Our History
Mondello Park's Origins
Mondello Park International Race Circuit is the only FIA Licenced Motor Racing circuit in the Republic of Ireland and was opened in its original layout in 1968. Prior to the opening of the circuit all racing in Ireland had taken place on closed public roads but with safety becoming a big issue the days of the street circuit were numbered and with the demise of the last track at Dunboyne a permanent circuit was badly needed.
Watch the documentary below, follow the timeline of the venue and see more detail below. Everything you thought you knew about Mondello and more..
Golden Mondello – From Grass to Glory
“Golden Mondello – From Grass to Glory” visits the internationally renowned Irish race-track and reveals the many captivating stories behind it from 1968, to the present day
Timeline
1966
Stuart Cosgrave designs Ireland’s first permanent race track
1968
Mondello Park opens
1969
Track extended – Turn 3 loop added
1979
British F3 Championship races at Mondello Park for the first time
1982
Ayrton Senna wins the Leinster Trophy
1986
The circuit faced financial difficulties in the early eighties. In 1986, it was rescued from closure by Irish businessman and motorsport enthusiast Martin Birrane, initially in partnership with the Royal Irish Automobile Club. Just one year later, when the scale of investment required became clear, Martin Birrane took full ownership of the venue.
1987
First visit by the European Rallycross Championship
1991
Irish rider Woolsey Coulter beats future Grand Prix star Max Biaggi as the European Motorcycle Racing Championship runs at Mondello Park
1998
Track extended – Martin Birrane’s vision to attract more international events moves a step closer with the extension of the circuit to 3.5km (2.2 miles)
1998–2000
David Kennedy demonstrates a Jordan 198 F1 car in 1998
A multi-million-pound investment in the pits, paddock, control tower, medical centre, hospitality suites, grandstand and museum takes place, taking two years to complete
2001
First world championship event runs at Mondello Park with the visit of the FIA Sportscar Championship
2001–2006
British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) visits Mondello Park
2004–2007
Mondello Park hosts the first-ever overseas rounds of the British Superbike Championship
2004–2006
British GT Championship races at Mondello Park
2005
A1 Team Ireland launched at Mondello Park
2005–2006
Mondello Park hosts rounds of the British Formula 3 Championship
2010
Mondello Park launches the Masters Superbike Championship
2013
The Irish Drift Championship bursts onto the scene, building on the successes of Prodrift and bringing a new wave of talent to Irish competitive drifting
2018
The first ever season of the Drift Masters European Championship (DMEC) holds its spectacular season finale at Mondello Park, where Irishman James Deane takes the win and is crowned champion
2018
Mondello Park celebrates 50 years of racing and the life of circuit owner Martin Birrane with a Historic Racing Festival
2019
The Drift Games Nationals and Drift Games Extreme series bring two brand-new competitive drift formats to Mondello Park, marking a new era for Irish drifting
2022
Mondello Park hosted the very first LZ Festival back in 2022, kicking off what’s now a global drifting phenomenon.
The original 1.28km (0.8-mile) layout, built in 1968, lasted for just one year before being extended to 1.92km (1.2 miles) for the start of the 1969 season. The circuit hosted European F5000 events in its early years and drew large crowds for international events, though it took time to build a strong local competitor base. With the arrival of the budget-friendly Formula Ford class in the seventies, local interest grew rapidly. The track helped launch the careers of some of Ireland’s greatest racing talents, including Derek Daly, David Kennedy and Bernard Devaney — all of whom now have corners named after them at the circuit.
The circuit ran into financial difficulty during the early 1980s. In 1986, it was saved from closure by Irish businessman and motorsport enthusiast Martin Birrane, who initially partnered with the Royal Irish Automobile Club. Just one year later, when it became clear how much investment was required, Martin Birrane assumed full ownership of the venue and continued to lead its development. During the 1980s and 1990s, Mondello Park hosted the EFDA Euroseries for FF2000 and later Formula Opel cars. It also attracted top British club championships such as Donington GTs, Thundersaloons, and TVR Tuscans, along with high-profile British and European motorcycle races.
Although the venue was well established by the late 1990s, Martin Birrane’s long-term vision was to attract more international events. A major step forward came in 1998 with the extension of the track to 3.5km (2.2 miles). The newly configured International Circuit was officially opened in September that year with a round of the EuroBOSS series for contemporary Formula One cars. Martin Birrane followed this with a significant investment in the venue’s infrastructure — including upgraded pits, paddock, control tower, medical centre, hospitality suites, grandstand and motorsport museum. The transformation took two years and included Martin Birrane taking a hands-on role in the daily running of operations to ensure the highest standards across racing, corporate hospitality and customer experience.
Since 2000, Mondello Park International Race Circuit has hosted the FIA Sports Car Championship, historic European racing events, several rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, British GT and British Formula 3. It also became the first overseas venue on the British Superbike Championship calendar. Continuous improvements to the track surface, spectator banks, drainage and facilities have transformed Mondello from a beloved club circuit into a globally recognised motorsport destination.
Today, Mondello Park continues to grow and evolve. Its action-packed calendar features car and motorcycle racing, Rallycross, drifting and Time Attack events, as well as shows for modified cars, classics and trucks. The venue also runs a thriving schedule of Driving Experiences, corporate days, team-building programmes, and training events for motor manufacturers.
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