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The navigation trial season resumed on Saturday night last with Co. Monaghan motor club’s January Navigation Trial.

The January Navigation Trial was based out of the Drumhowan Community Centre and organised by Aaron Dixon and Adam Jordan.

The event counted as Round 2 of the 2025/26 Club Navigation and Overall Club Championship.

The navigation began with a brace of checkpoints around Agheralane before moving toward Kilkit. The first Supplementary Route Instruction (SRI) was received at Time Point 6 (Tp6) to help competitors locate Tp7. This curved herringbone tulip diagram brought competitors to the checkpoint located at a house along the R162. Once here competitors received a further SRI to reveal the location of Via 2 and Tp8. This cumulative distance curved tulip diagram took competitors into the Dixon farm for the Via located along the slatted shed and to the Tp located on the public road at the farm exit. The penultimate SRI was received at Tp22 to reveal the location of Via 4 and Tp23. This circular herringbone tulip diagram brought competitors along farm lanes in Bowelk for both checkpoints. The final SRI was received here for the location of Tp24 back in the Dixon farm. The final SRI was in the form of an intermediate distance Box-Tulip Diagram, but with the box’s out of sequence.

Navigators had to make sure and work out which direction change was up next quickly due to the short distance between each box. It was quite easy to go past the intended direction change and receive a Wrong-Approach mark or fail to locate the Tp altogether.

 When the results team were finished calculating the competitors time cards, it was the Dixon brothers of Elijah and Abraham Dixon that had taken the event win with four marks,

two marks the better of Isaiah and David Dixon.

Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel finished in 3^rd place on 10 marks.

 In the Beginner class it was 1^st Larah Connolly/Justin Smyth,

2^nd Jake Mahony/Gary Gallagher and 3^rd Damien Sheridan/Ray O’Neill.

In the Novice class it was 1^st Darren Lavery/Aaron McGorman, 2^nd Conor Lappin/Nathan Mohan and 3^rd Keith Sheridan/James Logue.

 In the Semi-Expert class, it was 1^st Isaiah Dixon/David Dixon, 2^nd Sean Marron/Aidan Keenan and 3^rd Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan.

In the Expert class, it was 1^st Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel,

2^nd Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy

3^rd David McCrudden/Peter Deery.

 When the awards were presented to all the winners on the night, Aaron and Adam thanked all the residents and landowners along the route for their cooperation in allowing the event to take place and use their property.

Top 10

1^st Elijah Dixon/Abraham Dixon (Subaru Impreza) 4m,

2^nd Isaiah Dixon/David Dixon (Subaru Impreza) 6m,

3^rd Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel (Subaru Impreza) 10m,

4^th Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy (Subaru Impreza) 12m,

5^th David McCrudden/Peter Deery (Subaru Impreza) 15m,

6^th Ruaidhri Nash/Eoghan Corr (Subaru Impreza) 16m,

7^th Ciaran Maguire/Mickey McNelis (Subaru Impreza) 20m,

8^th Conor Mohan/Michael Carbin (Subaru Impreza) 25m,

9^th Adam Langan/Michael Conlon (Subaru Impreza) 29m,

10^th Darren Lavery/Aaron McGorman (Subaru Impreza) 32m.

2026 membership for The Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG is available on the motor club App. Just search County Monaghan Motor Club on your mobile phone’s app store to download.

Oisín Sherlock

oisinsherlock97@gmail.com

Combilift Rally Team finished a one two on the Cork Motor Club Boggeragh RallySprint, which took place on Monday last.

The Boggeragh RallySprint took place on a five-and-a-half-kilometre gravel stage located in the Boggeragh Windfarm.

The Moffett brothers of Sam and Josh each took turns duel-driving the Hyundai i20 R5 in Class 5B, and also dual-drove a Ford Escort 6R4.

After the events four timed runs, Josh Moffett/Gavin J Downey took a 20.4s win over Josh’s elder brother Sam navigated by James O’Reilly who finished in 2^nd place.

Another Co. Monaghan Motor Club member Gregory Shinnors navigated James Dunphy to 3^rd overall in a Ford Fiesta R5.  When driving the 6R4, Josh and Sam only attempted three out of the four timed runs and finished 67^th and 70^th overall respectively.

Co. Cavan Motor Club held a Loose Surface Autocross last weekend in their Latton Hut Cross venue.

Jack Maguire took his Honda Civic to 3^rd overall in the car category and 1^st in Class 4.

Nigel Brennan was also competing in the car category and took his Honda Civic to 13^th overall and 8^th in Class 4.

The Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG have opened their motor club membership for 2026. Membership is available on the Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG website, Facebook and the Co. Monaghan Motor Club App. To get the App, just search County Monaghan Motor Club on your mobile phone’s app store and download. Please note that 2025 motor club members must become club members for 2026 before the Gary Nesbitt club navigation championship and overall club Trader’s championship resume with the January navigation trial (Jan 10th) if they wish to score points on this event. Failure to become a member before the event, the competitor will forfeit any points that they would have received on the event. Regulations and entry form will be published very soon.

Oisín Sherlock

oisinsherlock97@gmail.com

Skibbereen and District Car Club hosted Round 3 of the 2025/26 National Navigation Championship last weekend.

Clerk of the Course Ruaidhri Nash assisted by Brian Oakes organised the Carbery Navigation Trial which was a seventy-five-mile event based out of the Bandon Rugby Club.

 County Monaghan Motor Club members and current national championship leaders Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy finished in 3^rd place.

Stephen and Ray O’Neill finished right behind them in 4^th place and took a considerable victory in the Semi-Expert class.

 Gregory Shinnors and Andrew Mackarel finished in 8^th place.

Killian McArdle was competing in the UK over the weekend. Killian was navigating for Daniel O’Brien in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 on the Coppermines Grizedale Stages Rally 2025. In this six special-stage event held entirely in the Grizedale forest complex, Daniel and Killian finished in 6^th place overall and 4^th in Class 1.

The Motorsport Ireland annual awards night took place in the Crowne Plaza Hotel Santry Co. Dublin on Saturday last.

Ryan Treanor along with is Co. Longford driver Shane Dalton were awarded with their trophies for being crowned as the 2024/25 National Navigation Championship winners.

This was Ryan’s second time to receive this accolade, but it was Shane’s first. Although they are not defending their title this season, they did take on the role of organising round two of this season’s championship, Monaghan Motor Club’s Drumlin Navigation Trial.

Co. Monaghan Motor Club CLG have opened their club membership for 2026. Membership is available on the motor club website, Facebook and the Co. Monaghan Motor Club App. Just search County Monaghan Motor Club on your mobile phone’s app store to download.

Oisín Sherlock.

The Killarney Towers Hotel Historic Rally took place last weekend. The Co. Donegal crew of Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy took the victory on the nine special stage historic event.

The Donegal pair took the victory on the final stage in their BMW M3 E30, as the leaders up until then, Kris Meeke/Noel O’Sullivan retired before the stage start with engine trouble in their similar BMW M3 E30.

 Brendan McAree and Peter Farrell took their Porsche 911 home in 38^th overall.

 In the modified section of the rally, Gary McPhillips and Conor Mohan finished a well-deserved 3^rd place overall and also finished 2^nd in Class 7 in their Ford Escort MKII.

Killian McArdle guided Michael Cahill to 4^th overall and 3^rd in Class 7 in their Ford Escort MKII. Ryan Farrell navigating for Stephen Faughnan finished 12^th overall. Unfortunately, Daniel McKenna/Andrew Grenna retired at the start of SS1 with engine issues and Johno Doogan/Paul Lennon retired before the start of SS1. Michael Carbin/Darragh Kelly retired after SS4.

Co. Monaghan Motor Club member all the way out in Australia Mac Kierans was back in action recently. Two weeks ago, Mac was navigating for Tom Dermody in the Adelaide Tarmac Rally. After the three days of rallying Tom and Mac took their historic spec Ford Escort MKI home in 7^th place overall and 2^nd in class.

Last weekend Mac was navigating for Johnny Drophy in a Honda Civic in the Lovells Alpine Rally of East Gippsland. This event is the second oldest rally in the world after Rallye Monte-Carlo. In this 280km gravel event over three days Johnny and Mac were sitting in 35^th overall on Saturday until they broke a driveshaft and had to finish the event under Super Rally rules. They finished 65^th overall and 8^th in class C4.

The National Navigation Championship continues this weekend with the Skibbereen and District Car Club Carbery Navigation Trial. Clerk of the Course Ruaidhri Nash has laid out a seventy-five mile event based out of the Bandon Rugby Club. The first competing crew will depart the HQ at 21:31 on Saturday night.

Co. Monaghan Motor Club have opened their membership for 2026. Membership is available on the motor club website, Facebook and the Monaghan Motor Club App. Just search County Monaghan Motor Club on your mobile phone’s app store to download.

Oisín Sherlock

The 2025 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship awards night took place in the Sligo Park Hotel Co. Sligo last weekend.

 The 2024 Sligo Pallets forest champions Derek Mackarel with his navigator Eamonn Creedon finished this year’s championship in 3^rd place overall.

 Jack Casey alongside navigator Ciara Duggan finished 2^nd in class 9. The 2026 Sligo Pallets Forest Rally Championship will commence with the Connacht Forest Rally on February 15th.

The 2025 Škoda Parts Ireland National Endurance Championship awards night also took place last weekend.

 In this awards ceremony Evin Hughes finished 2^nd placed navigator overall.

Andrew Mackarel and Richard Cassidy finished 3^rd in the combined class of E and F.

The postponed Samsonas Fivemiletown Rally took place last weekend.

The event was originally to take place in February, but was postponed because of the damage to the forest tracks caused by Storm Éowyn. 

On this eight special stage gravel event, Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes finished in 3^rd place onboard their Hyundai i20 R5.

James McCarville and Arthur Kierans took their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 home in 12^th overall.

Tommy Moffett and Ryan Farrell took their Ford Fiesta Rally4 home with 22^nd overall, 1^st in Class 5 and they were the 3^rd 2wd home.

Unfortunately, Derek Mackarel/Eamonn Creedon were forced into retirement while leading the rally, after clipping a rock on finish line of SS2.  

Jack Treanor returned to driving in Kirkistown last weekend. Jack debuted his new j1000 spec Škoda Citigo. On this latest event in the Rallysport Association 2025/26 Winter Championship, Jack finished 2^nd in class and gained valuable seat time in his new car ahead of the big plans he has for 2026.

Gregory Shinnors was competing in the infamous Roger Albert Clark Rally last week. This five-day world-renowned event began in Carmarthen (Wales) on Thursday before moving to Carlisle (North England), for stages in both England and Scotland and finished there on Monday. Unfortunately for Gregory and his driver Seamus Burke, they were forced to retire on SS27 (Twiglees 2) after sustaining damage to a link arm on the rear axle of their Ford Escort RS 2000.   

Oisín Sherlock.