Author: monaghanmotorclub

Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes took a start to finish victory on last weekend’s Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally 2026.

Josh and Andy took their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 to a 9.9s win over Callum Devine/Noel O’Sullivan jnr who were competing in a Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.

Killian McArdle navigated Joseph Kelly to 14^th overall in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

Michael Carbin and Conor Mohan took their Ford Escort MKII home in 15^th overall and 3^rd in class 14.

Nigel Brennan/Mark Sheridan finished 61^st overall and 4^th in class 11F in their Honda Civic VTi.

Andrew Mackarel/Richard Cassidy took their Opel Ascona home in 84^th overall.

Unfortunately, Paul Barrett/Darragh Kelly retired on SS9

James McCarville/Damien Doherty retired after SS12.

Ryan Farrell navigating for Johnnie Mulholland retired after SS13

Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty retired after SS14.

In the land down under, Macartan Kierans was navigating for Kilkenny man Richie Dalton in the Rally of Bathurst.

On this 170km gravel event, consisting of 11 special stages Richie and Mac took their Toyota GR Yaris AP4 home in 2^nd place overall, but were the 1^st New South Wales crew home.

They had been in 1^st place overall until they had a high-speed off-road excursion on SS4, which dropped them 10/15s and dropped them into 2^nd place.

It must be noted that despite the high speed off (181kmph) Mac didn’t get flustered and immediately began instructing Richie how to get the car corrected and back onto the stage. Once back onto the stage, it was immediately back onto the notes, as if nothing had happened.

 The final navigation trial of the season will be hosted by Donegal Motor Club this Saturday night. The event will be the final round of the 2025/26 Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship.

Regulations and entry are now published and available for the 2026 Four Seasons Hotel Ronnie Hawe Monaghan Stages Rally.

Treanor and team have picked three demanding stages in the north Monaghan region. The event will take place on Sunday April 12th. The official launch of the event will take place on Friday the 20^th of March in the Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan at 8pm. This is your chance to get up and personal with some of the local cars and hear from some of the local competitors too. Don’t miss out on our launch night competition. 1^st prize is a free entry to the event, 2^nd is a voucher for pacenotes and 3^rd prize is a voucher toward an in-car camera hire. Tickets can be purchased on the County Monaghan Motor Club App. To download the app, just search County Monaghan Motor Club on your mobile phones’ app store.

Oisín Sherlock

Co. Monaghan Motor Club hosted the final round of the 2025/26 National Navigation Championship last weekend.

First time Clerk of the Course Aaron McElroy assisted by Declan Tynan organised an 80-mile event based out of the Sean McDermotts GAA Complex in Threemilehouse.

The event took in areas such as Kileevan, Doohat, Drum, Aghabog and Corcaghan.

Conor Boylan and Derek Mackarel took the overall win on the night on a total of six marks from acquired lateness during the event.

Derek Mackarel and Conor Boylan being presented with the overall awards by Clerk of Course Aaron McElroy and Assistant COC Declan Tynan (Photo: Peter Cassidy)

There was a three-way tie for 2^nd place and 1st in the expert class as all of David McCrudden/Peter Deery, Conor Mohan/Michael Carbin and Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy finished on 11 marks.

1^st expert went to McCrudden/Deery on the furthest cleanest rule. 2^nd expert went to Mohan/Carbin for acquiring their next lateness mark at Tp9A as Hughes/Duffy had picked up theirs at Tp5. Richard Cassidy/Andrew Mackarel took the semi-expert class win.

2^nd semi-expert went to Ciaran Coyle/Shane Laverty.

Anthony McDonald/Sean McConnell finished 3^rd in the class.

Darren Lavery/Aaron McGorman finished 1^st in the novice class. Aidan Sweeney/Aidan McDevitt finished 2^nd in the class.

3^rd novice went to Keith Sheridan/James Logue. 

Jake Mahony/Garry Gallagher finished 1^st in the beginner class. 2^nd in class went to Elijan and Abraham Dixon. 3^rd in class went to Damien Sheridan/Stefan McCann. 

After the awards were presented both Aaron and Declan thanked all the officials who came to man all the checkpoint locations, residents along the route and the landowners for allowing the event to use their property.

The final navigation trial of the season will be hosted by Donegal Motor Club on Saturday March 21^st. The event will be the final round of the 2025/26 Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship.

On the Race and Rally Stages Rally last weekend Sam Moffett and Piaras O’Callaghan took their Hyundai i20N Rally2 home in 4^th place. Killian McArdle guided Rory Loughran to 37^th overall and 3^rd in class 4.

Regulations and entry are now published and available for the 2026 Four Seasons Hotel Ronnie Hawe Monaghan Stages Rally.

Thomas Treanor and team have picked three demanding stages in the north Monaghan region. The event will take place on Sunday April 12^th.

Oisín Sherlock & Aaron McElroy

The Triton Showers National Rally Championship, the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship and the Dacia Sandero Challenge all got underway last weekend.

The four tarmac championships got underway on Sunday last with the Mayo Stages Rally hosted by the Mayo & District Motorsport Club CLG.

Josh Moffett was the top placed Monaghan Motor Club finisher on the day as he and Keith Moriarty finished in 4^th place and 1^st in class 5.

Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty took their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 to 6^th overall and 3^rd in Class 5.

Paul Barrett/Paddy Robinson finished 12^th overall.

Killian McArdle navigated Joseph Kelly to 15^th overall.

Pierce O’Callaghan guided Johnathon Pringle to 16^th overall and 3^rd in class 14.

Justin Smyth/Ciaran McGorman finished 28^th overall and 2^nd in class 12.

Jack Maguire/Ashling McArdle finished 30^th overall and 3^rd in class 11F.

Domhnall Lennon guided James Cassidy to 32^nd overall and 3^rd in class 12.

Anthony Hand/David McCrudden finished 35^th overall and 1^st in class 11R.

Kevin Reilly navigated Colin Flanagan to 44^th overall.

Martin McPhillips/Peter Farrell finished 48^th overall.

Cathal Sheridan/Philip Donohoe finished 63^rd overall and 2^nd in class 10.

Callum Maguire navigating for Jack Brennan finished 86^th overall after returning under Super Rally rules.

Michael Conlon/Paul McPhillips finished 89^th overall after returning under Super Rally rules.

Both Johno Doogan/Paul Lennon and Gary McPhillips/Ger Conway retired after special stage 7.

Ryan Farrell navigating for Stephen Faughnan retired after special stage 1.

James McCarville/Arthur Kierans retired after special stage 3

Daniel McConnon navigating for Gavin McGivney retired after special stage 5.

The Samsonas Fivemiletown Spring Rally

took place on Saturday last. Derek Mackarel and Conor Boylan were the sole Co. Monaghan entrants. Unfortunately, they were forced to retire on special stage 3 with mechanical trouble onboard their Ford Fiesta R5.

The National Navigation Championship

comes to an end this weekend with the Monaghan March Navigation Trial.

Aaron McElroy and Declan Tynan have organised an 80-mile event based out of the Sean McDermotts GAA Complex in Threemilehouse.

 As ever, marshals are required for the successful running of this event.

Anyone who is available to help out on the night are asked to contact Co. Monaghan Motor Club.

Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy are provisionally the National Champions following the previous Cavan event, but they’ll be hoping to add the 2025/26 Squealing Pig Border Navigation Championship to this season’s success.  

Oisín Sherlock.

Monaghan Motor Club News

County Cavan Motor Club hosted the latest round of both the National Navigation Championship and the Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship last weekend.

Conor Lappin assisted by Anthony McDonald organised an 85-mile event based out of the Ballymac Inn in Ballymagauran.

Overall winners on the night were the Co. Monaghan crew of Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel.

Second overall and 1^st in the Expert Class went to Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy.

This result has provisionally secured them the 2025/26 national navigation championship with a round to spare.

Last season’s national champions Ryan Treanor/Shane Dalton took a step back this year by not contesting the full championship.

They did however contest this event and finished 4^th overall and 2^nd in the Expert class.

Seán Marron/Aidan Keenan finished in 5^th place and took 2^nd in the Semi-Expert class.

David McCrudden/Peter Deery took 3^rd in the Expert class.

Isaiah and Aaron Dixon took 2^nd in the Novice class.

Domhnall Lennon/Michael Conlon finished 2^nd in the Beginner class.

3^rd Novice went to Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan.

Elijah and Abraham Dixon took 3^rd in the Beginner class.

Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG hosted their annual Autotest the following morning at McAree Engineering in Ballinode village.

Ciaran Tynan once again hosted the tough but enjoyable precision driving test.

Derek Mackarel made it two wins from two this weekend as he was the fastest to complete all eight tests.

2^nd overall and 1^st in class 2 went to Elijah Dixon.

3^rd overall and 2^nd in class 2 went to Andrew Mackarel.

3^rd in class 2 went to Abraham Dixon.

Fastest Junior on the day and taking the Junior win was Jack Treanor.

 

Oisín Sherlock.

Yeats Ridge Forestry Rally

The 2026 Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship got underway last weekend with the Yeats Ridge Forestry Rally. Connacht Motor Club CLG organised this event, which included four separate special stages, each ran twice in the forests between Geevagh (Sligo) and Manorhamilton (Leitrim).

Josh Moffett was the highest placed Monaghan MC member on the day, as he and navigator Andy Hayes took their Hyundai i20 R5 home in 5^th place and 2^nd in class 5.

Derek Mackarel and his navigator Eamonn Creedon finished the day right behind them in 6^th place and 3^rd in class 5.

Killian McArdle navigated Aoife Raftery to 12^th overall and 3rd in class 4.

Last years Sligo Pallets Border Tarmac Rally Champion Michael Conlon switched to the forests this year and finished 21^st overall and 2^nd in Class 14.

Martin and Ciaran Tynan made a return to the stage rallying at the event. They took their Mitsubishi Evo 8 to 33^rd overall and 3^rd in class 15.

The national navigation championship continues this Saturday night in county Cavan.

Conor Lappin and Anthony McDonald have organised an 85-mile event, which will be based out of The Ballymac Inn Bar and Restaurant in Ballymagauran.

County Monaghan Motor Club CLG are hosting their annual Autotest event this Sunday.

CoC Ciaran Tynan has laid out a series of tough but enjoyable tests in the yard of McAree Engineering in Ballinode village.

Regulations and entry are available on the County Monaghan Motor Club App/Website.etc

Oisín Sherlock.