From equine power to horsepower: Tralee vet to make rally debut in Mayo

From equine power to horsepower: Tralee vet to make rally debut in Mayo
By Sean Moriarty
The focus of the Irish rallying world shifts to the West Tyres/Westport Woods Hotel and Spa Mayo Stages Rally this weekend for the opening round of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship.
While the high-powered machinery at the front of the field will draw the crowds, a hardworking group of seven Kerry competitors are making the trip to Westport with a variety of goals in mind.
The rally marks the debut of Kevin McCarthy, the Tralee man who is traded his usual equine interests for a different kind of horsepower this weekend.
Now based in Navan, County Meath, McCarthy is a Tralee man through and through with deep roots in the local motor trade.
His father, Pádraig, is well-known as the service manager at Randles Nissan, while his grandfather was the head mechanic at Kerry Motor Works back when it was based on Edward Street.
Professionally, Kevin McCarthy Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine is a surgeon to some of the biggest trainers in the world, frequently visiting major racing hubs like Newmarket and Cheltenham.
He joined the Lisadell Equine Hospital team in early 2023 following stints in Fethard, Australia, and Mullingar. While his professional life revolves around lameness and horses in training, his weekend will now revolve around the Dacia Sandero Cup.
McCarthy is taking the plunge into the Dacia series, which is currently in its second season as a cost-effective gateway into stage rallying.
To help him find his feet, he has secured the massive experience of Adrian Foley on the notes for the opening rounds.
While Foley hails from Cavan, he has strong family roots in North Kerry, specifically Kilmoyley and Causeway.
However, Foley is only committed to the first two events of the year, meaning McCarthy will be on the lookout for a permanent co-driver to complete the remainder of the season.
The road to Mayo included a recent outing at the Dacia Sandero Cup open day at Mondello Park, which marked Kevin’s first time ever driving a rally car.
The experience taught him some quick manners regarding the discipline required for the stages.
He admitted that he got a bit brave during his first few laps and ended up spinning out, a moment that served as a wake-up call to “cop on” before things ended in tears. Following the Mondello test, the car was brought from Navan back to Tralee where his father Pádraig gave it a thorough once-over.
Kevin is realistic about his debut. He said: “It is a good car, and I am looking forward to the challenge, my only goal is to drive around and finish the event in one piece.”
Beyond McCarthy’s debut, there is plenty of other Kerry interest to follow in Mayo.
Aside from co-driver Mike Cleary, who represents Kerry Motor Club alongside Cork’s Ollie Kierce, the remainder of the local contingent hails from Killarney and District Motor Club.
Ger Conway will be on the notes for hard-charging Monaghan man Gary McPhillips in an Escort at car 34. Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey form the only all-Kerry crew in the field as they start their third National Championship campaign in their Mk2 Escort at car 43.
Niall Myers is alongside Donegal’s Oisin McShane in a Peugeot 208 R2 at car 52, beginning their second season of closed-road motorsport together.
John Falvey joins Limerick’s Eamon Daly in a Toyota Starlet at car 106, while Ger Somers makes the trip north to guide Raymond Spence in another Escort at car 135.
One notable absentee is Killarney’s Shane Buckley. Although originally listed to navigate for Donegal’s David Kelly in a Skoda Fabia, Buckley will instead delay his return to competitive action alongside Kelly at the West Cork Rally next month.