From Murrisk to Mondello

ON HIS BIKE Brian O’Malley (13) from Murrisk is pictured in action.

Mayo teenager Brian O’Malley is making a big impact in motorsport circles

Interview
Michael Gallagher

BUDDY, the German Shepherd pup, bounds across the grass to welcome the visiting scribe as Croagh Patrick’s peak hovers over the O’Malley homestead in the centre of a clear blue sky. When the sun smiles on Ireland, Murrisk is one of the most peaceful, perfect places on the planet.
The O’Malley’s home is planted perfectly in the midst of all the beauty — yards from the ocean, in the shadow of The Reek and surrounded by dreams, adventures and possibilities. The welcome is wholesome and perfect — no airs or graces, no inhibitions or reticence — tea, biscuits, conversation and a lot of laughter.
The central character of the story, 13-year-old motorsport ace, Brian, sits into the kitchen table, his parents, Brendan and Patricia follow suit and the man of the house, nine-year-old Paudie, relaxes in a swivel chair beside us.
News had reached us that Brian is making waves in the Irish motorsport scene and as the tea and biscuits were consumed, the story is formed.
The dad, Brendan, has been immersed in bikes and engines since he was a boy; making lifelong friends, moulding memories and feeling the thrill of adventure every time he puts on the leathers and throws his leg across an iron horse. The mum, Patricia, is a powerhouse who sees possibilities everywhere and her drive is obvious as soon as one encounters her.
That sense of adventure was handed down to the next generation as soon as they breathed life.
Brian and Paudie recount tales of starting their motorsport journeys at the age of four. They tell of quads, bikes, engines, oil-changes, racing and fun; they tell of friendships, adventures, tyres and testing.
Pictures are produced of spectacular moments of lives lived to the full — lives where the four O’Malleys pile into their race van, bikes in the back, living space in the middle and a driving cabin in the front.
They tell of mornings where they’re up at 5am, gone out the road a few minutes later to race on the east coast before spending a few hours testing in Edgeworthstown on the way back.
“It’s a bit different from the usual way things go down here – especially with all the racing taking place on the east coast, but we love it and the travelling is worth it,” Brendan told The Mayo News.
That dedication certainly paid off recently when Brian was awarded a prestigious motorsport scholarship which gives him a wonderful opportunity to progress in the sport.
Mondello Park and Motorcycling Ireland’s Short Circuit Committee awarded Brian their first FIM MiniGP Ireland Scholarship, following an assessment day at the famous race track recently.
The First Year student in Sancta Maria in Louisburgh will be supplied with the use of an Ohvale Motorcycle free of charge for the full 2022 FIM MiniGP Ireland Series, courtesy of Mondello Park and Motorcycling Ireland.
The scholarship prize will include the use of the bike and provision of free entries and testing, along with help, coaching and guidance from some of Ireland’s top Motorcycle racers.
The FIM MiniGP is a championship for ten to 14 year olds competing on identical Ohvale MiniGP machines. The Irish Championship is one of a number of series running around the world, with the top riders from each series invited to take part in a MiniGP World Final in Valencia in November.
The winner of the world final is then invited to take part in one of the FIM’s junior championships as their introduction onto the ‘Road to MotoGP’ programme.
Brian O’Malley will join the quest for a place in Valencia as a circuit racing rookie. The teenager has been competing in grasstrack racing for two seasons and his dad is a regular on Irish and European Motorcycle Track Days, so the family are well immersed in the sport.
Brian secured the prestigious scholarship based on previous motorcycle experience, his performance during initial interviews and then on the assessment day, along with his ability to prepare and run the bike were enough to earn him the first MiniGP Ireland scholarship, ahead of the eight other hopeful applicants.
On the assessment day, in difficult conditions, Brian impressed the judges; Daire Lowe from Motorcycling Ireland, Fergus Brennan representing Mondello Park and top Irish racer Jack Kennedy, to come out marginally ahead of the other rider who had been shortlisted, 13-year-old Mantas Siugzdinis from Portlaoise.
In his home in Murrisk on Thursday last, Brian told The Mayo News, “I’m privileged to be given this once in a life time opportunity to ride in the FIM MiniGP series.
“I would like to thank Mondello Park and Motorcycling Ireland for awarding me the scholarship. Also a special thanks to Jack Kennedy, Brian McCormack, Peter Hickman and his team, Simon and Adel, for their coaching and guidance.
“This is a very exciting time for me and my family and my aim is to learn and progress throughout the season. I am looking forward to meeting other competitors and making new friends.”
The future is very bright for Brian, the O’Malleys and their motorsport adventures. Living in the shadow of The Reek on the edge of the ocean is a wonderful place to dream, and the O’Malleys are the type of people who have the drive to turn fantasy into reality.