Mondello Park is the only Motor Racing circuit in the Republic of Ireland and was opened in 1968. Prior to the opening of the circuit all racing in Ireland had taken place on closed public roads but with safety becoming a big issue the days of the street circuit were numbered and with the demise of the last track at Dunboyne a permanent circuit was badly required.

The original 1.28km (0.8 mile) layout lasted for just one year before the track was extended to 1.6km (1.2 miles) for the start of the 1969 season. The circuit hosted European F5000 events in its early years and attracted massive crowds for its international events but took a few years to build a local competitor base. With the arrival of the budget Formula Ford class in the seventies local interest began to grow and the track produced some of Irelands best ever talents with the likes of Derek Daly, David Kennedy and Bernard Devaney going on to make a name for themselves Internationally. All three now have corners named after them at the circuit.