SEVERAL local competitors were amongst the award winners at this year's NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship presentation ceremony, which took place at the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs, Cork.

A total of 12 competitors featured, including four in the overall categories: Clonakilty husband and wife crew of Eamonn and Lisa McCarthy (Modified category), Ardfield's Anthony O'Sullivan (Historics) and Gary Lombard (Juniors).

Hosted by the Munster Car Club, the TROA (Tarmac Rally Organisers Association) manager, Enniskeane's Sean Hayde, thanked all the participating clubs. That included the Cork Motor Club, organisers of the Clonakilty Park West Cork Rally; the Munster Car Club (Cork '20' Rally); and the Killarney & District Motor Club (Rally of the Lakes and Killarney Historic Rally).

He said: 'This (awards presentation) is always one of the most special nights on the Irish rallying calendar. I want to thank the Munster Car Club for arranging this event and the diligent work undertaken by its members, especially Kevin O’Riordan. I wish to acknowledge all our award winners, the incredible community that makes this championship what it is, the drivers, co-drivers, teams, family members, marshals, organisers, sponsors, media and, of course, the spectators. Without your passion, commitment and resilience, none of this would be possible.'

For the McCarthys it was a very special occasion. Normally, the overall Modified category is the domain of the high-powered Ford Escort brigade and to claim an overall award with their 1650cc Honda Civic was a great achievement. Eamonn finished third in the Drivers' category while Lisa was second in the Co-drivers' section.

A delighted Eamonn told The Southern Star: 'We would have been happy with a second or third in the class, but to finish within the overall awards is massive.'

On her own success, Lisa added: 'To be honest, I'm proud of finishing second overall in the category. All the years (going watching rallying) when you are young and you are looking up at all the competitors and the cars and then actually getting to compete in those events when you are older, it's really nice.'

The Pike's Peter Keohane (centre) winning driver in Class M6, Kilbrittain's Donal Dinneen (left) second driver in Class M6 and Ardfield co-driver Gary Lombard, third overall in the Junior category.

On his favourite events in the championship, Eamonn elaborated: 'Donegal, closely followed by Ulster – and I never thought I would say that about the Ulster! It was just the challenge of it all, the mix of stages. The Friday part of it was like a night navigation event and Saturday was the nicest stages you could find anywhere.

'It's nice to compete around the country and show that you have the same pace that you have on your local event. It's nice to be consistent everywhere.'

For a husband and wife crew, Lisa reckons there are lines of separation and acknowledges what it takes: 'A lot of people say, and rightly so, that we are a husband and wife team, but when we are in the car, Eamonn is the driver, I'm the co-driver, he's doing his job, I'm doing mine. Naturally, the trust is there, like any other crew.

'Only for family – we have two children – it would not have been possible; they did all the minding. Our service team also – it's a small group of friends, it all works, it's not just the two of us.'

She too highlighted the Donegal Rally. 'The whole experience was brilliant,' she said. 'It was our first win, so that was a big goal to achieve.'

Both are hoping that their achievement will spur other local crews to tackle the championship. 'Yes, it's a big commitment, but it nice to tick off the big rallies.'

They concluded: 'It (their achievement) didn't sink in properly until we went up to receive our awards. To see all the various class awards and then (because we were in the overall awards) to be amongst the last to be called up during the presentation, it felt that bit more real. It really felt like a great achievement with everyone there together. Yeah, it was special.'

For the second year in succession, Ardfield's Anthony O'Sullivan was amongst the winners in the Historic category, this time finishing second overall.

'It's always nice (to get an overall award),' he said. 'The Ulster Rally didn't work out for us this year. We were on the backfoot after the opening stage, but these things happen in rallying. Look, we still had a good year and it was my first championship with Meirion (Evans), who actually missed the opening two rounds. To be up against the BMWs and now the Subaru is difficult for sure, but we will continue to give it our all.'

The fourth and final recipient of an overall award was Ardfield's Gary Lombard, who was third in the Junior category, where he was co-driver with Castlemartyr's Darragh Walsh.

Gary said: 'We enjoyed the season. It began well for us with wins in the West Cork and Killarney. We were out of luck in Donegal and it probably went downhill from there. I suppose our early retirement on the Ulster Rally really ended the chance of winning the series, but look, we'll give it a shot again next year.'

Ardfield co-driver Anthony O'Sullivan, second overall in the Historic category of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship pictured with his wife Ann Marie.

Aside from the overall awards, Macroom's Barry O'Brien and his Rossmore co-driver Declan Buttimer won Class M1. 'The dream would have been to win the class but Eamonn McCarthy wasn't going to let us walk away with it, it was going to be a serious battle.' said Barry. 'Our crash in the West Cork threw a spanner in the works. We used my father's car for Killarney and we didn't do Donegal as my own car wasn't ready. The way it all panned out in the end was great but at the same time I felt I didn't earn it. We will probably go back and do it again next year.'

Class M6 winner, The Pike's Peter Keohane, whose Rosscarbery co-driver Brian Keohane was the winning co-driver, said: 'I enjoyed the championship, especially Donegal – not so much for the stages but for leading the class from start to finish. That's what I enjoy.

'There's a lot of pressure competing in the West Cork, mostly because it's our local rally and there's that expectation. It doesn't always work out that way, we got stuck in a drain for 44 minutes. In fact, we started and finished poorly. I hit a bale on the second stage of the Sunday of the Cork '20' (final round) and that was that.'

Leap native Donal Dinneen, who now resides in Kilbrittain, finished second in Class M6, with Clondrohid's Eoghan McCarthy third in Historic category 3. The other award winners were Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (second in Class 24) and Lisavaird co-driver Michael White, who won Class M2.

Meanwhile, last Saturday's Donegal's Forest Rally, the final round of the Sligo Pallets Irish Forest Rally Championship, was won by the Donegal/Monaghan crew of Eamonn Kelly/Conor Mohan (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2). Former champions Monaghan's Derek Mackarel (Ford Fiesta R5) and his Inchigeelagh co-driver Eamonn Creedon finished sixth.

Rosscarbery's Alistair Wyllie partnered Tyrone's Ashley Dickson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) to 16th overall and Ballyvourney's Gerard Lucey (Ford Fiesta R5) and his Kilnamartyra co-driver JJ Cremin were 26th.

The Monaghan Drumlin Night Navigation Trial, round three of the MI National Navigation Trial Championship, was won by Longford's Pakie Duffy and Monaghan's Evin Hughes (Subaru).

The Cork crews of Trevor O'Callaghan/Patrick O'Leary (Donoughmore) and James Fitzgerald/Ken Carmody (Ballincollig) were 10th and 13th respectively.

In last Sunday's Birr M.C. Autocross at O'Briensbridge-Montpelier, which brought the curtain down on the National and Munster Autocross Championships, Dunmanway 's Gerard O'Connell (Toyota Celica) and Mike Casey (Peugeot 205) netted class wins.