Summer move
proves a major success for Kerry Motor Club
MOTORSPORT BY Sean Moriarty
The decision to move the Rose Hotel Kerry
Summer Mini Stages Rally to a July date proved to be a major success for Kerry
Motor Club.
The flawlessly run event attracted a capacity
entry of over 130 starters, drawing a large contingent of newcomers and
first-time competitors to the county.
Based out of the Rose Hotel headquarters in
Tralee with central service hosted at the Castleisland Mart complex, the
six-stage event delivered intense competition across Mount Eagle and Headley’s
Bridge.
Black sets
the pace as O’Callaghan chases
Armagh’s Jason Black and Karl Egan set the
early pace, guiding their Toyota Starlet RWD to the fastest time on the opening
Mount Eagle test to lead by 5.3 seconds. Christopher O’Callaghan and Coleen
O’Brien responded immediately on stage two, taking a stage win in their Ford
Escort Mk2 to reduce Black’s lead at the opening service halt.
At the midpoint, Black extended his advantage
on the second pass of Mount Eagle, pulling 12.1 seconds clear.
O’Callaghan bit back on the faster stretches
of Headley’s Bridge on stage four, cutting the gap back to 10.7 seconds.
Despite the pressure, Black held his nerve over the final loop to secure the
overall victory by 10.2 seconds.
O’Callaghan and O’Brien secured second place
overall. It was a remarkable debut outing for O’Brien, who was navigating in a
seat gifted to her by O’Callaghan as a birthday present.
Rounding out the podium, number one seeds
Johno Doogan and Paul Lennon brought their Ford Escort Mk2 home in third
position, matching their late-day confidence with strong times.
Top Ten
Finishers
Jason Black/Karl Egan
(Toyota Starlet RWD) – 40:32.9
Christopher O’Callaghan/Coleen O’Brien (Ford Escort Mk2) – 40:43.1
Johno Doogan/Paul Lennon (Ford
Escort Mk2) – 41:14.3
Vincent O’Shea/Eoin O’Donoghue
(Darrian T90 GTR) – 41:30.0
Stephen Faughnan/Ryan Farrell (Ford
Escort) – 41:31.4
Frank Kelly/Lauren Kelly (Ford
Escort Mk2) – 41:34.4
Tommy Mason/Paul McGlinchey (Ford
Escort) – 41:37.0
Paul Purtill/Paul Kelly (Ford
Escort) – 42:01.4
Johnny O’Connor/Mike Breen (Ford
Escort) – 42:15.1
Jack Brennan/John McGrath (Ford
Fiesta Rally 3) – 42:34.3
Local Crews
Dominate Class Battles
The local contingent delivered excellent
performances across the classes. Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea and Eoin O’Donoghue
finished a strong fourth overall, taking top honours in Class 14 in their
Darrian T90 GTR.
Ballylongford driver Tommy Mason was the
highest-placed Kerry Motor Club member for the majority of the rally, locked in
a podium battle and winning the Donal O’Flaherty Memorial Trophy alongside
co-driver Paul McGlinchey. However, a tangle with a wall on the final stage
dropped their Escort to seventh overall.
In Class 11F, Tralee crew Darren Young and Pa
Lawlor led from start to finish to secure a dominant victory in their Honda
Civic. Knocknagoshel’s Mike Neligan and John Hurley claimed the Class 11R win
in their Toyota Corolla Twin Cam, finishing ahead of the father-and-daughter
crew of Eddie and Mollie Kennelly, who took second in their newly built Ford
Escort Mk2.
James Cassidy, who holds strong family ties to
Tralee, won Class 12 alongside Gerard McKenna in their Escort Mk2, while the
Cookstown-based Brosna crew of Colm and Michael Browne finished third in the
same class.
Abbeyfeale’s John Michael Kennelly and Dylan
Harrington overcame early suspension and steering issues to finish second in
Class 13, just ahead of Killarney pair Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey in third.

In Class 15, John Hickey and Natasha Murphy
secured the win in their Mitsubishi Evo, building on their Circuit of Munster
success.
 Jamie
O’Rourke and Darragh Lynch brought their Honda 1600 home second in Class 16,
which also earned the Brosna crew second place in the Junior category.
In Class 2A, Colin O’Meara and Kerry
Motorsport News supported co-driver Daniel Seaman secured a fine second place
overall on what was O’Meara’s first ever tarmac rally. In Class 23, Kevin
McCarthy and Ger Hartigan brought their Dacia Sandero home in second place
during only their second ever rally event.
 
Historic rally
Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy brought their
historic Subaru Impreza 555 home first in Class 19, finishing 14th overall.
Killarney BMW dealer Paul Ahern and Kieran
Murphy were second in their class in their historic-spec BMW M3.
They were followed in the class by Longford’s
John Shaw and Ardfert-based Kerry Motor Club treasurer Dermot Flynn in a
Vauxhall Astra, a car that now had seen a stage for over 15 years and 20 since
Flynn sat in the same car.
 
 
Celebrating
the Tarmac Queens
The event marked a poignant moment as the
all-Limerick crew of Hazel O’Callaghan and Mairead Duane claimed the Katie
Quinn Tarmac Queen Perpetual Cup.
As a late entry to the rally, the pair led the
all-female category from start to finish in their Ford Escort. They were
presented with the cup at the finish ramp by Katie’s parents, Kerry Motor Club
director Mike and Mary Quinn. The trophy was introduced to honour the memory of
Katie, from Lyreacrompane, who passed away in June 2024.

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