Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship heads to Birr for round three
The Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship heads to Birr, County Offaly and the organisers, Birr and District Motor Club have attracted a capacity entry for its nine-stage event.
Clerk of the Course, Eoin Longworth has laid out three stages to be repeated three times and the rally will be based at Garahy’s Garage, Birr, and the service park at The Grennan Mills facility in Rath.
Leading the 165-car entry list is the Monaghan/ Limerick pairing of Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty.
The Citroen C3 Rally2 crew won last time out in Monaghan and are the defending Birr Rally champions having topped the timesheets the last time the rally was run in 2022.
Josh’s brother Sam and co-driver James O’Reilly are sure to give them a run for their money.
The Hyundai i20 Rally2 crew won the opening round of the Triton Showers-back National Rally Championship – The Mayo Rally – in March and led the early portion of Monaghan.
Daniel Cronin and Donnchadh Burke will be hoping to get their championship aspirations back on track. Driving a Volkswagen Polo GTI R5, they finished second in Mayo but an off-road excursion ended their Monaghan challenge.
Although Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy are second in the championship standings, they have not placed an entry for the third round.
This will open the door for the likes of third-placed Aidan Wray and fourth-placed Gary Kiernan. Both driving Ford Fiestas, they occupy third and fourth place and will start seventh and eighth, respectively.
Ahead of them sits the returning David Kelly (Volkswagen Polo R5) and Ryan Loughran (Ford Fiesta) who are seeded At six and five.
Fourth on the road is former champion Declan Boyle, although entered in a Citroen he could turn up in the same Fiesta he used in Monaghan.
The top ten is completed by Darrian T90 GTR driver Kevin Gallagher who won the Modified category in Monaghan and Chris O’Callaghan who will be at the wheel of the first Ford Escort Mk2 on the road.
The first car will leave Parc Ferme at Garahy’s Garage at 8.45 am on Sunday. Ahead lie nine stages with the first car due back to the same venue at 5.00 pm.
Full details of the event are contained in the official rally programme which is on sale locally in the run-up to the weekend.
List of programme outlets
Doolan’s Service Station Kilcormac
Mulrooney’s Birr
Mulrooney’s Roscrea
Corrib Oil Banagher Rd Birr
Loughnane’s Filing Station Birr
Horan’s Daybreak Birr
Oonagh’s Shop Rath
Midland Service Station Borris-in-Ossory
R.A.E Auto Factors Roscrea
Moran Farm and Rally merchandise Sunday Service area
PHOTO CAPTION: Round two winners Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty with Motorsport Ireland President Aiden Harper. Photo: Monaghan Motor Club
Kerry Motorsport News 