2008 Billy Coleman Award - (Tue) 4 Dec 07

Posted: December 5, 2007 10:51 AM

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Motorsport Ireland today honoured their National Champions of 2007 at a prestigious gala lunch held at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel.  The lunch was attended by personalities spanning more than half a century of historic achievement in the sport.  

Among the many highlights were:  

21 year-old Keith Cronin from Bantry 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 Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co. Kildare, along with a cheque for €10,000 and in third place was Daniel Barry from Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, who collected a cheque for €5,000.  

Niall Quinn from Dunboyne, Co. Meath was selected as the Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year.  The 19 year-old was presented with the prestigious Walter Sexton Memorial Trophy and a cheque for €35,000.  Another Meath driver, Peter Dempsey from Ashbourne, picked up the second place award and €10,000, with Dundalk’s Niall Breen taking the final place on the podium along with a cheque for €5,000.   

Junior World Rally Championship driver and FIA Rookie Champion, Shaun Gallagher from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, was voted by the Motorsport media as the International Driver of the Year and winner of the Manley Memorial Trophy.  

Rally Ireland promoter Ronan Morgan won the Ivan Webb Memorial Trophy for his outstanding contribution to the sport, both as a competitor and an organiser over many years.  

Announcing the awards, John Naylor, President of Motorsport Ireland, expressed his pride in all that the sport has achieved in the past year, including the very successful running of Ireland’s first round of the FIA World Rally Championship last month.  John also thanked the Irish Sports Council for their valued support and encouragement in the development of the sport over recent years, particularly in relation to our two young drivers’ awards schemes and the creation of a stranding scheme for our high achievers.    

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Dunlop Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards 4th December 2007  

  Clubman Champions  

Premier Machine Tools National Hillclimb/Sprint Champion §         Paul O’Connel

National Rallycross Champion §         Derrick Jobb

National Autocross Saloon Champion §         Gerard T.Brennan

National Autocross Special Champion §         Chris Culleton

National Autotest Champion for 06/07
Winner of the Hewison Trophy §         Eddie Peterson

Clubman of the Year Award
Winner of the J.C.Millard Memorial Trophy §         Gerry Kelly

    Karting Champions

  National Kart Champion
Winner of the King Hussein of Jordan Trophy §         Aaron Coby

National Junior Kart Champion
Winner of the Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy §         Shane Crosbie

  Racing Champions

National Racing Champion
Winner of the Dunlop Hawthorn Trophy §         Paul Sammin

Rally Champions

Dunlop National Stage Rally Champion Driver
Winner of the Vard Memorial Trophy §         Aaron MacHale

Dunlop National Stage Rally Champion Navigator
Winner of the Noel Smith Memorial Trophy §         Killian Duffy

National Navigation Trial Champion Driver 06/07 §         Andy Mackarel

National Navigation Trial Champion Navigator 06/07 §         Liam Higgins

Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA) Champions  
§         Eugene Donnelly
§         Paul Kiely
    Young Driver Awards

    Young Rally Driver of the Year

2nd Finalist, Young Rally Driver of the Year §         Daniel Barry

1st Finalist, Young Rally Driver of the Year §         Ian Barrett

Young Rally Driver of the Year
Winner of the Billy Coleman Award §         Keith Cronin

      Young Racing Driver of the Year  

2nd Finalist, Young Racing Driver of the Year §         Niall Breen

1st Finalist, Young Racing Driver of the Year §         Peter Dempsey

Young Racing Driver of the Year
Winner of the Dunlop Sexton Trophy §         Niall Quinn

  Outstanding Achievement Awards  

International Driver of the Year Award
Winner of the Manley Memorial Trophy §         Shaun Gallagher

   

Award for the Most Outstanding Contribution to Irish Motorsport
Winner of the Ivan Webb Memorial Trophy §         Ronan Morgan

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Motorsport Ireland

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PRE EVENT NEWS

• Motorsport Ireland Announce Top Three for 2007 Billy Coleman Award
• Winner will be announced on Tuesday 4th December.

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 2007. The award carries with it a coveted first prize of €35,000 to help further the winning driver’s motor sport career. Eight qualifiers put forward their cases for winning the award during an interview process on 7th November, when their performance during the past season and their plans for 2008 were reviewed.

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

25 year old Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co. Kildare,
23 year old Daniel Barry from Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow and
21 year old Keith Cronin from Bantry, 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 €10,000 and €5,000 respectively.

The announcement of the winner of the Award will be made at The Dunlop Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards Lunch on Tuesday 4th December.