Sir William Goff

Sir W. Goff in car with three passengers.

Sir W. Goff, owner of the first registered motor car in Waterford, in one of his early motor cars with three passengers.

© David McCarthy – gave permission to use.

Sir W. Goff in car with three passengers.
© David McCarthy – gave permission to use.

Sir W. Goff in car with three passengers.

Sir W. Goff, owner of the first registered motor car in Waterford, in one of his early motor cars with three passengers.

© David McCarthy – gave permission to use.

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Sir William Goff was the owner of the first car registered in Waterford City, a Napier with the registration number W1-1. The motor tax record can be seen today in the Waterford City Archive.

An avid motoring enthusiast, he was the founding chairman of the Irish Automobile Club. William Goff was one of Ireland's first motorists and his first vehicle in 1897 was a Beeston tricycle which he later replaced with a Daimler.

In 1903 he took part in Ireland's first motoring hill-climb event in Glendu, in the Dublin mountains, winning the four-cylinder class. When he was almost 70 he drove the 400 miles from Waterford to Dublin to Belfast and back in one day.