2025 saw widely successful year for Motorsport in Mayo

Ireland has a special place in its culture for Motorsport, especially Stage Rallying. The choice, variety, and quality of events is remarkable for a country of its size. Growing up it is hard to avoid with so many closed-road events spread across the length and breadth of the country. These events take place over "special stages" which are closed roads to the public. For that reason, it is no wonder Ireland punches above its weight when it comes to rallying talent, and the county of Mayo is no different. 

One name has been synonymous over the last couple of years with Rallying success in Mayo; ‘McHale Rally team’ is made up of husband and wife crew; John Warren and Ruthann O’Connor. 

Both work in the R&D section of McHale Engineering in Ballinrobe and while their distinctive ‘Green Machine’ Fusion 4 Corolla was what made them household names on the Irish Rallying scene, following their switch to Rally2 machinery just over a year ago, a whole new fan base watches in awe as the McHale Fusion 4Plus M-Sport Fiesta transverses the length and breadth of the country. This year's highlight result was a 7th place overall finish from over 150 starters on the Fastnet Stages Rally based in Skibbereen, Co Cork. A result which also saw Ruthann secure the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland Rally Women’s Champion award. 

Also enjoying a busy and successful year of Motorsport was Westport’s David Healy. The Honda Civic pilot started his year taking full National Championship points in his class in Longford, and after events in Cavan, Waterford and Sligo, he finished the year again with top honours in Meath, Clare and Cork, a series of impressive results which seen him and his navigator Martin Byrne from Cavan claim overall 11F National Rally Championship Awards and 5th place 2wd overall in the championship standings. 

Lorcan Moore from Crossmolina is a man who has travelled the world during 2025, his year has seen him compete on 20 events, in countries such as Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Italy, USA, Slovenia and Ireland, the highlights of this Co-drivers year include category wins in Wales and Czechia and a 2nd place overall in Croatia a round of the European Rally Championship. 

Closer to home more Mayo success came in the form of Achill’s Brain Lavelle who steered his MK2 Escort on many events such as the Circuit of Ireland, Killarney Rally of the Lakes, Donegal International and Killarney Historics, the Achill man’s best result was a 7th place overall finish at the Laois Heartlands Rally. Knockmore’s Niall Gaughan recorded two Junior Podiums at West Cork and Killarney Rally of the Lakes while Westport’s Chris Rose with Jason Murphy on the notes took class wins on both Midland Stages Rally and ALMC Hellfire Rally.  

Pat McGuiness made a return to stages rallying after a nine year sabbatical, he had Kathleen Kennedy on the notes as the pair contested Sligo Stages Rally, also competing in Sligo were Martin Cawley who had his regular co-driver Kenneth Langan on-board. Getting a chance to swap pacenotes for the steering wheel was Jason Murphy who competed in his Westtyre Mk2 Escort at Clare Stages Rally. Also getting mileage during the year was David Doherty who had his Switch2Solar Mitsubishi Evo in action in Longford and Sligo. 

Bekan native James Culliney, now working and residing in Perth, Australia, found time from his busy schedule with PCH Civil to make it home to not only compete but take the Class win at the West Cork Rally before convincing his long time buddy, Knock man Niall Morley to travel to Barbados to compete spectacularly in their Mk2 Escort, James rounded of the year by strapping his brother Mark into the navigators seat for the first time and head to Wexford where the pair took 1st place in Class 12. 

A round of the Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally Championship returned to Mayo last May after an absence of 10 years and with its return a host of local drivers blew the dust off their chosen chariots! UK based Bekan man Gerry Ronan, whose business Ronan Transport was title sponsor of the event had Eddie McLoughlin on the notes in their Mitsubishi Evo 9, (one of four Ronan Transport cars on the event) the pair secured 3rd place in Class 20, and were top Mayo crew to finish.

James Ronan who had Oisin Coffey on the notes finished 40th overall and 5th in class 2A in their Fiesta, while Lorcan Ronan and Colm Ronan finished 48th and 4th in class 11F in a Nissan Sunny, the fourth of the Ronan team entries was Adam Ronan in a VW UP who impressed all day in the J1000 section of the event and was unlucky not to take the win but had to settle for 2nd at the end of the day.

Other local crews included Jamie Lally and Eamonn Bonner  who finished 4th in Class 9 in a Nissan Micra, Steven Cafferty and Nathan Maguire secured 2nd in Class 11F in a Honda Civic while father and son team Ronan and Brian Moore in a Vauxhall Nova came home 3rd in Class 9. The event was won by Jason Mitchell and Paddy McCrudden in a Skoda Fabia who went on to win the overall Forest Championship later in the year. 

As the year wore on a host of other drivers and co drivers with connections to the area competed successfully on events, brothers Adrian and Mervyn Deane from Williamstown got plenty of mileage while Co-driver Andrew Grennan based in Claremorris started 9 events between Ireland and the UK, Bofeenaun Co-driver Jared Gill had a similar traveling schedule throughout the year while Lahardane’s Derek Molloy had a mixed year on the notes with two finishes from four starts.  

Darragh Mullen started 22 events in the Co-drivers seat where, he not only collected awards in the Irish Tarmac Championship and was crowned the Junior British Rally Co-driver Champion, he also navigated his driver Donegal’s Kyle McBride to a Junior British Rally Title, Stellantis Cup title and Billy Coleman Award success. 

Elsewhere in the Motorsport World former Ballyhaunis Community School woodwork teacher Sean McHugh continued to grow the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy in his role as coordinator and broker deals for Ireland’s young Rally drivers to compete at the top level of motorsport around the world including the European Rally Championships and at the pinnacle of the sport in the World Rally Championships. While Killian Duffy from Claremorris and Ballinrobe’s Andy Walsh took their ‘On the Pacenote’ Stage End Rally streaming service to new heights during the year, growing their audience to over eighty thousand followers with millions of views worldwide. 

National motorsport attention will soon turn to Westport as the town plays host to Round 1 of the National Rally Championships on March 1, more details of this spectacular event are due to be announced in the coming weeks.