Costello siblings best all-Kerry crew at Killarney Forestry Rally
Siblings Mossie and Megan Costello had the distinct honour of being the first all-Kerry crew across the line in the Castleisland-based Killarney Forestry Rally on Sunday.
The brother and sister crew are contesting this year’s Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series in their Ford Fiesta Rally4 and the Killarney and District Motor Club-organised event was the opening round.
The third running of this very popular rally attracted a strong Kerry entry.
The Costello family enjoyed a day-long battle with another Kerry-based rally family.
Father and son, Diarmuid and Darragh Lynch were in the thick of the battle for best-placed local honours until a driveshaft broke on their Ford Escort Mk 2 on the final stage.
The Costello took home the much-coveted James O’Rourke memorial trophy for their efforts and are looking forward to the Mayo Rally on March 3 for the second round of the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series.
“It is great to get the James O’Rourke Memorial Trophy. It was a tough rally. It was unfortunate that Diarmuid broke a drive shaft on the final stage,” said Missie.
“We did not know about it until the finish. We tried our best and made some good time on the last few stages. If I wake up a small bit in the morning I might do better, it is a lovely handling car and I cannot wait to do tarmac in [Mayo] in a few weeks’ time.”
Colin Neligan and Eoin O’Donoghue finished third in class in their Ford Fiesta. The crew had followed very different rally paths in recent years but were classmates at the Munster Technology University ten years ago and decided to contest a rally together for the first time.
It was a history-making rally for several Kerry-based crews. Irish Forestry Rally Championship events allow drivers aged between 14 and 17 years old to compete in a restricted 1000cc class.
Killarney and District Motor Club fielded a four-car junior team in the rally.
David Slattery Jr and his co-driver Ger Somers had the honour of being the first KDMC junior team to cross the finish line in their Hyundai I10 in Castleisland on Sunday evening.
“It was great craic,” said Slattery, “We were slipping and sliding all day.”
Although from County Meath Morgan Moore is a member of the local club. He and co-driver James O’Brien also finished the junior element of the rally in their Skoda Citigo as did Frank Wharton from Firies in his Toyota Aygo.
Unfortunately, Sean White and co-driver Sean Nolan got caught in ruts caused by more powerful cars on the final stage and slid off the road and into retirement
Kerry Motorsport News 