2006 Billy Coleman Award

Posted: December 11, 2006 11:35 AM

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Owen Murphy Press Release
As a new day dawned in Cork 19 year old Owen Murphy was starting to realise what winning the Billy Coleman award was all about.Owen said yesterday was a fantastic day John Kenny was the MC for the Motorsport Ireland National Champions of 2006 at a prestigious gala lunch held at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Dublin. The lunch was attended by personalities spanning over 70 years of historic achievement in the sport.

Owen Murphy from Ballincollig in Co.Cork was announced as the Young Rally Driver of the Year and was presented with the Billy Coleman Award and a cheque for €35,000.This award is the pinnacle for any young rally driver in Ireland, the award and its structure is managed by Motorsport Ireland in association with the National Sports Council of Ireland who select a winner ,the most promising young rally driver in Ireland.

The award was presented by Irish rally legend Billy Coleman who said he was delighted to be presenting it to a fellow Cork man after the award spent many years up the country.Billy Coleman said he hoped that Owen could now get the financial backing he deserved from sponsors so as to progress further.

Owen said it was fantastic to be at the awards ceremony mixing with legends like Billy,Dermot Carnegie, Eugene and Charlie Donnelly and the next generation like Gareth MacHale to name but a few.

Owen said I would like to thank the Motorsport panel for picking me and while there is no doubt the money will come in handy its the raised profile that will hopefully keep me in the sport for the next few years. I am also delighted that as part of the prize Ronan Morgan is my mentor for the year Ronan is one of the men who had the vision to bring a round of the World Rally Championship to Ireland and has vast experience of the WRC both as a competitor and an organiser.

Team manager Jerry Murphy said I would like to thank everyone for their support and good wishes people were calling in to us and on the phone all day wishing us all the best its fantastic the support we have. I would like to thank all the members of the team we built up over the past few years and our sponsors without you this great achievement by Owen would not have been possible.

Owen Murphy Rallying

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05/12/06
19 Year-old Owen Murphy from Ovens in Co.Cork was announced as the Young Rally Driver of the Year and was presented with the Billy Coleman Award and a cheque for €35,000.

Runner up spot went to Keith Cronin from Bantry, along with a cheque for €10,000 and in third place was Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co.Kildare, who collected a cheque for €5,000.

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21/10/06
Motorsport Ireland Announce Top Three for 2006 Billy Coleman Award


Ireland’s ambitious young rally drivers have been competing against each other all year in an effort to claim the prestigious Motorsport Ireland “Billy Coleman Award” for 2006.  The award carries with it a coveted first prize of €32,000 to help further the winning driver’s motor sport career.  Nine qualifiers put forward their cases for winning the award during an interview process on 13th November, when their performance during the past season and their plans for 2007 were reviewed.  

The finalists who made it through to the top three were (alphabetically): 

24 year old Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co. Kildare,
20 year old Keith Cronin from Bantry, Co. Cork and
19 year old Owen Murphy from Ovens, Co. Cork.  

These three talented young Irish drivers have already attained highly impressive results and the aim of the Billy Coleman Award is to help them to achieve International success in the future. 

  The Motorsport Ireland “Billy Coleman Award” is supported by the Irish Sports Council and Motorsport Ireland’s affiliated rally organising Motor Clubs.  Second and Third placed competitors are each awarded €8,000 and €4,000 respectively.  

The announcement of the winner of the Award will be made at The Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards Lunch on Tuesday 5th December.