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Hurricane Debbie destroys Alan Gleeson's 1951 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet (and the garage it was in).
Hurricane Debbie made landfall in Dooega on Achill Island during the morning of September 16. Shortly thereafter, it had moved into the Irish mainland over County Mayo. When Debbie struck Ireland, it became the only known tropical cyclone to do so while still tropical. She brought with her record winds, a few locations reporting excess of 100 mph, including at Balleykelly, Tiree and Snaefell. A peak gust of 114 mph measured just offshore. These winds caused widespread damage and disruption, downing tens of thousands of trees and power lines. Countless structures (including garages and pubs) sustained damage or were destroyed.
Across Ireland Hurricane Debbie was responsible for the deaths of 18 people, 12 in the Republic of Ireland and six in Northern Ireland. It caused $40–50 million in damage in the Republic and at least $4 million in Northern Ireland.
Alan Gleeson had bought his Bullet after Johnny Brittain won a gold medal on his 350cc in the 1950 International Six Days Trial (ISDT) in Wales.
Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk
