TT Rider at speed passing Ballagarey House in 2013 with the actual Ballagarey Corner, a right-kink in the direction taken by competitors, in the background
As part of a
wayside residential
ribbon development, Ballagarey[3] is situated on the eastern edge of
Glen Vine and
Crosby villages on the primary
A1 road in the Douglas-to-Peel central valley.
The nearby area is mainly farmland of Elm Bank and Ballagarey farm estates including the Baldwin Valley and with nearby summits of Greeba Mountain 1,385 feet (422 m), Slieau Ruy 1,572 feet (479 m), Colden 1,598 feet (487 m) and Slieau Ree (near to
Keppel Gate) at 1,037 feet (316 m).
Motor-Sport heritage
The Ballagarey Corner (or Elm Bank)[4] section of the A1 Douglas to Peel road was part of the short
Highland Course (40.38 miles) from 1906[5] and the also the 37.50 Mile
Four Inch Course used for car racing including the RAC Tourist Trophy car races held between 1905 and 1922.[6]
It was the setting for a spectacular crash in 2010 when
Guy Martin's race bike crashed at high speed, with a full tank of fuel after a
pit stop just minutes earlier, exploding into a fireball a day after a fatal racing accident involving New Zealand rider
Paul Dobbs at the same location.[10][11] Keith Amor, closely following Martin, had to ride through the immediate aftermath, having been alerted by seeing smoke and trackside marshals running. Martin escaped serious injury, and after being
helicopter-airlifted, recovered in hospital from bruising to both lungs and minor fractures to his upper spine.[12][10][13]
Due to the high-speeds attained through Ballagarey during motorcycle competition, it has become known as Ballascarey.[14][13][15] Eight riders died at the Ballagarey Corner, most recently Mark Purslow[16] in 2022 and Gary Vines[17] in 2023.
Media
Ballagarey Corner featured in the Isle of Man Film CinemaNX production
TT3D: Closer to the Edge after an accident to road racer
Guy Martin during lap 3 of the
2010Senior TT races caused a number of protective hay bales to be set alight by a petrol fireball.[18]
^Mona’s Herald page 4 MANX INTERNATIONAL BICYCLE T.T. MARSHALS Tuesday 25 May 1954 “3-Ballagarey Corner to Appledene Corner”
^Green Final page 1 ROAD CRASH SEQUEL Saturday 8 November 1958 “….after rounding Ballagarey (or Elm Bank) corner….”
^TT Pioneers – Early Car Racing in the Isle of Man page 22 Robert Kelly, Mercury Asset Management (1996)(1st Edition) The Manx Experience, The Alden Press ISBN No 1 873120 61 3
^Isle of Man Car Races 1904–1953 page 30 by Neil Hanson (2015) Lily Publications
ISBN978-1-907945-36-6
^The Manx Experience. A Souvenir Guide to the Isle of Man. pages 66–67 Gordon N. Kniverton 8th edition The Manx Experience (1987) Mannin Publishing Ltd
^Isle of Man Times page 1 T.T. INJURED RECOVER Friday 31 July 1959 “….popular John Hartle is now fully recovered from his accident at Ballagarey corner....”
^The History of the Manx Grand Prix page 7, 8, 9 by Bill Snelling Amulree Publishing(1998) Manx Heritage Foundation
ISBN1 901508 04 8
^Isle of Man Examiner – Brialtagh Ellan Vannin page 1 Monday 15 June 2010 Isle of Man Newspapers Ltd (2010) Johnson Press Publishing ISSN 1358-4383 "Miracle Escape – Martin left at scene with minor injuries"