MOTORSPORT

RALLYING in Kerry is in a very healthy state in if the entry list for next weekend’s West Cork Rally is anything to go by. The two-day Clonakilty-based classic has attracted a 160 car entry and over 20 of them have Kerry connections.

Craig Breen and Paul Nagle lead the field in their factory-supported Hyundai i20 R5. The defending champions are chasing back-to-back wins and Nagle is aiming to be the first co-driver to win the rally four times.

Nagle has previously won the rally three times, twice alongside fellow Killarney man Donie O’Sullivan, in 2004 and 2008 and again last year with Breen. He is one of three co-drivers to have won the event three times (Conor Foley 2016-2018 and Jerry Hynes 1995, 1997, 1999 being the other two) but a fourth victory has never been achieved any co-driver since the first rally in 1977. Foley is also on the entry list alongside Donagh Kelly in a Volkswagen Polo R5 and they won last Sunday’s Mayo Rally.

Welsh visitor Osian Pryce is another driver switching to a Polo after using a Hyundai on the opening round of the British Rally Championship last month. West Cork is round two of the BRC and he will have Killarney co-driver, Noel O’Sullivan, in the hot-seat for the second time this year. The pair are currently second in the BRC.

London-based Rockfield co-driver Shane Buckley is alongside Daniel Cronin in their usual Ford Fiesta R5.

The modified category is equally competitive. Ger Conway will codrive for Kevin Gallagher in Darrian T90 GTR. Killarney Historic Rally modified category winner Colin O Donoghue will contest selected rounds of the Irish Tarmac National Championship in his Escort while his father Kevin O Donoghue steers his usual BMW M3.

Denis Hickey and Seán Nolan were one of the first local entrants for next month’s Circuit of Kerry and they will be hoping their Ford Escort Mk2 leaves West Cork relatively unscathed ahead of the Tralee-based rally.

Conor Murphy and Donagh Crowley is another local crew to use a Ford Escort Mk2 while brother and sister team Andrew and Tara Duggan will be hoping to have solved the engine problem that put them out of the recent Abbeyleix Rally.

Lixnaw’s Keith McCarthy is working with Neil Phelan in another Escort. Bob Moran and Adrian Randles are two more local drivers who will be Ford-mounted for the weekend, as will Don Moynihan and Pat Cashman from Rathmore.

Tom O’Sullivan and Matt Sweetnam from Killarney will drive a Peugeot 205 while Brian Doherty and John Falvey have a more modern 208. Raymond O Neill and Padraig O’Donavan switch from their usual Honda Civic to a Ford Escort.

There is plenty of Kerry interest in the Historic Rally too. Former Rally of the Lakes winners Denis Cronin and Helen O Sullivan compete in an Escort as does Todd Falvey and Iarla McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2 RS1800) [19]

Abbeydorney’s Tony McCarthy competes in an Audi Coupe alongside James Hall.

There is a very interesting Kerry entry in the Junior Rally. Jason Farrell has Killarney Historic Rally winner Rob Duggan on pace-note duty in his Honda Civic.

Kerry Motor Club’s Ian Horgan / Mark Doody compete in a Honda Civic.