In a gesture of remembrance of Mr. McCulloch a car similar to that taken to Antarctica by Ernest Shackleton is to be housed at Athy Heritage Centre in Co Kildare, close to the explorer's birthplace.
In 1907, explorer Ernest Shackleton took an Arrol-Johnson motor car to Antarctica in a publicity stunt that helped fund his trip. Ostensibly, the car was to be used to transport Shackleton and his men towards the South Pole but this, as Shackleton knew, was neither practical nor possible. Never a man to miss an opportunity for publicity, however, he agreed to take the car and, in return, supplied publicity shots taken in the snowy wastes.
Now, a century later, Athy Heritage Centre - which houses a permanent and extensive Gordon-Bennett 1903 Race section - is to receive the a gift of an extremely rare 1902 Arrol-Johnspn car which will be permanently housed in the Museum, just miles from Shackleton's birthplace and in the town referred to as the ‘Home of the Gordon Bennett’.
The car is being donated by Honor Duncan McCulloch, in memory of her father, Ringwood Mc Culloch, late of Sawyer's Wood Athy. The car is a six-seater and, during World War 11, it saw service as a bus. More recently, it took part in the London to Brighton annual rally.
The official presentation of the Arrol-Johnson 1902 Car to the Athy Heritage Centre & Museum will take place on Thursday September 18th at the Athy Heritage Centre at 3 p.m. Cheese and Wine reception kindly supplied by the Clanard Court Hotel