John Boyd Dunlop (5 February 1840 – 23 October 1921) was a Scots-born veterinary surgeon. In October 1887 he developed the first practical pneumatic or inflatable tyre for his son's tricycle and, using his knowledge and experience with rubber, in the yard of his home in Belfast fitted it to a wooden disc 96 centimeters across. The tyre was an inflated tube of sheet rubber. He then took his wheel and a metal wheel from his son's tricycle and rolled both across the yard together. The metal wheel stopped rolling but the pneumatic continued until it hit a gatepost and rebounded. Dunlop then put pneumatics on both rear wheels of the tricycle. That too rolled better and Dunlop moved on to larger tyres for a bicycle "with even more startling results."
Dunlop’s pneumatic tyre did arrive at a crucial time in the development of road transport. His commercial production of cycle tyres began in late 1890 in Belfast but the production of car tyres did not begin until 1900 well after his retirement. J B Dunlop did not make any great fortune by his invention.
Other caches that can be found by driving or walking up the Glencairn road:
Fernhill House
Ink Bottle Cottage
The Road to Ruin Begins
The Road to Ruin
Parli Boundary Cache
Mountain Road
Divis By The Back Door
The Cache:
This is a micro cache with small camo containing a log sheet and pencil. It is situated in the grounds of John Boyd Dunlop's former home, now an area of ruins high in the Belfast hills, with spectacular views over the city. The local landowner is happy for walkers/cachers to use this path, but please respect the area and be aware there may be farm animals in adjacent fields. A red gate is accessible along the way, please close it after you. Walking boots are highly recommended as it can get muddy on damp days.
All caches off the Glencairn road can be accessed by car, or if preferred, an enjoyable and energetic hike from the carpark in Glencairn park.