CB42’s spirit felt in Waterford and beyond during Raven’s Rock Rally

CB42’s spirit felt in Waterford and beyond during Raven’s Rock Rally

There was no doubt about it.
Craig Breen was shining down on his home city of Waterford on Sunday.
His home rally, the Raven’s Rock, was based in his hometown and the nine stages were within a stone-throw of his Slievrue home.
Had fate not intervened on April 13 this year Craig would have been in the thick of the action.
Organised by his home club, the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club, the event took place during the World Rally Championship’s summer break.
He would have surely turned up in the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth.
Craig would have just loved the sight of the Ford Escort Cosworth that his club mates Tom Geraghty and MJ Morrisey turned up in.
This was the very same Escort Cosworth the MJ and Stephen Murphy won the ‘Rock’ in back in 1996.

Craig loved cars that were of significant historical importance to Irish rallying and the Statoil car fitted that bill and Craig’s mindset perfectly.
But the most perfect tribute was pulled off by his WRC pals Mike Chen and Sean Hassett.
They borrowed Andrew Fanning Skoda Fabia S2000 and sign-wrote some of Craig’s best-remembered one-liners as told at stage end interviews all over the world.

Chen, a broadcast professional to the core and a very close friend of Craig’s was moved to tears on the finish ramp outside the Viking Hotel on Sunday evening.
Chen got a run for his money on Saturday when Craig’s friend Patrick Croke had the audience in stitches as he regaled some of the funny stories and adventures they shared over the years.

That was another trait Craig had. He may have been a superstar but always allowed others to shine instead.
One of the first post-event interviews was done by David Evans of DirtFish fame. Only Craig Breen could get DirtFish to a round of the Irish National Rally Championship. It had to be Waterford and the Raven’s Rock Rally.
I am sure he smiled down on all of us and said “Gotcha Evans’s when he saw David pulling into the hotel car park.

In an eerie twist of fate, Josh Moffett won the rally, his 42nd career win and he did so by 42 seconds…Craig’s WRC door number was the now-retired 42.
Craig’s spirit was not just felt in Waterford.
His girlfriend Sarah Lavin set a new personal best in the 100-metre hurdles in Stockholm on Sunday. Her time of 12.73 seconds was enough to qualify her for the Paris Olympics next summer.
Craig’s parents Jackie and Ray travelled the world following their son.
On hearing of Sarah’s result and Olympic qualification, Ray proudly announced: “We will be there [in Paris].”

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