O’Donoghue trophy for Elaine Ní Shé at Rally of the Lakes

AN impressive drive over Sunday’s stages resulted in Monaghanbased Ford Fiesta driver Sam Moffett second victory in the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes.

Starting day two of rally in third place, Moffett and his co-driver Karl Atkinson were some 26 second off overnight leader Roy White in another Fiesta and 18 seconds behind the Hyundai R5 of Robert Barrable.

Once the roads dried late on Sunday morning, Moffett set about reeling in his two rivals and a string of fastest times through Kilgobnet, Carragh Lake and Rockfield put him in second position.

When the under pressure White crashed out on the second run over Kilgobnet, Moffett took the lead and held on to add to his 2014 success in the event.

Speaking at the finish ramp at the Gleneagle Hotel on Sunday evening, Moffett said:

“This time is so much better. Saturday night I went back to my hotel and went through every note to make sure everything was right. After Moll’s Gap on Sunday, I know I had to push. I went brave on my tyre choice and it paid off.”

Co-driver Elaine Ní Shé was the top Kerry competitor in the international section of the rally finishing tenth overall and topping Group N alongside Donegal driver Gavin Kelly. She was presented with the Maurice O’Donoghue Memorial trophy on Sunday night.

She said: “I can believe this, just look at some of the names on this trophy.”

Local World Rally Championship star Paul Nagle is one example of a former winner of this trophy.

In the national section, John McCarthy was the leading Kerry co-driver, guiding Donegal man Declan Gallagher to second overall after a two-day battle with winner Kevin Eves.

Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea and Killarney’s Eoin O’Donoghue were the top all Kerry crew in the event. They finished sixth overall in their Ford Escort and took home the John Mullane Trophy, the most coveted local cup in the rally, for their efforts.

Charlie and Johnny Hickey overcame fuel pump troubles on Saturday to claim eighth places in the national rally. Tadgh O’Sullivan and Eoin O’Leary were tenth and won calss 13 in their Ford Escort.

Andrew and Tara Duggan were other local class winner as were Kenny O’Neill and Ronald O’Riordan who had to change a clutch cylinder on Sunday in their Ford Puma.

Gavin O’Grady and Alan Moroney were 17th in the national rally while Cyril Wharton and Helen Duggan won their class. Seanie Hickey and Noel Fleming were third in their class in their Toyota, won place ahead of the Subaru of Kevin Sullivan and Martin O’Riordan.

Marking a historic 35th appearance in the Rally of the Lakes, Noel O’Sullivan won class 9 for the umpteenth time, while navigator Nicky Burke was celebrating his 25th start in the rally.

Charles O’Neil and Tony McCarthy were second in the class. While Pat Sheahan and Keith McCarthy were another local crew to make the finish.

Shane McCarthy won the Junior rally, held over the Saturday stages in his Honda Civic.