Triple Crown for Moffett
Josh Moffett has completed the Motorsport Ireland triple crown for rallying in 2026.
Josh and navigator Andy Hayes last weekend secured the 2026 Motorsport Ireland Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship.
This championship win is his third Motorsport Ireland rally championship win this year, as he has already won the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Michael Conlon and Ryan Farrell took 16th overall and finished 1st in class 14.
Unfortunately, Brendan Cumiskey/Martin Connolly retired after SS5. They were in 5th place at that time.
The navigation trial season commenced on Saturday night last.
Clerk of the Course Aaron McGorman assisted by Darren Lavery organised this top-class event.
Though this event signalled the beginning of navigation season, the event acted as the final round of the 2025/26 Gary Nesbitt club navigation championship and the 2025/26 overall traders championship.
Aaron and team organised this 80-mile event based out of the excellent facilities of the Latton O’Rahilly’s GAA Club.
Last year’s October navigation trial winners Christopher McMahon/Damien Treanor led the competing crews away at 21:01 in the direction of Latnamard.
The first of many farm lanes used during the night began at Timepoint 2 (Tp2) in Corkeeran before another two in a row for Via 1 (V1) and Tp2 in Cremoyle and Loyst.
The first supplementary route instruction was received at Tp5 to be used to guide crews to Tp6 and V2. This cumulative distance box-tulip diagram took competitors through yet more farm lanes around Rossnaglogh East.
The event’s first time recovery section (TRS) took place on the Newbliss/Ballybay road between Tp9 and 10. Here competitors could regain some of their lateness acquired over the previous 9 timed checkpoints.
The next supplementary route instruction was received at Tp14 located in a farm at Cordressigo. Here competitors received a short herringbone intermediate distance tulip diagram to be used to locate Via 4 and Tp15. The tulip diagram brought competitors in and around a farm yard outside Aaron’s bedroom window to V4, before crossing the road and traveling down a field to the location of Tp15 on the public road below. The complexity of this section was evident when the results were published as only eight of the twenty-nine starters found both checkpoints.
Control B beside the Richard Dawson memorial signalled the half way point of the navigation, and from here the event moved in the direction of Drum, Scotshouse and Annaghmakerig. The next supplementary route instruction was received at Tp20 to reveal the location of V6. It was important for competitors to plot this checkpoint immediately, even though there were two separate checkpoints (Tp21 and Tp22) to visit beforehand. Any crew who did not plot V6’s location immediately would end up visiting it out of sequence and on the wrong approach as it was located on the shortest route to Tp21. Tp25 and 26 signalled the final TRS and the beginning of the speed regularity section. This section took the event to the far side of Rockcorry before the event turned towards Lisnalong.
The final supplementary route instruction was received at Tp30 located beside Mountain Lodge Demesne. This final route instruction used to locate Tp31and was in the form of grid reference numbers in written words in a sentence without spaces and with a mixture of letters in upper and lowercase. After Tp31 it was a straight forward drive to the penultimate control before a short drive to the final control back in the Latton GAA clubhouse.
When the results were totted up, reigning national champions Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy were announced as victors having picked up just six lateness marks during the three hours of competition. This win has provisionally claimed them the 2025/26 Gary Nesbitt club navigation championship title on a tiebreaker from Conor
Boylan/Derek Mackarel. In 2nd place just four marks in arrears and taking the expert class win was the 2023/24 national champions.
Gregory Shinnors and Andrew Mackarel. In 3rd place on 14 marks.
Taking a comfortable win in the semi-expert class was Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan.
Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel finished in 4th place and took 2nd in the expert class. This result has seen Derek provisionally claim the coveted trader’s trophy. Conor Mohan/Michael Carbin took 3rd in the expert class and finished 5th overall.
Elijah Dixon/Abraham Dixon finished 3rd in the novice class,
five marks the better of Abraham’s brother Aaron Dixon who was driving Adam Jordan.
Cillian Mulligan/Gerry Cassidy finished 1st beginner on the night,
Arthur Kierans drove Andrew Howe to 2nd .
Larah Connolly, delighted to be reunited with her poti-light guided Justin Smith to 3rd beginner.
When the awards were presented, both the overall winners and the event organisers thanked Latton GAA for the excellent facility and the catering people of the wonderful food that they provided. They also thanked the large number of marshals, residents and land owners along the route for their help and support.
The annual Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG awards night is fast approaching. The awards night will take place in the Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan on Sunday night October 25th. Tickets will go on sale soon.
