina. Bangor has a direct railway line into Belfast with frequent services, making the museum straightforward to reach without a car.

While you’re in Bangor

Castle Park wraps around the museum itself, so a visit to the exhibition combines easily with a walk through the park and on to Bangor’s seafront and marina. There is more to see in Bangor and across Co. Down.

Good to know

• Runs 23 April to 9 August 2026
• North Down Museum, Castle Park Avenue, Bangor
• Free admission
• Drawn from the Ulster Automobile Club archive
• Closes 9 August 2026, so best visited soon