County Kerry crews combine for bumper Summer Rally showdown
MOTORSPORT BY Sean Moriarty
Tralee will become the centre of local motorsport this weekend as the all-new Rose Hotel Kerry Summer Mini Stages Rally gets underway this Sunday. Headquartered at The Rose Hotel in Tralee with service based at the Castleisland Mart complex, the event has attracted a bumper local entry list. Competitors face six demanding stages in the general Castleisland area, counting as a crucial round of the Top Part West Coast, GK Print Southern 4, and Moriarty’s Central Car Sales Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championships.
Leading the county’s charge as the highest-seeded local driver is Abbeyfeale’s John Michael Kennelly, who slots into the number five seed position in his Class 13 Ford Escort Mk2 with co-driver Dylan Harrington. Right behind him at number six,
Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea leads the Killarney and District Motor Club contingent, piloting his powerful Darrian T90 GTR alongside co-driver Eoin O’Donoghue to hunt for Southern 4 Championship points.
Killarney’s challenge at the front of the modified field is further bolstered by Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey, who are looking to secure vital West Coast and Kingdom of Kerry championship points in their Class 13 Ford Escort Mk2.
Former Kingdom of Kerry rally champion Tommy Mason returns to action with Paul McGlinchey in their Class 14 Escort, while former event winner Mike Quinn teams up with Kieran Doherty to strengthen the local Class 14 frontline alongside fellow Escort challengers Denis Hickey and Eoin O’Leary.
In the historic ranks, top historic seed and former event winner Alan Ring returns to action, steering a classic Subaru Impreza 555 with Adrian Deasy on pace notes.
In Class 11F, frontrunners Darren Young and Pa Lawlor are in prime position to take the lead of the 2026 Kingdom of Kerry Championship in their Honda Civic. A unique inter-club pairing sees Kerry driver Gearóid O’Regan team up with Killarney co-driver Darragh Lynch in a Class 13 Escort, while Peter Wilson relies on the local knowledge of Killarney co-driver John McCarthy in their Class 14 Escort.
KDMC Chairman Thomas Randles swaps the committee room for the cockpit as he guides his Class 14 Escort Mk2 with Declan Casey, while 1985 event winner Brendan Brosnan marks a nostalgic return in his Class 18 Escort alongside Eilish Dunne.
Todd Falvey is also set to debut a newly acquired Ford Escort RS1800 in Class 18 with co-driver Iarla McCarthy, while a late entry sees former winner Kevin O’Donoghue bring his BMW M3 into the top twenty.
The entry list features a deep field of local talent making notable returns. Tim Enright and Stephen Buckley make a rare outing in their Class 13 Escort, having last competed at the Circuit of Kerry in April 2024.
The father-and-son team of Willie and John Power bring their striking Class 13 Darrian T90 GTR from Firies, having recently shaken off the cobwebs in West Cork. Adding to the family ties, brother-and-sister duo Mossie and Megan Costello field a Ford Fiesta Rally4 in Class 2, while John Corrigan partners with his son-in-law Niall Mulcahy in a Class 20 Subaru Impreza.
Club regulars Ray and Gene Stack are out in their Class 13 Escort, while Ger O’Brien and John Liston return to local stages after their last international trip to the Manx National Rally in May. Adrian Randles also joins the fray, partnering with Denny Greaney in another Class 13 Escort.
Further down the order, past Junior Circuit of Kerry winners Jamie O’Rourke and Darragh Lynch bring their Honda 1600 to Class 16, while long-time campaigners Mike Neligan and John Hurley will chase Class 11R honours in their Toyota Corolla Twin Cam. James Kissane guides his Escort in Class 11R, Colin Neligan fields his Ford Fiesta with Liam Hibbitt in Class 11F, and Anthony Kiely brings his Ford KA to Class 9.
Class 15 looks set to be a straight battle between local machinery, where Mark Kane’s Subaru Impreza N12 goes head-to-head with Patrick Slattery and Tony McCarthy, and John Hickey in his Mitsubishi Evo.
Cyril Wharton and Donal Falvey team up in their Class 13 Escort, continuing their long-standing support of local events, while father-and-daughter duo Pat and Tara Looney bring their Escort to Class 12.
Local BMW dealer Paul Ahern brings his spectacular M3 to Class 18 with Kieran Murphy, running alongside the returning Ken O’Neill and R Riordan in their Class 13 Escort.
Young prospects are well-represented, with Daniel O’Connor and Micheal O’Shea out in a Civic, Conor Horgan partnering with Circuit of Kerry winning co-driver Eddie Doherty, and Dylan Sheehan taking the wheel of a Honda EG with Killarney co-driver Aine Leader.
Rounding out the extensive local contingent, Dermot Flynn lends his co-driving expertise to Longford’s John Shaw in a Class 19 Vauxhall Astra, while Gary Healy and Niall Myers push for Class 11F honours in their Honda Civic EK4 alongside
Mark Horgan and the newcomer pairing of Ciarán and Cillian Crowley. Maurice McElligott pairs up with Dean McElligott in a Class 10 Citroen Saxo, running in the same class as Ken and Ray McKenna’s Peugeot 205 GTi. David Fleming adds unique variety to the entry by debuting a Rover Mini S1600,
Sam Leech targets Class 3 honours in his Honda EP3, and David Randles makes his first competitive outing of the season alongside Aidan Kennedy. Newcomer Timmy Finnegan makes a highly anticipated entry with Sean Durkin in a Class 13 Escort, while Kevin McCarthy and Aaron Williams complete the field as the first Kerry crew to campaign a Dacia Sandero in Class 23.
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