About M.C.V.I.

Military Vehicles Club of Ireland (M.C.V.I)

The Military Vehicle Club of Ireland was formed by 13 individuals from both North and South at a meeting in Clarke NCOs Mess in the Curragh Camp in 1996.

Due mainly to the fact that the Defence Forces were not selling off obsolete/surplus vehicles, the Club lay mostly dormant in the South while interested individuals in the North could purchase obsolete/surplus vehicles from the British Army. As a result, a new Club, the Ulster Military Vehicle Club (UMVC) was established in Northern Ireland.

There is very close co-operation and support between the Military Vehicle Club of Ireland and the Ulster Military Vehicle Club with many being members of both Clubs. The Clubs are co affiliated. The original 13 members are still active members of the Military Vehicle Club of Ireland .

We have over the years established strong links with many other military, living history and vintage groups. The Military Vehicle Club of Ireland is an area of the Military Vehicle Trust and is affiliated to the Irish Vintage Society. We have since 2004, received funding from Kildare County Council, Co Operation Ireland and Bord Failte. The Military Vehicle Club of Ireland operates under a Constitution and Code of Conduct and an AGM is held every year in December or January. Our main annual show takes place at the Curragh Racecourse in May every year.

Our Charities

Since 2004 we have donated over €34,000 to local charities and causes including:

  • The Drogheda Memorial Hospice
  • The Barrettstown Gang Camp
  • The Curragh Soldiers Aid Fund
  • The Air Corps Soldiers Aid Fund
  • The Garda Benevolent Fund
  • The Curragh Youth Cafe
  • St Bridgets Hospice, Curragh
Even in these times of recession, we will continue to donate as much as we can to deserving charities and causes.

Membership

Normal Membership

Any person may join the MVCI. You do not need to own a Military Vehicle to become a member, an interest in Military Vehicles is all that is required. On becoming a member you will receive free, an MVCI decal and an MVCI Pennant for your vehicle, a cloth MVCI badge and a membership card. This card allows you free entry to all MVCI events. This is the normal MVCI membership and costs €15 per year

Normal Membership combined with IVS Membership

Most members are currently also members of the Irish Vintage Society (IVS) either through the MVCI or independently. We do recommend that all members become or continue their membership of the Irish Vintage Society as we are affiliated to the IVS and receive benefits from being part of the largest Vintage umbrella group in the Country. Benefits to IVS members living in the Republic of Ireland include access to reasonable priced Vintage Vehicle Insurance.

All MVCI members receive a copy of the IVS Annual Vintage News Magazine. The Club also benefits by having access to reasonable priced event insurance. The cost of normal membership of the MVCI combined with membership of the IVS is €35 per year.

The MVCI is an Area of the MVT. Many members are also members of the Military Vehicle Trust (MVT). Members may take out individual membership of the MVT. All members of the MVT receive four copies of the Windscreen Magazine per year. Members living in the UK also have access to other benefits including reasonable priced Vintage Military Vehicle Insurance. We do recommend that all members become or continue their membership of the MVT as there are considerable benefits to the individual and Club of being part of one of the largest Vintage Military Vehicle umbrella groups in the world.

Anyone wishing to become a member of the MVCI may download an application form and return it with the appropriate fee to the Membership Secretary, Robin Payne at 7 Grantham Street, Dublin 8, Republic of Ireland. Membership runs from January to December.

An AGM is held once a year, normally in December or January and all paid up members will be informed of the date in advance and it is hoped will attend. All paid up members may submit items for the agenda four weeks prior to the date of the AGM and may vote at an AGM. New members must be ratified by the membership at the AGM before becoming full members.

Our Shows

The Curragh Show

The Curragh Show normally occurs in May of the year on the grounds of the Curragh Racecourse

The Curragh Show

Military Vehicle Club of Ireland‘s Curragh Show took place in May 2004 when the  Curragh Racecourse kindly allowed us to use a small field in one of their car parks. We had about 20 vehicles of our own on display and a few hundred people attended on what was a typical Irish Sunday in May, sunny between the showers with a strong wind blowing in from the Plains of Kildare.
Over the years, the Show has grown beyond our expectations with Vehicles, Re En-actors and Living History displays coming from all over the Island and beyond. We have stopped counting the numbers of vehicles and displays on site.
The format of the Show hasn’t changed since 2004. While many other shows and groups go for a two day show open to the public, we have retained our own format which is that we take over the site on Friday and prepare for the show.

That evening we provide a free BBQ and a few cheap beers in the adjacent Curragh Racecourse facility.
While the public can and do wander around the show site on Saturday, the show proper is open officially to the public from 10am to 6pm on the Sunday.  Since we introduced the Saturday (Half Day open to the public) our faithful followers have grown immensely. We now get an average of about 10,000 visitors on the Sunday.
Being the first Military Show in Ireland in the year, there is a lot of tyre kicking and chatting to catch up on.
The rest of the vehicles and displayers are usually in position by lunchtime on Saturday when the real tyre kicking begins!
The Irish Defence Forces have supported us since the very beginning.

The Cavan Show

The Cavan show is also another of our Annual Events.

Other Shows

We receive many requests to appear at various type shows, throughout the year, all over Ireland.

Our Team

Contact US