Posted: March 2, 2005 6:52 PM - 20041 Hits
Round 1 - 2005 West Coast Rally Championship
Round 1 - 2005 Midlands East Rally Championship
Posted: March 2, 2005 6:52 PM
Event Report
Crowds flocked to County Laois last Sunday to witness one of the finest battles which ever took place on the rally stages. The victorious Ray Breen in his newly acquired ex-Marco Martin Focus WRC held off strong competition from Irish National Rally Champion Niall Maguire, who’s Subaru Impreza usually leaves all in it’s wake in a cloud of dust.
All credit must be given to Ray for his victory, even though Niall had not got the services of his usual navigator Paul McLoughlin he did manage to secure the services of Enda Sherry. This being Ray’s first major Tarmac Victory leaves him hungry for more! Will Niall have a little more competition in making this year his fourth consecutive Championship Win ??
Corkonian Liam McCarthy was delighted with his third place result, he commented that he couldn’t have had a better warm up for the championship.
In Fourth place overall Maynooth crew Kevin Barrett and Barry Goodman were delighted with the days proceedings, they complimented the organisers and the people of Portlaoise for a fun filled weekend, something which can get lost amongst all the competitive pressure of modern rallying. As Niall Maguire’s main Sponsor (Triton Showers) Kevin had the challenge of keeping tabs on the lively Mr Maguire for the weekend, and it must be said that he did this job well!
Noel Redmond rounded off the top 5 in his Kenny McKinstry Subaru Impreza, rumour has it that a few flames slowed Noel down a bit but he obviously made a good recovery to take time of 71m 36sec.
Seeded at number 13 Tadhg Linehan broke the “unlucky for some” rule by artistically drawing some stars on his doorplates! Finishing at 9th overall Tadhg in the Biotech Impreza proved his consistency (he was last years group N Winner in Roscrea)
In the Junior Class Colin O Toole took victory setting an overall time of 33mins 32secs.
Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman award winner Eamon McElvaney suffered an early retirement. After a successful Recce run and holding a position of 16th overall after SS2 Eamon swung the car slightly wide with the result being one wheel off the road. This left him stranded, however he was glad of the experience of making his own notes. Best of Luck in the National Championship Eamon!
Aside from some unfortunate crews suffering bad luck, the day was extremely positive. The weather was bright and dry, ideal for spectators and service crews, a ,minimal stock of tyres required!
Members of Birr and District Auto Club were in awe of the response they got about the event. All competitors full of praise, not a cross word spoken all weekend. Spectators could be seen enjoying the craic in the bar of the heritage looking back at their camcorder footage. And marshals piled their plates high at the buffet. A special thanks to all the staff at The Heritage Hotel for all their help, it was over and above the call of duty.
To our Co-Sponsor Laois Tourism and all the sponsors involved, many thanks. None of it would have been possible without you. To the residents in the many townlands of Laois who had their Sunday interrupted, thank you for your absolute co operation and for the many cups of tea! To all the spectators who left their beds in the wee small hours, thanks and we hope you enjoyed it and of coursethe same to the mad crowd of competitors who kept the crew in the rally office on their toes, great fun was had.
And without a doubt the most thanks go to the talented, patient and completely insane organising committee and their families who put months into the event, enjoy the peace while it lasts – the forestry rally’s only a few months away!!
Anyone who may be interested in getting involved with rallying should contact their local club, Birr and District Auto Club 0872996237 (Leona) or Laois Rally Sport Club 0872675333 (Maria).
1 Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Ford Focus WRC) 68m 47s 2 Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry (Subaru Impreza WRC) 69m 28s 3 Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Subaru Impreza WRC) 69m 52s 4 Kevin Barrett/Barry Goodman (Subaru Impreza WRC) 70m 24s 5 Noel Redmond/Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru Impreza WRC) 71m 36s 6 Alan Ring/Sean Moriarty (Subaru Impreza N11) Gp N 71m 38s 7 Adrian Quinn/Alan Moran (Mit. Lancer EVO 8) Gp N 72m 20s 8 Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary (Mit Lancer Evo 8) Gp N 72m 34s 9 Tadhg Linehan/John Kearney (Subaru Impreza N9) Gp N 72m 50s 10 Peter McCullagh/Hugh McKenna (Mit. Lancer Evo 8) Gp N 73m 41s. JUNIOR RALLY: 1 Colin O'Toole/John McGrath (Corsa) 33m 32s 2 Barry Meade/Kenneth Deane (Escort) 33m 48s 3 David Lyons/Paul Purtill (Escort) 34m 24s. Stage Winners: SS1-6 Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Ford Focus WRC) SS7 Niall Maguire/Edna Sherry (Subaru Impreza WRC) SS8 Ray Breen/Andrew Purcell (Ford Focus WRC)
Junior No DRIVER /CO-DRIVER (CAR) CLASS 1 COLIN O TOOLE/JOHN MC GRATH (CORSA) [16] 2 SEAMUS O GRADY/AIDAN KENT (205 GTI) [16] 3 ROSS FORDE/TBA (COOPER S) [16] 4 KENNETH HOGAN/SEAN MAC MAHON (SUNBEAM) [16] 5 TIM FOLEY/CONOR COLLINS (CIVIC) [16] 6 BARRY MEADE/DARRAGH MEADE (ESCORT MK2) [16] 7 DAVID LYONS/CHRISTINA SHANAHAN (ESCORT MK 2) [16] 8 BRIAN CULLEN/JOHNNY KEATING (CIVIC) [16] 9 PAUL FOOTE/OLIVIA COEN (ESCORT MK2) [16] 10 MARTIN LEONARD/RAYMOND COPPINGER (STARLET) [16] 11 BRIAN MC SWEENEY/GERRY MYERS (ESCORT) [16] 12 BARRY RYAN/SEAN DUGGAN (ESCORT) [16] 13 JOHN F O MAHONY/DONAL FALVEY (CORSA) [16] 14 JOE NACEY/PJ MALONEY (NOVA) [16] 15 ADRIAN O GORMAN/TBA (COROLLA) [16] 16 LIAM RYAN/JIM RYAN (CIVIC) [16] 17 ENDA KENNEDY/TBA (NOVA) [16] 18 GARY HIGGINS/ALAN HIGGINS (ESCORT MK2) [16] 19 MARK FURLONG/LIAM HOWLETT (SWIFT) [16] 20 WILLIAM KIELY/TBA (106) [16] 21 ALAN WHELAN/JP KILMURRAY (CIVIC) [16] 22 NEIL HICKEY/NED DOHERTY (ESCORT MK2) [16] 23 JAMES RYAN/JAMES MURRAY (205 GTI) [16] 24 PADDY O DWYER/PAT DOYLE (NOVA) [16] 25 FRANCIS KELLY/CHARLOTTE EGAN (CORSA) [16] 26 BARRY MURPHY/ANN MARIE KENNEDY (NOVA) [16] No DRIVER /CO-DRIVER (CAR) CLASS 1 NIALL MAGUIRE/PAUL MC LOUGHLIN (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [8] 2 PATRICK ELLIOT/TBA (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [8] 3 NOEL REDMOND/DIARMUID FALVEY (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [8] 4 KEVIN BARRETT/BARRY GOODMAN (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [8] 5 RAY BREEN /ANDREW PURCELL (FORD FOCUS WRC) [8] 6 JJ FLEMMING/TBA (FORD FOCUS WRC) [8] 7 TOMMY GRAHAM/ANTHONY NESTOR (SUBARU IMPREZA WRC) [8] 8 NOEL MC CARRICK/EUGENE O DONNELL (MIT. LANCER EVO 8.5) [4] 9 PETER CLIFFORD/JOHN YOUNG (MIT. LANCER EVO 7) [4] 10 GABRIEL MARTIN/MARK KANE (MIT. LANCER EVO 7) [4] 11 ALAN RING/SEAN MORIARITY (SUBARU IMPREZA N11) [4] 12 WILLIE FANNIN/MICHAEL COURTNEY (SUBARU IMPREZA N9) [4] 13 TADHG LINEHAN/JOHN KEARNEY (SUBARU IMPREZA N9) [4] 14 JAMES COLEMAN/EOIN ONEILL (ESCORT 2.0) [13] 15 AIDAN WALSH/GER RYAN (ESCORT 2.0) [13] 16 LIAM WALL/BOB KELLY (ESCORT MK 2) [13] 17 PAT SPAIN/PADRAIG RYAN (ESCORT) [13] 18 JACK SLEATOR/TIMMY ENGLAND (SUBARU IMPREZA N10) [4] 19 TOM HOLTON/SEAN WALSH (TOYOTA CELICA GT-FOUR) [8] 20 JAMES MC CANN/PAUL MCCANN (ESCORT RS COSWORTH) [13] 21 EDDIE GARRY/TBA (IMPREZA N9) [8] 22 SEAN MC EVOY/LIAM GRANT (ESCORT) [13] 23 ADRIAN QUINN/ALAN MORAN (EVO 8) [4] 24 EAMON DOWLING/SARAH DOWLING (ESCORT) [12] 25 PETER RAHILL/TBA (ESCORT) [13] 26 CHRISTY CAREY/RICHARD TALBOT (LEGACY) [15] 27 DAVY PERCY/OWEN PERCY (ESCORT MAXI) [6] 28 EAMON MC ELVANEY/ALAN KENNA (106) [6] 29 EAMON DALY/GER HEALY (EVO8) [3] 30 GERRY MAHER/DEC NEVILLE (ESCORT) [13] 31 JOHN DANAGHER/KEITH CURLEY (ESCORT) [14] 32 GORDON PERCY/JOE SHINNORS (ESCORT) [13] 33 SEAMUS DOYLE/JOHN RAFTER (ESCORT) [13] 34 THOMAS MC GOVERN/KEVIN MC GOVERN (ESCORT) [13] 35 JOHN KELLY/ROBBIE SHAW (EVO 7) [4] 36 MICK SHAW/TBA (EVO6) [7] 37 ALAN KANE/KEVIN WALSH (ESCORT G4) [11] 38 DAVID DELANEY/JOHN HIGGINS (FOCUS) [7] 39 JOHN CULLETON/MARIE CULLETON (CELICA) [12] 40 DONAL CROSSAN/RAYMOND DUFFY (ESCORT) [12] 41 MICHAEL HALLY/RAY FITZPATRICK (CIVIC) [11] 42 PETER MC CULLOUGH/TBA (EVO) [] 43 LARRY BRADY/ANTHONY BRADY (CIVIC) [6] 44 GERERD MC GIVNEY/BRIAN RUTH (ESCORT) [12] 45 NIALL BRENNAN/JOHN BYRNE (CIVIC) [6] 46 NIALL WHELAN/DOMINIC DUNNE (CIVIC) [2] 47 PAT CALLANAN/KENNETH SHIEL (CIVIC TYPE R) [3] 48 BRIAN DOYLE/TOMMY DOYLE (ESCORT MK 2) [13] 49 IAN BARRETT/EOIN FLAHERTY (EVO6.5) [3] 50 JOHN QUINN/ALICE QUINN (CHEVETTE) [13] 51 JOHN MURPHY/MATTEW MURPHY (IMPREZA WRX) [4] 52 SHANE MAGAN/TBA (ESCORT) [12] 53 PAT KELLY/MARTIN FLYNN (IMPREZA) [4] 54 MICHAEL O SULLIVAN/DONNACHA O CALLAGHAN (ESCORT) [12] 55 WILLIAM CAVANAGH/DOROTHY CAVANAGH (ESCORT) [12] 56 EMMET CALLAN/JASON O MAHONY (PEUGOT 106) [6] 57 WILLIE FITZGEARLD/BREDA PIGGOT (CIVIC) [11] 58 GENE CALLAN/SEAN BRUNTON (ESCORT MK 2) [12] 59 GERARD HODGINS/GEARD DERVAN (205) [10] 60 JOE CURRAN/MARTINA MC GARRITY (IMPREZA) [4] 61 BREEN MCNAMEE/PAUL KELLY (306) [7] 62 KIERAN GUINAN/TBA (ESCORT MK 2) [12] 63 NEIL PEARSE/ENDA O LEARY (CIVIC) [6] 64 JIMMY BRENNAN/GEARD KENNY (ESCORT COS) [15] 65 MARK MARTLEY/JOE HEARNS (SUNBEAM) [11] 67 EAMON LEE/PETER HOWLEY (ESCORT) [12] 68 PAT BOLGER/DENIS FOLEY (ESCORT) [14] 69 PETE LEONARD/TBA (COROLLA) [12] 70 OWAIN DROUGHT/PADRAIG RYAN (CIVIC) [2] 71 JOHN PAUL RUTH/PIERCE DOHENY (306 KITCAR) [7] 72 FRANKIE SWEENEY/SEAMUS O CONOR (ESCORT) [13] 73 DES MC KENNA/TBA (CORROLLA) [11] 74 NIALL FORTUNE/JAMES KELLY (CORSA) [13] 75 BRIAN TURNER/GARETH TURNER (OPEL CORSA) [11] 76 ANDREW LANG/OLIVER OREILLY (FIESTA RWD) [9] 77 PAUDIE CASEY/SINNEAD OKEEFE (COROLLA) [13] 78 LEO DOYLE/ALISTAR CHAMBERS (ESCORT MK1) [12] 79 PAT LOWBRIDGE/TBA (205 GTI) [13] 80 MARTIN LORDAN/RORY HENNESSY (ESCORT) [9] 81 TREVOR HOGAN/JOHN MAHER (ESCORT) [10] 82 DAVID ROE/TBA (CIVIC) [6] 83 CHRISTOPHER KELLY/MARIA COADY (SWIFT GTI) [5] 84 CHRIS CULLEN/CHRIS CULLEN (NOVA) [9] 85 MIKE KENNY/GENE STACK (ESCORT) [12] 86 JOHN D MURPHY/GEARD A MURPHY (IMPREZA) [4] 87 PHILIP CONNEELLY/MICHELLE CROWLEY (205) [10] 88 JASON CLIFFORD/MICHAEL O SULLIVAN (205 RWD) [13] 89 JOHN QUINN/marain Brady (PEUGOT 106) [6] 90 GRAHAM SCALLAN/BRENDAN CULLIMORE (ESCORT MK2) [13] 91 JAMES CASSIDY/JOE CASSIDY (ESCORT MK 2) [12] 92 KEVIN O DONOGHUE/JOE OLEARY (EVO 8) [4] 93 PADDY O ROURKE/BILLY ROCHE (ESCORT) [13] 94 JOHN RIORDAN/EDDIE MURPHY (ESCORT MK2) [10] 95 KIERAN DALY/MARIE DALY (KA) [5] 96 JOHN O DONNELL/BRENDAN FURLONG (SWIFT GTI) [9] 97 STEPHEN OCONNOR/MARK O CONNOR (COROLLA) [11] 98 DAVID WOODCOCK/ROBERT WOODCOCK (SWIFT GTI) [4] 99 NIGEL MC GINN/PHILIP TOBIN (ESCORT MK 2) [12] 100 LIAM LYNCH/KIERAN MADDEN (ESCORT) [11] 101 TONY GIBBONS/MICHAEL CARLEY (CIVIC) [11] 102 ENDA SULLIVAN/JONATHAN PRINGLE (ESCORT) [11] 103 COLIN FLANAGAN/TBA (PUMA) [5] 104 ALAN WHYTE/ANTHONY HOEY (SUZUKI SWIFT) [1] 105 PAKIE DUFFY/COLIN DUFFY (ASTRA) [3] 106 ALAN QUINN/GARY QUINN (MANTA) [12] 107 FRANK MC NAMARA/DEAN LAFFEY (ESCORT) [13] 108 AIDAN NEVILLE/JOE CROWLEY (CIVIC) [2] 109 MATTEW MURPHY/BARRY ODONNELL (COROLLA) [11] 110 JOHN MURPHY/MARTIN OCONOR (COROLLA) [11] 111 THOMAS CAROLLAN/DECLAN SMYTH (ESCORT) [9] 112 PATRICK HERITY/JUSTIN GILMARTIN (COROLLA RWD) [11] 113 TOM CURLEY/PARAIC CALLAN (CIVIC) [2] 114 JOHN CORRIGAN/JOHN QUILL (ESCORT) [7] 115 SARAH MOYNIHAN/AMY MOYNIHAN (MICRA) [5] 116 BILLY O KEEFE/PETER BRENNAN () [9] 117 DAVID FORDE/ANTHONY RYAN (CIVIC) [9] 118 LIAM DELANEY/KEVIN NOLAN (CIVIC) [9] 119 JOHN DEVINE/BARRY DEVINE (FORD SIERRA) [12] 120 BILLY CAVANAGH/BRIAN LEWIS (ESCORT MK2) [12] 121 THOMAS KEARNS/JENNIFER KEARNS (SUNBEAM) [10] 122 DERMOT REILLY/DAVE DOYLE (SWIFT ) [1] 123 PAT SHORTALL/WILLIE FITZPATRICK (ESCORT MK2) [12] 124 DAVID MC LOUGHLIN/GARETH MULALLY (SIERRA COS) [14] 125 DERMOT MC NEILL/TBA (205) [10] 126 NATHAN MC GURRELL/RICHARD BURRELL (CIVIC) [11] 127 CONOR CONVEY/MARK CONVEY (ESCORT MK 2) [10] 128 MARTIN MOORE/DARREN MOORE (205 RWD) [11] 129 VINCENT TWOHIG/GER FEHILY (COROLLA) [10] 130 TOMMY MARTIN/MARTIN KERLEY (UNO) [9] 131 DECLAN CUDDY/THOMAS CUDDY (MEGANE) [9] 132 GARY GARGAN/PATRICK CUNNINGHAM (RENAULT 11) [10] 133 BRIAN CONNOLLY/TBA (SAXO) [6] 134 GEROID O REGAN/SEAN HENEHAN (CORROLLA) [10] 135 JJ WALL/ENDA DELANEY (106) [9] 136 ENDA KELLY/ADRIAN GREALY (ESCORT MK 2) [10] 137 KEN LAWLOR/COLM HAUGHNEY (NOVA) [10] 138 EDDIE GRISNELL/CHRISTINE O LEARY (PEUGOT 206) [6] 139 GER CULLEN/BRENDAN TYNDALL (205 GTI) [10] 140 TOMMY DONLON/PADDY MC GANN (CITREON AX) [9] 141 FERGAL HENEY/RAYMOND HENEY (COROLLA) [11] 142 SEAMUS BEHAN/DOLORES BEHAN (CORSA) [9] 143 JOHN COLLINS/JASON O BRIEN (CIVIC) [11] 144 JOHN MC GEEHAN/DECLAN BYRNES (205 GTI) [10] 145 AIDAN CUNNIFFE/TBA (205) [10] 146 JAMES RYAN/STEVEN RYAN (ESCORT) [10] 147 PAT BELLEW/JOHN CARROLL (NOVA) [9] 148 TONY DUNNE/LIAM GRIMES (STARLET) [9] 149 MICHAEL BRAZIL/JOE BERIGAN (205) [10] 150 STEPHEN BIRD/DOMINIC DOWNEY (ESCORT) [12] 151 SEAN SMYTH/TBA (ESCORT) [10] 152 ADRIAN BOYLE/TBA (SWIFT GTI) [9] 153 TOMMY FLAHERTY/ENDA HALLINAN (ESCORT) [13] 154 LIAM MULCAIRE/SHANE MEADE (ESCORT MK1) [9] 155 MICHAEL MULCAHY/EMMETT O GRADY (CORROLLA) [11] 156 MICHAEL WHELAN/MICHAEL MC GRATH (ASTRA) [9] 157 PETER KELLY/CON LUCEY (ESCORT) [14] 158 PAT RYAN/DERRY O CONNELL (ESCORT) [9] 159 PATRICK CARBERRY/ARTHUR CAMPBELL (SIERRA COS) [5] 160 COLM MC NAMARA/BRIAN CLARKE (ESCORT) [12] 161 DECLAN O TOOLE/SEAN O TOOLE (NOVA) [10] 162 IAN ROCHE/PAUL ROCHE (SAXO) [6] 163 GARETH MC CULLAGH/DOMINIC MC ARDLE (ESCORT) [13] 164 KEVIN MURRAY/TBA (EVO 7) [4] 165 SEAN FLANNAGAN/BRIAN MILLER (IMPREZA) [4] 166 LIAM MC CARTHY/KIERAN MURPHY (IMPREZA) [8] 167 IAN LARACEY/RAY STACK (ESCORT) [13] 168 ALAN O MEARA/TBA (309) [10] 169 PASCAL HENNESY/PHILIP QUINN (CIVIC) [11] 170 JOHN AGNEW/DAVID MOLLOY (206) [7] 171 BILLY BYRNE/MATT O BRIEN (ESCORT) [10] 172 DEREK CONSIDINE/LOUISE MC GUIRE (COROLLA) [11] 173 MICHAEL CURRAN/MC NOLLY (ESCORT) [13] 174 CONOR WATTERS/DEREK HEENA (ESCORT) [12] 175 RAYMOND GILEECE/ALAN LEONARD (ASTRA) [3] 176 KEVIN GALLINAGH/PAUL MC DERMOTT (CORROLLA) [11] 177 JOHN O ROURKE/TBA (CORSA) [9] 178 JOHN KEARNEY/DENIS CONNELL (ESCORT) [13] 179 TADHG O CONAILL/MOSSIE OCONAILL (205 GTI) [10] 180 SEAN O CONNOR/MARTIE QUINN (EVO 6) [4] 181 NIALL MURRAY/RAY NASH (CIVIC) [2] 182 DECLAN TREACY/ALAYNE DOAK (KADETT) [11] 183 IAN PERICHO/COLUM BROWNE (ESCORT) [12] 184 EUGENE FERRY/NEIL DOHERTY (EVO) [3] 185 THOMAS FOLEY/MATTEW O RIORDAN (COROLLA) [11] 186 JOHN NEWMAN/TBA (SATRIA) [6] 187 JOHN WARD/GARY MC NERN (CORROLLA) [11] 188 JOHN CAPLIS/LIAM CAPLIS (SWIFT) [1] 189 PAUL O CONNELL/CARL GEOGHEGAN (CIVIC) [2] 190 ANDREW MC LOOME/GABRIEL OLEARY (CHEVETTE) [] 191 MICHAEL DOWLING/DAVID DOWLING (ESCORT) [10] 192 MICHAEL DENNEHY/TRAVIS SLATTERY (SIERRA ) [10] 193 MARTIN KELLY/PATRICIA FITZPATRICK (COROLLA) [11] 194 DONAL KELLY/JOHN MC MAHON (CIVIC) [2] 195 SHANE MCCARTHY/TBA (206) [6] 196 ALAN SIMON/TBA (NOVA) [9] 197 JAMES M STAFFORD/AMY RYAN (NOVA) [11] 198 COLM MC GRATH/TBA (CIVIC) [2] 199 NIALL O BRIEN/DARRAGH O BRIEN (205 GTI) [10]More Details on Birr Motor Club Website: