Paddy Hopkirk revisits Lough Eske - scene of the 1966 accident that changed rallying

As the red Mini Cooper S whirled around the waters of Lough Eske on Sunday, Paddy Hopkirk went back in time.

The Irish rallying icon, now 88 years old, was among a convoy of 80 cars taking part in Déjà Vu Donagh Day, hosted by Frosses rally driver Donagh Kelly in aid of the Bluestack Special Needs Foundation.

The route from Donegal Town to the Stables Motorsport Centre on the outskirts of Frosses took Hopkirk past a landmark spot in rallying.

During the Circuit of Ireland Rally in 1966, Hopkirk - the winner of the Monte Carlo Rally two years previously - and his co-driver, Terry Harryman, were fortunate to emerge from a multiple roll.

On Good Friday 55 years ago at Lough Eske, Hopkirk and Harryman spun through the air and time stood still.

“The roof came off the car,” Hopkirk told the Donegal Democrat.

“We just kept ducking as the car spun around. We were upside-down.

“The car landed on its nose and spun around onto its roof. We were going quite fast. The roof was peeled off the car - it became a sports car!”

The crash became known as ’The Lough Eske Incident’ and changed the face of rallying.

The survival of Hopkirk and Harryman prompted the authorities to adopt the lead set by the racing saloon fraternity. The use of roll bars in all rally cars became mandatory.

Hopkirk said: “That was the only big accident I ever had. Some guys locally towed us out with a tractor and took us in for coffee. The incident was partly responsible for roll cages and cars are much safer now. Of course, cars go at much higher speeds now too.

“We drove by the actual spot it happened on Sunday and there were loads of people out there.”

Among those in Donegal Town on Sunday when the cars converged were Tommy Gallagher and Brian McGinty.

They were young teenagers in 1966 and for a fortnight around Easter in 1966 they played in the crashed and battered Mini - which was kept in a shed pretending to be rally drivers.

Hopkirk was accompanied by Letterkenny man and noted navigator Rory Kennedy.

The car was a repeal of the one in which he won Monte Carlo.

He said: “There is a special atmosphere around rallying in Donegal that you can’t get anywhere else. How could you not enjoy yourself? Donegal is a very special place.

“It is a very unique situation to see that enthusiasm for rallying. It was lovely to catch up with everyone. Donagh is a very interesting and remarkable man, he hosted us wonderfully.”