Fagan Motorcycles Ireland
John Fagan
Bike builder, entrepreneur, tax avoider(legend)
We dont know if John envisaged market domination or simply wanted a motorcycle to get around on, and the less he paid for it the better!
After the Irish Free State was founded a trade war began with the United Kingdom,de Valera imposed levies on British imports in response to Uk sanctions imposed on Irish exports, to avoid these levies The Fagan motorcycle came into being, imported as parts and assembled in Ireland.
There are various accounts of how many were built but we think there was very possibly only 1, most of the parts have been identified by a very knowledgeable man and contributor to this page, and yes we think its possible to build a Fagan again.
Neither the John Britten nor John DeLorean of his time, but John Fagan
Celtic Cycle Co.
The Celtic Cycle Company were producing bicycles with a 2 year guarantee since the late 1800s,they soon decided to produce a motorcycle it was a partnership between Irishman Robert Lindsay and two brothers from London George and Arthur Robinson,Robert had the distinction of being a close friend of John Boyd Dunlop and assisted him while he invented the pneumatic tyre, he was also good friends with another famous Dubliner Charles Franklin, who went on to create the iconic Indian Scout and Chief motorcycles.
By all accounts only one Celtic survives,frame no.47 a 1903 model,
The Celtic was rediscovered 40 years ago badly decaying in a farmers yard mounted on railway sleepers with a belt attached to power a table saw.The bike was painstakingly restored in the 80s by Harry Lindsay the grandson of Robert
