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Monaghan Motor Club News

The Triton Showers National Rally Championship awards night took place last weekend in the Seven Oaks Hotel Carlow.  Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy are the overall winners of the 2025 championship following the eight rounds. In the classes, Domhnall Lennon finished 3^rd navigator in Class 2.

In the classes, last year’s national champions Josh Moffett and Keith Moriarty finished 1^st in Class 5, with Josh’s brother Sam finishing 3^rd driver in the same class.

In Class 10, Eoghán Farrell finished 2^nd navigator while Peter Farrell finished 3^rd driver. Following on from their 2025 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship victory,

Michael Conlon and Adam Langan were the winners of Class 12. Photo: Brendan Flynn

Michelle Quigley and Adam Langan pose for a photo after Adam accepts his award for winning Class 12. (Missing in general Michael Conlon)Photo Brendan Flynn

Unfortunately,Michael Conlon was unable to attend the awards night as he was busy getting lost in Ballinamuck. (More on this later). Arthur Kierans finished 3^rd navigator in Class 13. Johno Doogan and Paul Lennon finished 3^rd in Class 14.

The National Navigation Championship continued with the Midland Motor Club Navigation Trial on Saturday night last. Members of both Midland and Co. Monaghan Motor Club, Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy organised an eighty-mile event, based in the area between Drumlish and Carrigallen.

CoCs of the Monaghan Drumlin Navigation Trial Ryan Treanor/Shane Dalton were seeded car one on the road and led the competing crews away from the 98 Hall in Ballinamuck at 21:01. 

After departing checkpoint 1 (Tp1), it was immediately into the first of many farms used on the night to reach Via 1 (V1). After departing this checkpoint, it was into a very long narrow overgrown lane in Gaigue to reach Tp2. There was a trick for competitors here as there was an unmapped lane looking just like the intended mapped lane heading in the same direction. Anyone failing to notice this, haemorrhaged time correcting themselves or arrived to the checkpoint on the wrong approach. This trick caught out at least nine competing crews.

The first Supplementary Route Instruction (SRI) was received at Tp3 for the location of Tp4. Here competitors received a list of map gridline numbers that they had to cross in order to reach the location of the checkpoint.

The events second SRI was received at Tp4 to reveal the location of Tp5. This time competitors received a full route card of plots with the location of Tp5 in amongst the page’s thirty-three other plots. There was a trick here as on the reverse side of the page was a single plot for the location of Tp6. Anyone who failed to notice this would inadvertently arrive at Tp6 on the wrong approach enroute to Tp5. A third SRI was received at Tp5 for the correct route to Tp6. Competitors received a cumulative distance image tulip diagram with the images out of order. Any navigator who didn’t notice that the images were out of order would arrive at Tp7 instead and have to skip Tp6. Tp7 and 8 marked the first Time Recovery Section (TRS) of the event and gave competitors a chance to recover some lost time that accumulated over the opening nine checkpoints.

The Speed Regularity Section took place between Tp14 and Tp15 and brought the event towards Aghavas, before the event made an about-face and headed back toward Ballinamuck.

The next SRI was received at Tp22 for the location of Tp23. At Tp22 competitors received another cumulative distance image tulip diagram. The trick here was on the very first instruction. The first instruction informed competitors to turn right immediately. Unbeknownst to most, the checkpoint marshal’s car was parked disguising an unmapped lane (intended route), but there also was a public road T-Junction about two car lengths in front of them. Anyone who continued to the T-Junction would receive ‘Wrong Departure’ marks, but in theory could still locate Tp23 as turning right at the T-Junction brought competitors to the same location as image two on the SRI which was just 100m away. Tp23 was located on the same farm lane as Tp9, but had to be arrived at using an unmapped farm lane beforehand.

Once there, competitors received the final SRI of the event. This SRI was an intermediate distance herringbone tulip diagram. Competitors had to first plot the location of the start point for the tulip. The Tulip began at a farm in Camagh and brought competitors through a loop of the farm on unmapped lanes for Tp24, before continuing on unmapped lanes for Tp25.  There was still plenty of confusion on the cards from here on as V3 and Tp27 were located in close proximity to each other in Brocklagh, and each required a separate ‘road goes’ for the correct approach.

There was a lot of complicated navigating between Tp28 and Control C as Tp29, V4, V5 and Control C were all within a short walking distance (albeit with wellingtons) apart. To arrive at Tp29, competitors had to firstly avoid V4 and 5, and after T29 competitors had to make sure to select the correct road goes to not miss V4 on the way to 5. This is complicated enough without the added confusion of cars going in all directions, some for T29, some for V4, some for V5 and some for Control C. After this rat race competitors were relieved to be returning to the 98 Hall for a well needed mind rest.  When results were announced it was the local team of Sam Johnston/Colin Duffy who were victorious over the eighty miles and picked up just five lateness marks. They finished twenty marks better off than David McCrudden/Peter Deery, who finished 2^nd and took 1^st in the Expert class.

Peter Deery and David McCrudden accept their awards for winning the Expert Class from Evin Hughes. Photo: Keith Sheridan.

Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel finished 3^rd in the Expert Class.  

Derek Mackarel and Conor Boylan accept their awards from Evin Hughes for finishing 3rd in the Expert class. Photo Keith Sheridan

Seán Marron/Aidan Keenan finished 2^nd in the Semi-Expert class

Sean Marron and Aidan Keenan accept their awards from Evin Hughes for finishing 2nd in the Semi-Expert class. Photo: Keith Sheridan

Stephen and Ray O’Neill finished 3^rd in the same class.

Stephen and Ray O’Neill on their way to finishing 3rd in the Semi-Expert class. Photo: Lorna Kennedy.

I wrote earlier, ‘Michael Conlon was ‘busy getting lost in Ballinamuck’. He was driving Oisín Sherlock in the event, and even with Oisín’s own mistakes, Oisín thought Michael himself was confused as to which of them owned M.C Blinds. As every few minutes Michael would exclaim, ‘Are You Blind Man?’.

Oisín Sherlock.

The Co Monaghan Motor Club 2025/26 Gary Nesbitt Navigation Championship and the overall Traders Championship began last weekend with the Drumlin Navigation Trial.

The 2024/25 national champions Ryan Treanor and Shane Dalton organised a mammoth 120-mile event in the area between Roslea and Aughnacloy. 

The Drumlin navigation attracted an entry of 36 starters as it was also a counting round of both the National and the Squealing Pig Border Navigation Championship.

Last season’s Gary Nesbitt Navigation Championship winners Conor Mohan and Michael Carbin were seeded car 1 and led the competing crews away from the Slíabh Beagh Hotel, Knockatallon at 21:01 on Saturday night.

The first four checkpoints were straight forward, even with having to travel through Knockatallon cross and a manned stop sign three times for Timepoints (Tp) 1, 2, 3 and 4. This section also included a Via enroot to Tp3.

Tp4 and 5 were located in the Stramackilroy forest, though the two timepoints were located just a few hundred metres apart, they each required two separate passes through the forest’s challenging gravel tracks.

Tp6 and Tp7 were located at each end of the Derrynasell West forest. The event from this point onward got very technical as the next fourteen checkpoints were all in the same area on the map which made competitors maps very muddled and navigators had to be extremely careful not to accidently arrive at checkpoints twice or out of sequence. 

In the middle of this maze, was the first two of the events eight Supplementary Route Instructions (SRI). At Tp15 competitors received an intermediate Herringbone Tulip Diagram to lead them to the location of Tp16. Once they reached Tp16, they would receive another instruction to guide them to Tp17. The route to Tp17, involved using an unmapped lane and a river crossing to reach the safety of its location. The difficulty of this section is evident from the results sheet, as every single competitor acquired lateness penalties (marks) or missed one or both checkpoints entirely.

Control B (CB) was where competitors could catch a brief break from the plethora of checkpoints in the same area as the event began to move toward Carrickroe.

The first Speed Regularity Section (SRS) began at Tp21 in Feebaghduff. This section was timed to the second, travelling at 28mph average speed and brought competitors to Corryarbeg. The last part of the SRS would pass by the location of TPs 37, 38 and 39, Tps that wouldn’t be used for a number of hours yet. The events third SRI was received at Tp26. Here competitors had to draw out trace diagrams to reveal the location of Tp27 and Tp28. It was vital to draw both trace diagrams before leaving Tp26, as Tp28 was located on the shortest route to Tp27. Tp29 and 30 were back on the pre plotted route, before it was time for CC and CD at McAnenly’s Service Station.

The events second SRS began at CD and this time it was set at 30mph. It brought the event towards Davagh cross. The secret check car was located at Fort Singleton, where a private lane that followed the same contours of the public road was the most inviting to travel. Anyone failing to keep on the public road would inevitably receive a ‘wrong approach’ at the check car or, drop considerable average speed correcting themselves. This trick was a nightmare for many as only four competing crews avoided acquiring marks on this SRS. 

Another SRI was collected at Tp35 for the location of Tp37. This Clock Face Diagram brought crews to Killylough. It was vital that navigators plotted its location on their map as its location was on the shortest route between Tp37 to Tp38. Anyone failing to notice this would inevitably pass through this checkpoint again and receive a ‘Double Visit’ mark.

It was up over Bragan mountain now for Tp42 through Tp50. Another SRI was received at Tp44 (Rock Bridge). Here competitors received a poem Seamus Heaney himself would be proud of. Hidden in this six-verse poem was a ‘Spot Hight’ (Location) and the approach and departure for the Tp.

The penultimate SRI was collected at Tp50 to reveal the location of Tp51. At Tp51 the final SRI was received. For Tp52, competitors had to travel under a washing line between a dwelling house and a garage to join an unmapped lane to the TP. Unsurprisingly, all competitors were hung out to dry here as every competitor either didn’t find the TP, dropped a lot of time or were over their maximum allowance of 15 minutes lateness.

At the end of this challenging event, it was the 2024/25, Squealing Pig Border Navigation Championship winners Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy

who took a well-earned victory by 3 marks over Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel.

The Co. Donegal pairing of Ciaran Coyle/Shane Laverty finished in 3^rd place.

After the awards were presented, both the Clerk of the Course Ryan and the overall winner Evin thanked all the residents along the route, landowners and marshals for making the event a huge success. They also thanked the staff of the Slíabh Beagh Hotel and the people who looked after the results and the catering during the event.

Conor Maguire presents the CoC award to Ryan Treanor and Shane Dalton for all their hard work in organising the navigation trial.

Top 10 Overall

1^st Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy (Subaru Impreza) 76m,

2^nd Conor Boylan/Derek Mackarel (Subaru Impreza) 79m,

3^rd Ciaran Coyle/Shane Laverty (Subaru Impreza) 109m,

4^th Greg Shinnors/Andrew Mackarel (Subaru Impreza) 135m,

5^th David McCrudden/Peter Deery (Subaru Impreza) 140m,

6^th Conor Mohan/Michael Carbin (Subaru Impreza) 144m,

7^th Anthony McDonald/Sean McConnell (Subaru Impreza) 166m,

8^th Aidan Friel/Charlie McMonagle (Subaru Impreza) 168m,

9^th Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan (Subaru Impreza) 203m,

10^th Patrick O’Leary/Trevor O’Callaghan (Subaru Impreza) 211m.

Mohan wins in the Forest

Conor Mohan and Eamonn Kelly put the disappointing end their 2025 Junior World Rally Championship campaign well behind them on the McCafferty’s Bars Donegal Forestry Rally on Saturday.

Conor and Eamonn took a start to finish victory over the event’s four stages and came out with a winning margin of 31.1s of David Kelly/Shane Buckley. Derek Mackarel/Eamonn Creedon finished in 6^th overall. Damien Connolly guided Oran England to 15^th overall and 2^nd in Class 2. Jack Casey finished 55^th overall and 2^nd in Class 9.

Killion McArdle was navigating for Aoife Rafferty in Spain last weekend. The pair retired on SS3 with mechanical trouble.

Oisín Sherlock & Aaron McElroy

Michael Conlon and Adam Langan were crowned the 2025 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship winners last weekend in the Sligo Park Hotel.

The Co. Monaghan Motor Club pairing competed on all five rounds of this season’s championship and amazingly, they secured maximum scores on all five events onboard their Class 12 Ford Escort MKII.

The 2025 championship win, is Michael’s second border championship victory, as he previously took the championship win in 2017.

For being the winning driver of Class 12, Michael was also presented with the Brian McGrath Memorial Trophy. 2025 was Adam’s first full season competing in stage rallies as he had only competed in five events beforehand.

This year has turned out to be an epic one for Adam in the stage rally circuit as he has been crowned the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship champion navigator and he has finished 1st in class on every stage rally event that he has competed in, including the 2025 Loughgall Stages Rally.

There were a few other Co. Monaghan Motor Club success stories in the 2025 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship.

In Class 13, James McCarville finished 3^rd driver with Arthur Kierans finishing 2^nd navigator.

In Class 11F, Jack Maguire finished 3^rd driver. In Class 10, Peter Farrell finished 3^rd driver

while his son Eoghán finished 2^nd navigator.

In Class 5, Josh Moffett finished 2^nd driver.

The National Navigation Championship continues this weekend with the Co. Monaghan Motor Club Drumlin Navigation Trial. 

Clerk of the Course Ryan Treanor assisted by Shane Dalton have organised a 120-mile event based out of the Slíabh Beagh Hotel in Knockatallon. Sign on is from 17:45 with the first competing crew beginning at 21:01. As ever, marshals are required for the successful running of this event, so if you’re available to marshal, please contact Ryan or any Co. Monaghan Motor Club member.

There were four motor club members competing in a Rallysport Association event in Mondello Park last weekend.

Dessie Keenan, Gary McPhilips and Niall Maguire were all competing in Ford Escorts, while Niall’s daughter Molly was competing in a Peugeot 206.

Gary McPhillips finished 36^th overall and 2^nd in Class 9, while Dessie Keenan finished 41^st overall and 3^rd in Class 9.

Niall Maguire finished 63^rd overall and 4^th in Class 7. Molly Maguire finished 85^th overall and 12^th in Class 5.

Oisín Sherlock

The annual Co. Monaghan Motor Club awards night took place in the Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan Town on Sunday last, with a large crowd in attendance.

Chairperson of Co. Monaghan Motor Club Conor Maguire spoke at length regarding the success that motor club members had in the last 12 months.

Among the achievements were: Conor Mohan competing in the 2025 Junior World Rally Championship alongside Eamonn Kelly. Winning Rally Finland, they were in contention to win the championship outright going into the final round.

Killian McArdle, sitting alongside Joe Kelly, was 2nd in the Junior BRC after a final round showdown. Killian also competed in European Rally Championship events and a round of the World Rally Championship.

Ryan Treanor won the 2024/25 National Navigation Championship for the second time.

Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy won the 2024/25 Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship.

Michael Conlon and Adam Langan won the 2025 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship.

Josh Moffett won multiple rounds of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Both Stephen Wright and Sam Moffett competed in the SEAT Supercup Ireland racing series.

Bobby Connolly was competing in the Tullyallen Kart Club Championship 2025. Bobby finished 3rd  overall in the Cadet Iame championship after the eight rounds.

In the Gary Nesbitt Club Navigation Championship, Conor Mohan and Michael Carbin were overall winners.

1st in the Beginner class went to Darren Lavery and Aaron McGorman.

2^nd in the class went to Elijah and Abraham Dixon,

with Dermot Mallon and Michael Conlon taking 3^rd. 

1st Novice went to Ben Mohan and Damien Hagan.

2^nd in class went to Adam Jordan and Aaron Dixon,

with Eoghán and Peter Farrell taking 3^rd.

Adam Langan and Martin Swinburne finished 1st Semi-Expert.

2^nd in class went to Gretchen Swinburne

and Shane Maguire, with Molly Maguire and Cathal McGlone taking 3^rd. 

Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy finished 1st Expert.

2^nd went to Gregory Shinnors and Andrew Mackarel,

with Aaron McElroy and Declan Tynan taking 3^rd. 

Molly Maguire was presented the 2025 Monaghan Motor Club Ladies award for being the top placed lady in the 2024/25 overall club Traders championship.

Conor Mohan and Michael Carbin were presented with the Drumlin Navigation Premier Award for being the highest club finishers on the event.

Aaron McElroy and Declan Tynan won the George Cannon award for the highest placed Monaghan-resident crew.

The Gerry McNamara award for contributions to the club and sport as a whole was presented to Patsy McIntyre.

At the end of the night it was the big one, the club Traders Trophy. This highly sought after cup went to Michael Carbin. Michael gave a speech thanking all his friends and navigators for their support all year and to Damien Treanor for prepping all the cars before each event and supplying a car for him to use in the Autotest event.

The Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship 2025/26

got underway on Saturday night last with the Donegal Motor Club Navigation Trial. Seeded car two on the night, 

Conor Boylan and Derek Mackarel finished 1st overall.

Ryan Farrell navigating for Paddy O’Donnell finished 2nd in the Expert class

with Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy finishing 3rd.

Conor Mohan and Michael Carbin finished 7th overall.

Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan finished 2nd in the Novice Class.

Ciaran Maguire/Mickey McNelis finished 11th overall.

Adam Jordan/Aaron Dixon finished 3rd in the Novice Class.

Darren Lavery/Aaron McGorman finished 19th overall. Elijah and Abraham Dixon finished 3rd in the Beginner class.

Isaiah Dixon/Jack Cassidy finished 24th overall.

Killian McArdle and Joe Kelly went to the Cambrian Rally in contention for the Junior British Rally Championship title. There bid came to an end after losing the lead on SS5 when they caught a slower car and were unable to make the time back up. They would finish the championship 2nd.

The final round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship took place with the Skibbereen and District Car Club, Fastnet Stages Rally. Paul McPhillips, navigating for Cian Caldwell, finished 91^st overall after finishing the event under Super Rally rules. Damien Connolly sas ó the notes for Oran England but the pait retired on SS1 following mechanical issues.

Down in Australia Shane Farrell navigating for Eamonn McNabb finished 1^st overall in the 2025 DCL Contracting Experts Cup. Eamonn and Shane were competing onboard a Ford Fiesta Rally2 took a 36.5s win over Dylan King/Lee Tierney who were competing in a Toyota Yaris AP4.

Oisín Sherlock & Aaron McElroy

The Co. Monaghan Motor Club AGM took place in the Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan Town last Friday. At the meeting the 2025 committee was re-elected for the 2026 year.

The National Navigation Championship got underway last weekend with the Cork Motor Club Startrek Navigation Trial.

Clerk of the Course Ken Carmody assisted by James Fitzgerald organised an 85-mile event based out of the Donoughmore Community Hall.

There were two Co. Monaghan Motor Club crews involved. In fact, it was Co. Monaghan Motor Club who began the event as the 2023/24 national champions Gregory Shinnors with Andrew Mackarel were seeded first on the road, while last season’s Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation champions Evin Hughes and Pakie Duffy were seeded second on the road.

 After the 85 miles and when results were totted up it was the Co. Cork pairing of Aaron O’Regan/Patrick Murphy who took a two mark (penalty) win over Evin and Pakie who finished in 2^nd place.

 Gregory and Andrew finished in 5^th place.

The event was tricky from the get-go as there were 40 checkpoints to reach in the 85 miles and there was torrential rain and blanket fog throughout. In the first part of the event around Donoughmore and Stuake there were a plethora of farm lanes including seven checkpoints within a squared kilometre (one OSI map box), one of which was on a supplementary route instruction located in the same farm complex. From here it was into the Boggeragh mountains for a taste of the forestry gravel tracks.

 Round 5 of the SEAT Supercup Ireland Championship took place in Mondello Park last weekend. In the thirteen-lap race, Stephen Wright emerged victorious with Sam Moffett finishing in 3^rd place.

The Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Championship commences this weekend in Co. Donegal.

Ciaran Coyle assisted by Shane Laverty have laid out an 85-mile event based out of the Lurgybrack Open Farm beside Letterkenny.

Conor Mohan was navigating for Eamonn Kelly in the Central European Rally last weekend. The event was the final round of the 2025 Junior World Rally Championship. Unfortunately for Eamonn and Conor, they would retire from the event within sight of the finish line on special stage 1. 

The Co. Monaghan Motor Club annual awards night will take place in The Four Seasons Hotel this Sunday at 8pm.

 Tickets can be purchased from Committee members or through the Co. Monaghan Motor Club App. Michael Carbin is the winner if the 2024/25 overall club (Traders) championship. Michael finished the six round championship on a total of 97.2 points, 11.2 points better off than Andrew Mackarel who finished in 2nd place.

3rd place went to Aaron McElroy.

In the Gary Nesbitt Club Navigation Championship, the outright winners were Conor Mohan and Michael Carbin.

2^nd place went to Evin Hughes/Pakie Duffy and 3rd place went to Aaron McElroy/Declan Tynan.

In the Beginner class, it was Darren Lavery/Aaron McGorman 1st, Elijah Dixon/Abraham Dixon 2nd and Dermot Mallon/Michael Conlon 3rd.

 In the Novice class it was Ben Mohan/Damien Hagan 1st, Adam Jordan/Aaron Dixon 2nd and Eoghán Farrell/Peter Farrell 3rd.

In the Semi-Expert class, it was Adam Langan/Martin Swinburne 1st, Gretchen Swinburne/Shane Maguire 2nd and Molly Maguire/Cathal McGlone 3rd.

In the Expert class, it was Evin Hughes/Packie Duffy 1st, Gregory Shinnors/Andrew Mackarel 2nd, and Aaron McElroy 3rd

Oisín Sherlock