VIDEO: O’Donoghue Takes Inaugural Circuit of Abbeydorney Victory

Graham O’Donoghue and Kevin Fagan claimed overall victory at the inaugural Circuit of Abbeydorney Endurance Trial on Sunday, leading a 37-car field through a successful first running of the discipline for Kerry Motor Club.

Four-wheel-drive vehicles were ineligible for overall honours, dropping fastest-time-setters John Cooney and Adam Cooney (Subaru Impreza) out of overall contention. That handed top spot to O’Donoghue and Fagan in their Toyota Starlet.

John O’Sullivan and JJ Cremin secured second overall in a Toyota Yaris, missing out on victory by just one second. Relative newcomers Timmy Lynch and Peter Falvey rounded out the top three overall in another Starlet, finishing a further second behind.

Emmet O’Shea and Samuel Behrens (Toyota Yaris) finished 15th overall to take the award as the highest-placed Kerry Motor Club crew. Becky Holinshead and Clare Brady (Toyota Starlet) finished 16th to collect the Ladies Award.

The trial proved a strong draw for family pairings. Father-and-son combinations included Kieran and Jack Flynn (13th), Anthony and Oisin Foley (17th), Diarmuid and Dermot Flynn (23rd), Thomas Heavey and Tommy Naughton Heavey (26th), Kevin and Dylan Savage (29th), David and Shay Griffin (32nd), and Jim and Liam Healy (36th). Amy Barton and Jodie Barton completed the event in 27th place.

Late entry Brehon O’Connor and Lorcan O’Connor, who only confirmed their place on Thursday night, finished 14th overall in a Mitsubishi Colt. Michael Halpin and Raymond Halpin, better known for their work organising the Walderstown motorcycle road races in Westmeath, finished 24th in a Starlet. Local organiser Mike O’Shea, who spearheaded the establishment of the endurance trial scene in Kerry, brought his Suzuki Swift home in 31st alongside Geraldine McCarthy.

All selectives ran within ten kilometres of Abbeydorney, with the route marshalled largely by experienced local rally drivers and co-drivers.

Organisers extended a major thank you to all local landowners, marshals, and competitors who supported the debut event, confirming plans to return to North Kerry next year following overwhelmingly positive feedback from the field.

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