Over 20,000 people crammed into the tiny village for Sunday's race meeting, following the qualifying rounds on Saturday and a vintage motorcycle display on Friday night.

Having suffered at the hands of the weather last year, organisers and local businesses were delighted with the eventual turnout. "It was excellent for a finish," said Connie Herbert, organiser and local pub owner. "The weather came right just in time, and that made the day really. A lot of people who might not have come out did when they saw the good weather. All the officials and visitors were amazed at the welcome they received from the village people."

Sunday's race card passed off without any serious incident, which was a welcome footnote in a season that has already seen the deaths of high-profile racers Robert Dunlop and Martin Finnegan. "We had a dry track, which made things far safer alright," said Conor Hartnett, chairman of the Athea Motorcycle Racing Club. "I suppose accidents are part and parcel of road racing, but we've never had a serious problem at Athea. We were getting compliments from all the racers and members of other clubs on how well organised the whole operation was."

Over 350 officials and marshalls oversaw the ten-race card on Sunday, which saw over j25,000 in prize money awarded in a mixture of championship and non-championship races.

Limerick racers Martin Murphy, Abbeyfeale, and Roger Marr, Oola, had successful runs of their own. Murphy finished fourth in the 201-400cc and seventh in the 125cc events. Marr finished sixth in Sunday's grand final, and also secured seventh and eighth place finishes in the 201-1010cc and 600cc events respectively.

Meanwhile, there will be a charity dinner dance at the Gables in Athea this Saturday night, with proceeds going to the oncology unit at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. The fourth annual event has previously raised crucial funds for St Ita's Hospital in Newcastle West.

The Timmy O'Keeffe shield will be given to the winner of a waltzing competition. Music on the night will be provided by PJ Murray and his band, and spot prizes will be awarded in a raffle. The event gets underway at 9.30pm, and tickets are €10 at the door.