Michael & Ciaran Tynan in their Subaru Impreza secured overall victory on last weekend’s Drumlin Navigation Trial. This is the third time in five years that the Uncle-Nephew team have taken overall honours on what is regarded as the most difficult and demanding Navigation Trial in the country. After 110 miles of driving, they were clear winners on 16 penalties. The Semi-Expert pairing of Caolan & Ryan Treanor finished a very impressive 2nd overall while reigning National Champions Derek Mackarel & Muireann Hayes secured 3rd place.
COC Conor Maguire laid out a tricky route for the crews in the Latton, Ballybay, Lough Egish, Shercock, Shantonagh & Corduff areas. Many new lanes featured as well as a return of a few tricks from years ago. The event was a round of the National, Border & Club Navigation Championships. Defending Trader’s champion, Martin Tynan was the top seed with his usual navigator Fintan Clerkin.
The opening section of the event was close to Latton and incorporated a number of new lanes and tricks. Almost every crew missed a hidden slot left en route to TP10, some crews doubled back and dropped time while others missed TP10 entirely. Tynan/Clerkin were caught out here as were No.2 seeds Peter Deery/David McCrudden. By the first TRS, it was former National Champions Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes leading on two penalties with Mackarel/Hayes just 1 penalty back.
TP17 proved costly for Mackarel/Hayes who missed a tricky timepoint which was on tulip diagram. Duffy/Hughes led until TP26 where they realised they had missed Via5 and returned to collect it but they had entered within 50 metres of TP26 and were subsequently penalised with double visit penalties. By the midway point in Shercock, Michael & Ciaran Tynan found themselves in a clear lead as the only crew to have visited every timepoint with correct approach & departure.
The second half of the event took crews further south near Shantonagh & Corduff before looping back to Latton. Tynan/Tynan maintained their lead just dropping five more penalties to finish on a total of 16 penalties. Caolan & Ryan Treanor put in a hugely impressive performance to take 2nd overall on 28 penalties despite having missed TP10. Derek Mackarel/Muireann Hayes completed the podium positions just 1 penalty further back. Mac Kierans/Conor Boylan (30 penalties) and the Novice team of Shane Dalton/Seamus McTigue (32 penalties) secure 4th and 5th places respectively.
In the Semi-Expert class, the Treanor brothers took the class win with Mark Sheridan/Oisin Sherlock in 2nd and Peter Deery/David McCrudden in 3rd. Shane Dalton/Seamus McTigue took a convincing win in the Novice class with Damien Treanor/Patrick Corcoran and Aaron Dixon/Dylan Lennon behind him. On a tough night for Beginners, Paddy Connolly & Colm McKeever took the class win. Cathal Croarkin/Marco Lennon finished in 2nd and Martin McPhillips/Adam Langan in 3rd.
The event was a resounding success with a full entry of 50 crews starting and all timepoints being manned on the 110 mile route. COC Conor Maguire would like to thank all the residents and landowners as well as all the marshals who turned out on the night. Congratulations to Michael & Ciaran Tynan on their overall win on a demanding night for all crews. The Club Championship will continue in the New Year with the January Navigation Trial on January 5th.
County Monaghan Motor Club 