Mike and Noreen Marshall recognised for half a century of dedication to motorsport
Photo by Ted O’Connell
Mike and Noreen Marshall were presented with one of the most prestigious trophies in the Kerry rally at the County Rally Championship awards night in Keel last Friday.
The Killarney and District Motor Club husband and wife duo were presented with the Paudie Casey Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the person who has made the biggest contribution to motorsport in the county over any period of time.
The winner, judged by championship organisers after receiving nominations from Kerry Motor Club and Killarney and District Motor Club, is a closely guarded secret until the announcement.
Mike and Noreen have been involved in motorsport for most of their lives.
Kerry Motor Club’s Circuit of Kerry will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its first running in March this year.
Marshall was the first clerk of the course of the Circuit of Kerry the May 1975 event was based at the Brandon Hotel and the first stage was Camp Mountain.
As such the road section from stage one to stage two – The Short Mountain – passed the door of the Anvil Bar, the venue for Friday night’s awards ceremony.
Mike and Noreen went on to be founding members of Killarney and District Motor Club and were the first clerk of the course and rally secretary for the Rally of the Lakes in 1979/
The Moriarty’s Central Car Sales Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship is the only championship of its kind in the country and is made of rallies based entirely within the county.
Both the Circuit of Kerry and the Rally of the Lakes are central rounds to the series and without the vision of people like the Marshalls half a century ago the championship and many other motorsport events in the county just would have never got off the ground.
Kerry Motor Club’s Tommy Mason and Paul McGlinchey picked up their trophies after being declared the overall winners ahead of the championship.
They also picked up a free entry for this year’s Circuit of Kerry Rally thanks to championship sponsor Mike Moriarty of Central Car Sales in Farranfore.
Colin O’Donoghue and Kieran O’Donoghue finished second and Alan Ring and Eoin O’Donoghue third. Megan Costello won the Ladies’ title and Mark Falvey was declared the winner of the historic section.
New for 2024 was the addition of the Junior 1000 award with David Slattery Junior the winner of that category on foot of his result in the Killarney Forestry Rally in February
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