All roads lead to the Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan this Saturday night 3rd December for Monaghan Motor Clubs Annual Awards and Ladies night. This year’s awards ceremony has a little twist as the club has decided to recognise the unsung heroes of the club. These are the people behind the men who are always there to support the boys when things go well and there with a shoulder to cry on when they may not go according to plan. These are the LADIES of the club. We want to show the club’s appreciation to the wives and girlfriends of the competitors. There will be lots and lots of spot prizes on the night. Spot prizes for the ladies only will include: €200 spa voucher for the Radisson Hotel in Cavan, €100 spa voucher for the Hillgrove Hotel, €100 voucher for Hi-Maintenance. There will also be vouchers for Lingerie, Hair & Jewellery. Only ladies present on the night will be eligible to win any of the prizes. MC and DJ on the night is the one and only Sean McCaffrey. Club championship results and a list of all award winners are available on the club website at www.monaghanmotorclub.net Tickets for the night are available from any committee member or text 0877827918. So why not come along for what promises to be a good night of ceoil agus craic and remember to bring all your lady friends!
Locals Kelly & Johnston win Midlands Navigation
Foxfield in Fenagh, Co. Leitrim was the venue for Midlands Motor Clubs first navigation of the new season on Saturday night last. CoC was Enda McLoughlin, who along with his assistant Alan Gibbons laid on a tough and testing trial for man and machine. On a rain drenched night 43 starters faced into 38 time points and 2 via’s around the Leitrim town of Balinamore. It was a night for the local men as new Midlands club champion Chris Kelly along with his navigator Sam Johnston won by a slender margin of 6 penalties from another local crew of Packie and Colin Duffy. Ashley Mc Adoo proved for the second night running that he is just as good in the drivers seat with Francis Keenan on the maps as the finished 3rd over-all. Francis’s regular driver Darren Babbington was forced to sit this event out due to work commitments so Ashley duly obliged.
The first 7 time points of the night were just south of Foxfield with tp’s 2,3 and 4 all plot and bash sections. Only three crews managed to clean this section as the semi-expert crew of Kevin Keenan and Barry Garvey emerged as early leaders but would later be forced into retirement. Time points 8 to 15 headed north and into the Benbrack forest area of the Cuilcagh mountains. Time points 13 and 14 were very tricky with multiple wrong approaches to 13 and a slot right through a hole in the hedge to 14 saw 28 crews miss this time point completely. Results sheets show that event winners Kelly/Johnston were in the lead at Control B as they led on “semi over expert” ruling from Michael and Ciaran Tynan, both crews on 3 penalties. Packie and Colin Duffy were still very much in the hunt on 5 penalties along with Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes. In the novice class Darren Quinn and Nigel McCloughry were well ahead while another midlands crew Shane Dalton and Michael Reilly had a clear lead in the beginners class.
There was no let up in the tightly timed lanes through the 2nd half of the event which stayed North of Balinamore with twisty and testing lanes to every time point. The leader board changed numerous times throughout the 2nd half but it was the midlands men who held station as they had their personal battle for the club championship. Towards the latter end of the event almost all crews were forced to skip a time point or two as they were over the maximum 15 minutes. Incidentally the eventual top 3 finishers were the only crews not forced to skip time points, testament to how well they were going. Drumlin winners and national championship leaders prior to this event, Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes were forced into retirement in the second half as their car bared all the hallmarks of inhaling water along the flooded midland lanes. Michael and Ciaran Tynan also dropped out of the top 5 and into retirement after their car drifted wide on a fast but narrow lane to clip a rock and bend both back wheels. These two high profile retirements demonstrate how demanding navigation trials can be.
With these retirements the top 3 were confirmed as Kelly and Johnston went on to claim a start to finish win and ensure Chris Kelly lifted the 2011 Midlands club champion title. The Duffy’s did all in their power to overturn Kellys bid but unfortunately it wasn’t enough on this occasion and had to settle for 2nd on the night and 2nd in the club championship. Ashley and Francis scored a memorable 3rd over-all; maybe Darren Babbington will have a job getting the keys back off Ashley next night out! Andy Mackarel and Liam Higgins were 4th over-all and 1st in expert class ahead of Cork’s Colin Fitzgerald and Daire Hayes with Trevor Farrell and Noel Hall 3rd after a tough night. With the top 3 over-all coming from the semi-expert class Sean McKenna and Gary Farrelly took 3rd in class behind the Duffy’s and McAdoo/Keenan, albeit a long way back for their high standards.
Results sheets suggest the novice class was more or less a one horse race as Darren Quinn and Nigel McCloughry took a convincing win on 102 penalties. This crew showing all the signs of moving up through the ranks very quickly with some recent good results. Arthur and Macartan Kierans are down as 2nd in the novice class on the night. Having set a very high benchmark over the past number of events Mac may be a little disappointed with this result but on a tough night for any beginner/novice they still finished 8th over-all. Ciaran McElroy and Cootehill’s Damian McCabe took 3rd in the novice class. Andrew Stewart and Robert Howard led the field home in the beginner’s class ahead of the ever trying Eoghan Corr and Gary McCrudden. Early beginners leaders Shane Dalton and Michael Reilly seem to have hit major trouble through the second half of the event as they were forced to skip 13 consecutive time points but managed to hold on for 3rd beginners award.
So after a tough first half to the navigation season the Squealing Pig Border navigation championship is still wide open with almost all of the top 10 sporting a bad score. With the well-deserved Christmas break impending next local event is Monaghan club navigation trial on 14/15th January. Best of luck to any local crews travelling to Skibbereen, Co. Cork on 10/11th December for the reserve round of the National Navigation Championship.
Midlands Motor Club Navigation Trial Top 12
1 Chris Kelly/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza) 46 marks
2 Pakie Duffy/Colin Duffy (Subaru Impreza) 52m
3 Ashley McAdoo/Francis Keenan (Subaru Impreza) 54m
4 Andy Mackarel/Liam Higgins (Subaru Impreza) 76m
5 Darren Quinn/Nigel McCloughry (Subaru Legacy) 88m
6 Colin Fitzgerald/Daire Hayes (Subaru Impreza) 105m
7 Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall (Subaru Impreza) 171m
8 Arthur Kierans/Macartan Kierans (Subaru Impreza) 192m
9 Garreth Beagan/Stephen Thornton (Subaru Impreza) 197m
10 Dave Fitzgerald/Glyn Gaffney (Subaru Forester) 198m
11 Joe Shinnors Jnr/Greg Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) 202m
12 Sean McKenna/Garry Farrelly (Subaru Impreza) 225m.
County Monaghan Motor Club 