This is a subscriber-only article
A 100-year-old Clonmel man who started driving in 1930 behind the wheel of his father’s Ford Model T has become a pioneer for electric driving in Ireland after buying himself a new Nissan Leaf. The 100% electric Leaf is the first new car that John Walsh has ever bought. With average fuel savings of €1,400 per annum, Nissan claims that John’s new EV would have netted him over €120,000 had the car existed during his motoring life.
“I would never have dreamt of buying a car at this stage. My motivation was to do something to improve the environment and to conserve the supply of fossil fuels. The banks are paying no interest, so I decided to spend my money on an electric vehicle to do my own little bit to protect the environment,” said John, who is preparing to celebrate his 101st birthday on 10 September.
The pioneering pensioner particularly enjoys being able to charge his new car at home. His father, Richard, who was an electrician by trade, helped him to build his family home in 1949 and he was living there for almost three years before they witnessed the arrival of electricity in rural Clonmel.
Visits
“I love the car in so far as I drive it on trips into town and to visit friends. There are a few places that I’d like to visit soon like Dungarvan, Holy Cross or Mount Mellerary Abbey, which is quite a special place and somewhere I used to visit quite a bit in earlier years,” said John, who retired from his job as the chief accountant with Bulmers in 1981.
John can vividly recall how fuel shortages led to the collapse of private and public transport during World War II, forcing him to take up cycling. He was working in Dublin at the time and used to cycle the distance to Limerick, where he met and first dated his late wife Brigid (Ciss). He maintained an on and off love of cycling up to 2009, making light of cycling the 252km on his long-standing annual pilgrimage from Clonmel to Knock.
Environmentally conscious
“John is living proof that it is never too late to embrace change and to lead by example. The Nissan Leaf is the perfect choice for environmentally conscious drivers like John who want to drive a 100% electric, zero-emissions car while enjoying the benefits of reducing their fuel costs,” said James McCarthy, chief executive of Nissan Ireland.
John’s local Nissan dealer has offered to service his car for free.
SHARING OPTIONS: