Vincent O’Shea best of the Kerry drivers at the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally

Vincent O’Shea best of the Kerry drivers at the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally

Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea was the best of the Kerry drivers at the Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally on Sunday.

A counting round the locally sponsored Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, O’Shea was the inaugural championship 31 years ago and remains at the forefront of local motorsport.

Reunited with Cork-based co-driver Alistair Wyllie for the first time since the corresponding event two years ago, the Darrian T90 GTR crew finished 13^th overall and second in the Modified category for two-wheel drive cars. A faulty gear-selection paddle-shift hindered progress in the early part of the rally.

There was a fierce battle for Glenflesk honours.

Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey edged out Denis Hickey and Ronald Riordan by just 2.3 seconds after eight stages in the Clonmel area. It was O’Riordan’s first time co-driving for Hickey.

The Ford Escort Mk2 crews finished 24^th and 25^th overall respectively, with Slattery taking fourth in Class 13 and Hickey third in class 14.

The best all Kerry Motor Club crew was Tim Enright and Stephen Buckley in another Escort. They finished 49^th overall and eighth in Class 13.

 Kenmare’s Brian Hickey and Noel Murphy were eighth in Class 14 in another Escort.

Kerry Motor Club crew Ollie Kierce and Mike Cleary were second in Class Ten after a massive push over the final loop.

The Ford Escort crew were in third place and  24 seconds off the class lead with two states to run but reduced that gap to just nine seconds at the finish.

Paul Stryker and Edwin Walsh were seventh in class11R in their Toyota Corolla Twin Cam.

Gearóid O’Regan and Darragh Lynch finished third in Class 3 in their Honda Civic Type R.

Co-driver Ciara Griffin and her driver Cathal McCarthy had to rely on SuperRally rules to get their Honda Civic to the finish.

In the junior rally, Mark O’Leary guided Kyle Browne to fourth while Killarney-based Tipperary woman Louise Bourek contested just her second rally and brought her Peugeot 208 home in 11^th place in the sub-category.