WEST Cork drivers Daniel Cronin (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) and Clonakilty’s Cal McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally2) are seeded at three and five respectively for Sunday's rearranged Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally that concludes this season's Triton Showers National Rally Championship.
Indeed, the rally will also see the end of the title sponsorship of Triton Showers that began in 2015. The Clonmel-based event was due to have taken place on July 19th but was postponed due to the heatwave.
The national series was won by Monaghan's Josh Moffett on the Galway Summer Rally, as he secured an unprecedented fifth title adding to his victories in 2019, 2022, 2023 (on the Fastnet Rally) and 2024.
ADVERTISEMENT
Understandably, Moffett isn’t on Sunday's entry list and neither is Longford’s Shane Quinn (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who cannot be overtaken for the runner-up spot.
Donegal’s Kevin Eves (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) is the top seed and will be followed by fellow countyman Eamonn Kelly (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2).
Cronin occupies the number three berth, and the Ballylickey driver and his Ladysbridge co-driver Padraig O'Donovan will be keen to end the season on a strong note.
Seeded at four is Tyrone’s Darragh Cairns (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2), who is followed by Clonakilty’s Cal McCarthy, who has Ballincollig’s Brian Duggan on the pacenotes in the Clonakilty Park Hotel/Carbery Plastics liveried Citroen.
McCarthy hasn’t competed since last August when he finished third overall on the Down Rally. No doubt, he too will be in search of a good result.
Meath’s Tom Holton (Ford Fiesta Rally2) is the only other homologated car in the top ten that's completed by the Mk 2 Ford Escorts of Cavan’s Jonathan Pringle, Killarney’s Conor Murphy and Cavan’s Rodney Wilton and Clonmel native Roy White (MG Rover S2000).
Ballylickey’s Robert Cronin (Opel Corsa Rally4) is also on the entry, as are Clonakilty’s Eamonn McCarthy, Macroom’s Barry O'Brien and Dunmanway’s Fearghal O'Donoghue, all in Honda Civics.
Ballylickey’s Cyril Casey (Ford Fiesta) and his Clondrohid co-driver Eoghan McCarthy will complete their Class 2A championship journey. Skibbereen's Patrick Calnan (Honda Civic) is another of the local entries.
***
Last weekend’s Lisgoold-based Cork Startrek Navigation Trial, the opening rounds of the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial series and the Munster Navigation Championship, was won by Ovens driver Owen Murphy (Subaru Impreza) and his Drinagh navigator Denis O’Donovan.
They only incurred three penalties over the 85-mile route where they lost time when they caught the similar car of reigning national champions Longford’s Pakie Duffy and Monaghan’s Evin Hughes.
Pre-event, it was a race against time for Murphy when his own Subaru developed issues. He switched to the Subaru Impreza of Clare’s Patsy McDonagh, after he journeyed to Charleville to pick up the car.
Duffy/Hughes finished second with seven penalties and former national champions, Monaghan’s Andy Mackarel and Greg Shinnors (Subaru), finished third with ten penalties.
Top seeds, Killeagh’s James Fitzgerald and Ballincollig’s Ken Carmody retired their Subaru at TP5 due to power steering failure. World Rally Championship co-driver Eoin Treacy from Killeagh partnered Brian Oakes to victory in the Novice section and fourth overall.
Dunmanway’s Joseph O’Sullivan and Inchigeelagh’s Eamonn Creedon (Subaru Forester) won the semi-expert class with Bantry’s Seamus McHugh/Thomas Mulcahy (Subaru Impreza) second. Leap’s Keith Whelton/Cian Minihane (Toyota Avensis) were second in the beginners class.
Also last weekend, Newcestown co-driver Adrian Deasy and Killarney’s Alan Ring (Subaru Impreza 555) finished seventh overall and second in Class A8A in the Sanremo Rally Storico. They were untroubled until the final stage where their Subaru developed a fuel pressure issue.

