Kerry crews ready for all-new three-day West Cork Rally
The battle for bragging rights amongst Killarney and District Motor Club co-drivers heads to Clonakilty this weekend.
The 2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship’s second round is the West Cork Rally’s Saint Patrick’s weekend classic.
The hugely popular event will take place over three days for the first time with crews taking on extra stages on Friday including a loop in darkness.
Galway International Rally winners and championship leaders Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin (Aghadoe) are seeded third for the rally.
Cronin showed his everlasting class in Galway’s slippery stages and will be many people’s favourite as the seven-round series heads to his home county.
The Ford Fiesta Rally2 crew’s dominant 38.1-second victory on a tough championship opener has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in the early fight for Irish Tarmac honours.
Reigning Irish Tarmac Champions Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan (Muckross) quietly went about their business on round one to secure their best result in Galway.
Devine’s runner-up finish was a solid start to his title defence; however, he will be hoping to go one better in West Cork aboard his Volkswagen Polo R5.
Aside from Kerry-interest at the head of the main field, there are plenty of other Kerry competitors to look out for over the three-day weekend.
MODIFIED RALLY
Conor Murphy and Sean Collins will be hoping to put the disappointment of the recent Galway Rally behind them.
The Ford Escort Mk2 crew entered the final stage as leader of the Modified category but a mechanical failure dropped to second place behind eventual winners Frank and Lauren Kelly.
Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea and Eoin O’Donoghue (Killarney) mark their first rally of the season in their Darrian T 90 Gtr.
Kevin O’Donoghue returns to action in his BMW M3 E30 and has Donegal’s Evan MacBride on the notes. Starting right behind is the all-Kerry crew of Tadhg O’Sullivan and Keith McCarthy in another Escort.
Kieran O’Donoghue is better known for sitting alongside Colin O’Donoghue but has been recruited by multiple Drifting champion Conor Shanahan who makes his rally debut in a Ford Fiesta Rally 4.
Ballylogford’s Tommy Mason is also contesting his first rally of the year but co-driver Paul McGlinchey dusted off the cobwebs by competing in the second round of the Northern Ireland Rally Championship on Saturday. He finished fourth in class alongside Sean Scanlon in a Honda Civic.
Rathmore’s Jack Kelleher has Donegal’s Kenny Bustard on the notes in another Escort.
Tralee’s Darren Young has not contested the West Cork Rally since his junior days in 2011 and he returns in his Honda Civic with Pa Lawlor of Ardfert on the notes.
Duagh co-driver Ciara Griffin is on note duty for local man Cathal McCarthy in another Civic.
Milltown’s Raymond O’Neill, with Jason O’Connor from Ballyhar alongside start at 100.
Local co-driver Sean Nolan (Glenflesk) is alongside Shane Casey in a Ford Fiesta Rally4.
Kemare’s Brian Hickey and Noel Murphy will compete in another Escort as will brothers Ray and Gene Stack.
Ian Horgan is out in his usual Toyota Corolla while the East Kerry crew of Donagh Crowley (Gneeveguilla) and Denis Nagle (Barraduff) are Ford Escort mounted.
Darragh Lynch resume the partnership he started with Andy Heekin on the Galway International Rally in their Subaru Impreza.
John Corrigan is another on his first outing of the year. The Tralee-based garage owner, ably assisted by his son-in-law Niall Mulcahy will drive his usual Class 13 Opel Corsa.
The all-Kerry Motor Club crew of Ollie Kierce and Mike Cleary, fresh from their second-place finish in class 10 in Mayo are on the reserve list but will certainly get a run in their Ford Escort.
The same applies to the Gneeveguilla crew of Sean Hickey and Noel Fleming in a Toyota Starlet and to Fossa’s Sam Leech. They are competing in a newly acquired Honda Civic.
HISTORIC RALLY
Kerry co-drivers are well represented on the historic section entry list.
Denny Greaney is alongside Ronan Campbell Castleisland in Ford Escort MK2 RS180o, the same type of car that Meabh Griffin will co-pilot for Walter Dick.
Tralee’s Tommy Commane is on co-driving duty for UK visitor Duncan Williams in another RS1800.
JUNIOR RALLY
Kerry competitors also feature strongly in the junior section of the rally that runs over the Sunday stages only.
Mark O’Leary from Knocknagree is alongside Kyle Browne from Glanmire Honda Civic.
Also Civic mounted is the Kerry Motor Club crew of Ronan Lacey and John Michael Kennelly.
Aaron O’Connor from Killarney co-drives for Dylan Sheehan from Millstreet.
The two all-Kerry crews in the Junior rally are Keith O’Connor/ Niall Myres and newcomers Daniel O’Connor/Michael O’Shea Killarney.
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