County Monaghan Motor Club

 

Defending National champions Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes took overall victory on last weekend’s 1000 Shakes Navigation Trial based in Macroom, Co. Cork. The event was a counting round of the National & Munster Night Navigation Championships and attracted a strong entry of Monaghan club members.

 

COC Nial Murphy organised an 80 mile route through some classic navigation terrain. The opening section resulted in a number of crews dropping early penalties and a plot & bash section resulted in more penalties being dropped. By the midway point of the event, Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes had moved into the lead from their National Championship rivals, Dermot Whelton & Mark McCarthy. The pair would be evenly matched over the remainder of the event with Duffy/Hughes coming home with a five penalty advantage. 3^rd overall went to Limerick brothers Alan & George Shinnors, a further three penalties in arrears. Owen Murphy/Daire Hayes & Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan completed the top five despite brake issues and a long delay stuck in a field respectively.

 

One of the performances of the event was that of Aiden Sherry & Oisin Sherlock who finished 6^th overall and 1^st in the Novice class. The pair got all timepoints during the night as they secured their best result to date. Mac Kierans/Conor Boylan also had an excellent run to 2^nd in the Novice class and 10^th overall. Keith McConnan & Micheal McCluskey finished 8^th overall and 2^nd in the Semi-Expert class. Colm & Conor Mohan finished 4^th in the Novice class and 14^th overall despite some late mechanical drama. Ryan & Caolan Treanor finished 3^rd in the Beginners class on an impressive first visit to Cork. There was disappointment for Eoghan Corr & David McCrudden who were sidelined with mechanical failure.

 

Results

1 Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes (Subaru Impreza) 8 marks,
2 Dermot Whelton/Mark McCarthy (Subaru Impreza) 13m,
3 Alan Shinnors/George Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) 15m,
4 Owen Murphy/Daire Hayes (Subaru Forester) 17m,
5 Donal Healy/Denis O’Donovan (Toyota Starlet) 19m,
6 Aidan Sherry/Oisin Sherlock (Subaru Impreza) 28m,
7 Johnny Casey/Patrick O’Sullivan (Peugeot 306) 29m,
8 Keith McConnon/Micheal McCluskey (Subaru Impreza) 31m,
9 Ray O’Neill/Stephen O’Neill (Mondeo) 32m,
10 Mac Kierans/Conor Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 33m.

 

The National Championship continues in a fortnight’s time with the 100 Isles Navigation Trial based in Innishannon, Co. Cork. The Border Navigation Championship resumes with the Donegal Navigation Trial on Saturday next 23^rd January in Milford.

 

AGM

 

There was a good attendance at the Annual General Meeting of Monaghan Motor Club which was held in the Hillgrove Hotel on Thursday 14^th January 2016. Reports were presented by the Secretary Roisin Meenagh and by Treasurer Cathal MacArtain. The Chairman Paul Hughes, in a wide ranging address, thanked all who had helped and supported the club and its activities throughout 2015. In particular he thanked the Hillgrove Hotel as main sponsor of the stages rally, all local sponsors, those who provided venues for events, as well as residents and landowners. He reserved a special thank you for Cora Maguire who was retiring from the committee having given over 30 years of excellent service. It was another successful year for club members at both International and National level, the highlight of which was Josh Moffett and Jason McKenna being crowned National Forestry Champions, while Evin Hughes regained the National Navigator title.

 

The election of officers for 2016 resulted as follows:

Chairman: Paul Hughes, Vice-Chairman: Conor Maguire, Club Secretary: Roisin Meenagh, Event Secretary: Gary Hall, Treasurer: Cathal MacArtain, Ast, Treasuer: Brendan Flynn, PRO: Evin Hughes, Registrar: Ronnie Hawe, Committee: Kerry Stevenson, Thomas Treanor, Eoghan Corr, Shane Maguire, Michael Sheridan, Garry Farrelly, Ciaran Tynan, Fintan Keenan, Damien Hagan, Fintan Clerkin and Samuel Patterson.