A look back at last Sunday’s The Rose Hotel Kerry Winter Rally – all Kerry-based finishers included

Two in a row for Monaghan’s Moffett

Monaghan’s Richard Moffett successfully defended his Rose Hotel Kerry Winter Stages Rally crown with a start-to-finish lead on the 2024 edition this afternoon.

Despite a change in co-driver since his last victory in 2022, Moffett put in a storming performance to blitz the field around him across the day’s six stages.

Moffett led at the opening service halt after the first two runs through Mount Eagle and Headley’s Bridge, leading by 6.8 seconds to Jonathan Pringle and Killarney man Conor Murphy was in third.

One of the pre-event favourites Rob Duggan was out after the opening stage with brake issues. Also out at the early stages was Ryan Loughran, who blew a prop shaft before the start of stage 1, but he returned under the super rally for the final four stages.

Stage three was a costly one for drivers attempting to take the title from Moffett.

Both Jonathan Pringle and Conor Murphy retired from the event at this juncture which took all pressure off the would-be champion.

 Johno Doogan was promoted to second with Limerick’s Chris O’Callaghan up to third and it was a race on between the pair for the runners-up spot.

But Moffett kept his head out front, getting the tyre choice spot on at the service halts and keeping those behind him at bay. He had a 33.6-second lead when he reached the final service of the day at the MTU Kerry North Campus.

The race for 2nd was tight, with O’Callaghan chasing down Doogan, with 4.2 seconds the gap between the pair heading into the final two stages.

Other notable performances up to that point were Vincent O’Shea at fourth overall while Dean Raftery was having a storming run at eighth overall in the Rally 3 spec Ford Fiesta.

But it was Moffett who kept his cool over the final loop. He went 15 seconds faster on the final run over Mount Eagle than he managed on the first stage of the day which set him on the road for victory. It was a victory drive through the final test for Moffett, who won the event by 34.9 seconds. The battle for 2nd rumbled on until the finish line, with Monaghan’s Johno Doogan winning the fight over Limerick’s Chris O’Callaghan by 4.9 seconds.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy took historic honours on the day, beating their nearest challengers John O’Donnell and Paddy Robinson by 1.2 seconds in their BMW M3.

John O’FLaherty competed in his late brother Donal’s car 20 years after Donal’s accident and finished third in class 18 – 12 years after he last sat in a car. Pa Lawlorr was on codrving duties,

Local crew Paul Ahern and Kieran Murphy were fourth in the class in another BMW.

David Griffin who had his son Shay co-driving for the first time was also class winners in the historic rally in their Toyota Corolla GT.

Kenmare’s O’Shea and his co-driver Eoin O’Donoghue had the honour of being the first all-Kerry crew home. The Darrian T90 GTR crew finished fifth overall.

The Donal O’Flaherty Award, for the highest-placed all-Kerry Motor Club crew, went to Mike Quin n and Kieran Doherty who finished ninth overall in their Ford Escort.

Tim Enright and Stephen Buckley were 15th overall and second in class 13 in another Escort while Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey were two places behind in overall terms and 17th overall in their Escort.

The top 20 was completed by local crews with Jack Kelleher and stand-in co-driver Tadgh Delaney 19TH and Tommy Mason/Paul McGlinchey in 20th position. Mason and McGlinchy also won class 12

Other finishers in the top 30 included Denis Hickey/Eoin O’Leary (21st); Kevin O’Donoghue/Dylan Harrington (25th) Brian Hickey/Noel Murphy (28th) and Tadhg O’Sullivan/Keith McCarthy (29th)              

Donagh Crowley/Denis Nagle won class 11R in another Escort.

THREE GENERATIONS

Jason Costello was the highest-placed member of the Costello family, He and co-driver Brian Slattery finished 37th overall.

His father, co-driven by his nephew Eoin Mulvihill also finished but there was heartbreak for Joe’s grandchildren Mossie and Megan who retired less than two kilometres from the end of the final stage with engine trouble.

Causeway-based co-driver Maurice McElligott and his Clare driver Mike Reddy were third in class 12.

There was a fleet of local cars in the top 50. They included Mike Neligan/John Hurley (41st), Adrian Randles/Denny Greaney (44th)l Gary Healy/Niall Myers (45th)’  Cyril Wharton/Donal Falvey (46th).

The next group of finishers included plenty of Kerry crews too.    Ger O’Brien/John Liston were 53rd, one place behind were Patrick Slattery/Anthony McCarthy.

 David Leslie/Melissa Leslie finished 61st, and brothers Chris Campbell and Sean Campbell were one place behind. Paul Ahern/Kieran Murphy

Father and daughter Eddie and Mollie Kennelly were third in class 11 R. It was Mollie’s first rally but Eddie was celebrating 30 years in the sport.

Another father and daughter crew, John and Michelle Hickey were fourth in class nine. John’s brother Charlie and co-driver Ronald O’Riordan were also among the finishers.

Other local finishers included: Ronan Lacey/DJ Howard (70th), Cathal McCarthy/Ciara Griffin                (71st); Colm Browne/Michael Browne (72nd) James Kissane/Tim Kissane (76th); Maurice Browne/Chris Browne (78th)  and Sean Hickey/Noel Fleming (89th).          

Michelle and Tina Quinn were second in the ladies’ class, but the Katie Quinn Tarmac Queen Memorial Trophy – in memory of their late sister was won by Catherine Walsh and Angiee Michniewicz from Cork.

Several local crews had to rely on SuperRally rules to get to the finish.

Brothers Ray and Gene Stack had electrical trouble while Northern Ireland’s Ryan Loughran and local c-driver Tony Healy suffered a driveshaft failure. Martin Quirke and Bríd Murphy also had to rejoin after earlier mechanical issues,

Competitors spoke very highly of the new service park for the event. The MTU Kerry North Campus was used for the event for the first time for a rally event.

Earlier this year the venue was named as one of the three potential host venues for the World Rally Championship if Ireland is to secure a future round and Sunday’s rally served a great toe on the water exercise.

Overall Top 10

1st Richard Moffett/Darragh Kelly 0.0 Toyota Starlet

2nd Johno Doogan/Paul Lennon +34.9 Ford Escort Mk2

3rd Chris O’Callaghan/Dale McGettigan +39. Ford Escort Mk2 8

4th Michael Carbin/Dean O’Sullivan +01:14.7 Ford Escort Mk2

5th Vincent O’Shea/Eoin O’Donoghue +01:40.0 Darrian GTR

6th Patrick McHugh/Pauric O’Donnell +01:42.8 Ford Escort Mk2

7th Paul Purtill/Paul Kelly +01:49.1 Ford Escort Mk2

8th Leonard Downey/Mark Murphy +01:51.2 Ford Escort Mk2

9th Mike Quinn/Kieran Doherty +01:52.1 Ford Escort Mk2

10th Michael Cahill/Killian McArdle +01:52.3 Ford Escort Mk2

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