The Novel Race Through Irishtown

 The Novel Race Through Irishtown

Trevor James

How long would it take you to go from Beggars’ Bush barracks to the Pigeon House fort? Google maps estimates it would take 14 minutes by car, 15 minutes on your bike or 58 minutes walking. Google maps doesn’t give the time on horseback but on February 8th 1834, Mr. Robert Prendergast from Lacken, Co Tipperary wagered 100 sovereigns that he could ride from the gate of Beggars’ Bush barracks to the messroom door of the Pigeon House fort in under 5 minutes. The event had been announced in the morning papers and crowds gathered to line the route - down Bath Avenue and over the wooden London bridge (presumably he didn’t have to stop to pay the toll due at the time), over the strand, to the Devonshire (or Murphy’s) bathing wharf and up onto the South wall, and thence to the fort. (I’m not sure where the Devonshire bathing wharf was, but Ordnance Survey maps of the period show Murphy’s baths on the strand close to where Strasburg terrace is today). When people heard of the venture, many thought it was a hoax and couldn’t believe that anyone could ride such a dangerous and crooked course in that time.

 

The race was supposed to start at one o’clock but there were a number of delays and the crowds became restless and some drifted away, although there was still heavy betting on the race. At four o’clock there was a flurry of activity at the gates of Beggars Bush, and at ten minutes past four Prendergast set off at a gallop. Within two and a half minutes he had reached the wharf but his horse was exhausted from crossing the heavy wet sand. But Prendergast had anticipated this and had a second horse ready at the wharf. He jumped of the exhausted horse, leapt onto the fresh one and dashed on, galloping through the winding lanes leading to the fort entrance and reached the mess-hall door with fifteen seconds to spare. The newspapers reported that he seemed ‘a little shaken by the work’ but quickly recovered. The hundred sovereigns may have hastened his recovery.

Prendergast’s exploits seemed to have encouraged others to try their hand, and two weeks later Dr. Douglas Mahon[1] narrowly failed to break the five minute barrier, again changing horses at the wharf. Enter Edward Poyntz[2], a young ensign in the 59th Regiment of Foot, and son of Vice Admiral Poyntz. Edward backed himself, giving two to one, to complete the course in five minutes but using only one horse. There was great excitement at this and many felt it couldn’t be done. Heavy betting ensued and Poyntz stood to lose a tidy sum. Crowds gathered on the route and at four o’clock Poyntz set off on his chestnut mare to great cheers. Down Bath Avenue, through Irishtown, across the wet strand, up the slip, the horse exhausted but still game, still galloping, along the South wall, through the circuitous windings into the fort. Racing for the finish line he was forced to check his mare when another rider accidentally crossed his path but he reached the mess-room door and stopped the time-keeper’s stopwatch. Four minutes forty seconds!

But before any bets were paid out there was a ‘steward’s enquiry’. There was some error in the stop watches and the matter had to be referred to umpires who decided in Poyntz’s favour. Winner all right!

 

(Footnote: Poyntz’s later career makes one wonder if the winner was all right. He was convicted of several counts of forgery and fraud and sentenced to ten years transportation)

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[1] Dr. Mahon was an assistant surgeon at the Pigeon House Fort

[2] According to The Peerage website :Edward Henry Poyntz was born on December 1^st 1812. The was the son of Admiral Stephen Poyntz and Frances Lydia Brace. He gained the rank of Ensign in 1832 in the 59^th Regiment. He gained the rank of Lieutenant in 1834 and in the same year married Mary Massy. He was promoted to Captain in 1841and retired from the military in 1848. Poyntz died in July 1880.