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Kiernan/Tierney Land Drive of the Day in Donegal

Former Border Champions, Gary Kiernan & Niall Tierney claimed the Drive of the Day Award on the final round of the 2015 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship. The pair were the fastest class 13 crew on stage five to claim the award. They went on to win the class and finish an impressive 2nd overall. The rally was won by 2010 Border Champions, Declan & Brian Boyle in their Fiesta WRC. Overall honours in the series may have been decided going into the final round but the event attracted a full entry of 131 crews who fought over the nine stages to decide the remaining class and overall placings.

Class 1-7:
Local men Kieran McGinley/James Heraghty took class honours in the event but it was runner-up Mark Boyle/Charles Gallagher who took class honours in the championship. Shane Forde/Seamus McTigue took another victory in class 2 holding off the similar car of Mark Ewing/Danny Cannon. Karl Fallis/Stephen Monaghan finished as runners-up in the championship. Roger Kennedy/Wendy Blackledge won class 3 in both the rally and the championship. Class 4 was won by Aiden Wray/Kieran McGrath from Shane Maguire/Paul McLaughlin. In the Championship, Trevor Bustard/John McCafferty became class 4 champions despite a non-finish in Donegal. Pat Kirk/John McElhinney finished as runners-up. Niall Maguire/Enda Sherry were the class 7 champions, despite a non-start in Donegal.

Class 9-11R:
Gene McDonald/Kevin Reilly took a convincing win in class 9 but 5th in class was enough for Brendan O'Reilly to take the drivers award in the championship. Monaghan's Declan Connolly was 2nd class 9 driver while Alison Hughes was the winning co-driver. Shane Carr/Ciaran Carr got the better of Martin McGuigan/Patrick Lyons in class 10 both on the day and in the championship. Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan took class 11F honours after a major battle with Kevin McLaughlin & Sam Johnston. Their results over the year were good enough for 3rd overall which promoted Sam Johnston/Nigel McCloughry to class winners in the championship. Barry Treanor became class 11R champion after a great recovery drive to 3rd in class following early problems. Chris Corr won the class 11R navigator title with his driver, Declan Hall finishing 2nd class 11R driver. Liam Doherty/Peter Byrne won the class on the day on their local event.

Class 12-20:
Marty Toner/Sharon Clarke took class 12 honours by just 1.2 seconds from Brian Armstrong/Mark Tierney. They also edged them out by three points in the championship. This was good enough to give them 2nd overall in the championship with Brian & Mark taking the class. Vincent Collins/Fintan Kilroe finished 3rd in class, securing the runners-up spot for Vincent in the championship. Gary Kiernan/Niall Tierney came out on top in the fiercely competitive class 13. They edged out their Cavan rivals, Chris Armstrong/James Fulton by three points in the championship. Reigning Border Champions, David Moffett/Fintan Sherry were 3rd in class on the day and in the championship. Damien Toner/Damien Fleming secured class 14 in the championship due to Jonathan Pringle/Martin Byrne winning the championship outright. Class 15 was secured by JF Shovelin & Terence Furey despite their retirement in Donegal. Michael Carbin/Emmet McCooey were crowned class 20 champions after finishing 2nd in class on the day.

Juniors & Teams:
Martin Swinburne/Gretchen Fegan secured the Junior class with a fine class win in Donegal. They finished over a minute ahead of Lee McLaughlin/Aaron McLaughlin. Stephen Reynolds/Derek McCarthy had a tough day in Donegal but still secured 2nd in class in the championship. Paul Crosby and Martin McGarritty completed the podium positions in the championship.

Finally, McConnell Motorsport were crowed the 2015 teams champions from Escort R US and Nama Dodgers.

2015 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship Prizegiving

The 2015 Prizegiving will be held in the Sligo Park Hotel on Saturday the 31st October. Tickets can be bought from Brenda Flynn. Overall winners Jonathan Pringle & Martin Byrne will receive their awards in addition to all the other prize winners. A good night of craic is guaranteed with people reflecting on the past year as another successful season for the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship comes to a close.

Pringle & Byrne 2015 Sligo Pallets Border Champions

Jonathan Pringle & Martin Byrne have become the latest winners of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship. The Cavan pair were immense in class 14 this year notching up a string of class wins which secured the overall championship with a round to go, something which is rarely achieved. They also recorded some impressive overall results with top ten finishes on all rounds they contested including 4th overall on their home event.

Pressing them all the way were Marty Toner & Sharon Clarke in class 12. They pushed their Sunbeam to the maximum to take class wins in Mayo, Monaghan, Galway and Donegal. Their main rivals were again Brian Armstrong/Mark Tierney who chashed them hard all year but came away 2nd best.

Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan were embarking on their first season rallying but they very quickly found their speed. They dominated class 11F later in the year reeling off class wins in Sligo, Galway and Donegal. They also took 2nd in class in Mayo & Cavan which was enough to secure 3rd overall in the championship.


Class 1 Champions Mark Boyle/Charles Gallagher

Pauric McGee/Shane Barry made the early running in this class with wins in Mayo & Monaghan. However a big accident in Cavan ended their season. Mark Boyle/Charles Gallagher then became the crew to beat. A strong 2nd in class in their home round in Donegal secured the class 1 championship for this crew. Johnny Orr/Aaron Johnston secured 2nd place with Ruari McCaffrey completing the top three.

Class 2 Champions Shane Forde/Seamus McTigue

Shane Forde & Seamus McTigue dominated class 2 all year. They pair recovered from a retirement in Mayo to take a string of class wins in Cavan, Sligo, Galway and Donegal. Indeed, they only missed out on 3rd overall on a tie-breaker. Karl Fallis/Stephen Monaghan secured the runner spot in this class.

Class 3 Champions Roger Kennedy/Wendy Blackledge

Roger Kennedy & Wendy Blackledge got the best out of their 306 to take another class win in the Border Championship. John Duffy/John Egan and Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes both took class wins during the year but could not mount a sustainable challenge to the Antrim duo.

Class 4 Champions Trevor Bustard & John McCafferty

Another Border stalwart, Trevor Bustard & John McCafferty took class 4 honours thanks to a victory in Galway and other top finishes during the year. Pat Kirk/John McElhinney took a class win in Cavan but just came up short in the championship by 3 points. Shane Maguire finished 3rd overall driver, with Kieran McGrath taking 3rd overall navigator.

Class 7 Champions Niall Maguire & Enda Sherry

Former Border Champion, Niall Maguire & navigator Enda Sherry strolled to class 7 honours. The pair were consistently at the top end of the leaderboard taking 2nd places in both Cavan & Galway.

Class 9 Champions Brendan O'Reilly & Alison Hughes

Brendan O'Reilly claimed the class 9 diver title with the help of four different navigators in Mark Hamaill, Damien O'Reilly, Finbar Smith and Damien McCabe. He took class honours in Mayo and 2nd place in Monaghan. 5th place in Sligo & Donegal secured the championship. Alison Hughes became the class 9 champion navigator while her driver, Declan Connolly, was the 2nd overall driver. They picked up points on all six rounds with a best result of 2nd in Mayo. Gene McDonald finished 3rd driver with Kevin Reilly 2nd navigator. They were class winners in Donegal and runners-up in Cavan.

Class 10 Champions Shane Carr & Ciaran Carr

Donegal men Shane & Ciaran Carr took their Nova to class 10 honours. They were the crew to beat claiming top points in Mayo, Sligo and Galway. Martin McGuigan finished 2nd driver in his Sunbeam, having numerous navigators in the hot seat during the year.

Class 11F Champions Sam Johnston & Nigel McCloughry

Night navigation turned stages men, Sam Johnston & Nigel McCloughry became class 11F champions. They had a big battle with Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan but with the latter crew finishing 3rd overall, the class award went to the Longford crew. The highlight of the year for this crew was their class win in Monaghan. Kevin McLaughlin was the 2nd driver home after taking 2nd in class in Monaghan and Donegal.

Class 11R Champions Barry Treanor & Chris Corr

Barry Treanor was the winning class 11R driver after both Gregory McQuillan and Jonathan Treanor sat with him during the year. Class wins in Cavan & Galway were supported by 2nd place in Monaghan and 3rd in Donegal. Chris Corr teamed up with Declan Hall once again. 2nd in class in Mayo & Cavan helped Declan to 2nd in class and Chris to 1st in class in the championship. Seamus Connolly/Gary McCrudden finished 3rd driver and 2nd navigator respectively after wins in Mayo & Sligo. Barry McBride was 3rd overall driver after a good season with his driver Charlie Heraghty.

Class 12 Champions Brian Armstrong & Mark Tierney

Brian Armstrong & Mark Tierney had another epic battle all year with Marty Toner & Sharon Clarke. Class honours went their way in Cavan but they just missed out to Toner/Clarke on other rounds. This was good enough to secure the class in the championship due to Toner/Clarke placing 2nd overall. Vincent Collins & Quentin Park placed 2nd and 3rd driver overall.

Class 13 Champions Gary Kiernan & Niall Tierney

2013 overall Border Champions, Gary Kiernan & Niall Tierney finished top of the pile in class 13 this year. They took class honours in Cavan & Donegal, where they were also an incredible 2nd overall. They also bagged 2nd in class in Sligo & 4th in Monaghan. Fellow Cavan men, Chris Armstrong & James Fulton bagged the runner-spot taking one 2nd place and three 3rd place finishes. Last year's champions, David Moffett & Fintan Sherry secured 3rd in class with victory in Mayo the highlight of their year.



Class 14 Champions Damien Toner & Damien Fleming

Damien Toner & Damien Fleming secured class 14 thanks to Pringle/Byrne taking overall honours. This crew took 2nd place finishes in Sligo & Galway, with Damien taking 3rd in class in Donegal.

Class 15 Champions JF Shovelin & Terence Furey

The Donegal pair took a comfortable class 15 win in their Subaru. The pair were not outscored all year taking multiple class awards.

Class 20 Champions Michael Carbin & Emmet McCooey

Border regulars, Michael Carbin & Emmet McCooey strolled to honours in class 20. The pair bagged top three finishes in Monaghan, Sligo & Donegal to take the class.

Class 16 Champions Martin Swinburne & Gretchen Fegan

Monaghan pair Martin Swinburne & Gretchen Fegan became Junior champions in one of the most hotly contested classes in the championship. The pair got the better of Stephen Reynolds/Derek McCarthy and Paul Crosby after a year-long battle. Martin McGarrity secured 3rd navigator with his driver Keelan Maguire finishing in 4th place.

Teams Champions McConnell Motorsport

"McConnell Motorsport" became the Team's Champions thanks to the efforts of Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan, Martin Swinburne/Gretchen Fegan and Shane Forde/Seamus McTigue. "Escorts R Us" took 2nd place with "Nama Dodgers" in 3rd.

The Sligo Pallets Border Championship was once again a huge success. Sligo Pallets played a massive role as championship sponsor. This is now their 5th year in the role. The Border Championship committee thank Andrew Mullen & Elaine Doherty for their commitment to the series. The Border Championship is the most openly fought championship in Ireland as evidenced by the fact that we have yet another 1st time winner of the series in 2015. Congratulations to Jonathan Pringle & Martin Byrne and we look forward to see them defend their title in 2016.


Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship Charity Presentation The committee of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship have presented the proceeds from last year's prizegiving to CROI. CROI is a charitable organisation which raises money for the education, research and development of cardicac services and facilities. €2700 was raised at the 2014 prizegiving which now brings the total to over €7000 raised for charity since Sligo Pallets took over as title sponsors of the Border Rally Championship. The presentation was made at the finish ramp of the Sligo Stages Rally which was the fourth round of the 2015 season.
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Pringle/Byrne Take Border Crown Back to Cavan

Jonathan Pringle & Martin Byrne have won the 2015 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship, even with one round still remaining. The Cavan pair took their 4th consecutive class 14 win which brings them to an unassailable 40 points. After taking second in class in Mayo, this crew have dominated class 14 and have been at the forefront of the two wheel drive battle all year. It is a fitting reward for the popular Cavan duo, who have been regular competitors in the Border Championship in recent years.

The Galway Summer Rally joined the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship for the first time this year. The event was based out of Galway City with stages and service in the Athenry area. A full field of crews tackled the event which was also a counting round of the National Rally Championship. The event ran successfully and the Border Championship looks forward to returning in future years.

Class 1-7:
Mark Boyle & Charles Gallagher moved closer to securing class 1 honours. 2nd place on the day leaves them will ahead of Pauric McGee/Shane Barry with one round remaining. Shane Forde/Seamus McTigue have won class 2 in the championship after taking another win in Galway. Karl Fallis/Stephen Monaghan have secured 2nd position in the championship. Roger Kennedy/Wendy Blackledge cannot be caught in class 3 despite non-starting in Galway. Trevor Bustard/John McCafferty had a fantastic weekend, winning the Border Drive of the Day prize, Group N and class 4 in the Sligo Pallets Border Championship. Class 7 champions, Niall Magurie & Enda Sherry secured another great result with 2nd overall on the day.

Class 9-11R:
Declan Connolly failed to close the gap on class 9 leader Brendan O'Reilly after retiring in Galway. This means the pair will fight it out for class honours in Donegal. Donegal's Shane & Ciaran Carr secured class 10 in the championship after taking 2nd in class in Galway. Marty Gallagher/Dean O'Sullivan secured class 11F with a second straight class win. Sam Johnston/Nigel McCloughry took 2nd in class on the day and hold 2nd in the championship. Barry & Jonathan Treanor took class 11R which leaves Barry in pole position to secure the championship in Donegal. However, Seamus Connolly/Gary McCrudden, Declan Hall/Chris Corr and Charlie Heraghty/Barry McBride are all in with a chance of taking victory in this class.

Class 12-20:
The epic class 12 battle between Brian Armstrong/Mark Tierney and Marty Toner/Sharon Clarke continued in Galway with Toner/Clarke emerging victorious. Armstrong/Tierney are two points in front in the championship heading to Donegal but on dropped scores, Toner/Clarke hold the advantage. Chris Armstrong/James Fulton moved closer to securing class 13 thanks to a 3rd place finish in Galway. Gary Kiernan/Niall Tierney are the only crew who can deny them class glory. Damien Toner/Damien Fleming have secured class 14 with Pringle/Byrne taking overall honours, removing them from the class placings. JF Shovelin/Terence Furey & Michael Carbin/Emmet McCooey have secured classes 15 and 20 respectively.

The Junior class is heading towards an exciting conclusion as Stephen Reynolds/Derek McCarthy, Martin Swinburne/Gretchen Fegan and Paul Crosby are all locked together on 24 points heading to Donegal. McConnell Motorsport are 10 points clear of Nama Dodgers in the Team Trophy.

The final round of the 2015 Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship is the Donegal Harvest Rally on Saturday 10th October. The Burt-based event will decide who emerges victorious in the classes still to be decided and which crews can secure 2nd and 3rd overall behind new Border Champions, Jonathan Pringle & Martin Byrne.


October 10th Donegal Harvest Rally

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Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship Heads to New Territory in 2015

The committee of the Border Rally Championship are delighted to confirm that Sligo Pallets will return as title sponsors for the 2015 Border Rally Championship. This partnership, which began in 2011, has seen the Championship grow in stature and entrance levels increase over the previous years. It is hoped this trend will continue in 2015.

The Championship will revert to a six round series in 2015 with the addition of the Galway Summer Rally in late August. It was felt by many crews that there was too long of a gap between Sligo & Donegal ,so Galway in late August was the ideal candidate to fill this void. The committee look forward to welcoming Galway to the fold this year. Due to the new round, competitors will now count their best four scores from six events. Classes will be as per 2015 Motorsport Ireland regulations.

Defending Champions, David Moffett & Fintan Sherry are hoping to defend their Border title in 2015. The pair are eyeing a move up to class 13 this year after winning the championship based on their success in class 11R in 2014. Last year's runners-up Brian Armstrong/Mark Tierney will be hoping to go one better in 2015 and will again compete in the ultra-competitive class 12. Former Champions, Arthur Kierans/Mac Kierans as well as Martin Toner/Sharon Clarke will ensure Armstrong/Tierney won't have it all their own way in class 12. Gene McDonald/Kevin Reilly who finished 3rd overall last year will be back out in class 9 again. Other notable entries for Mayo include Border regulars, Daniel Conaghan/Terence McGee, Trevor Bustard/Kenny Bustard, Pat Kirk/John McElhinney and Roger Kennedy/Wendy Blackledge.

It's a mixture of old and new for the 2015 Mayo Stages Rally as, for the third year in succession, the Mayo Stages Rally will be based in the North Mayo town of Ballina. This year competitors will face the challenge of three entirely new stages, each to run three times, offering a total distance of approximately 116 stage kilometres and 120 road kilometres. They look set to provide a challenging test for competitors. The event is co-sponsored by Hotel Ballina and Kennedy Motors.


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Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship Charity Presentation

The committee of the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship have presented the proceeds from last year's prizegiving to CROI. CROI is a charitable organisation which raises money for the education, research and development of cardicac services and facilities. €2700 was raised at the 2014 prizegiving which now brings the total to over €7000 raised for charity since Sligo Pallets took over as title sponsors of the Border Rally Championship. The presentation was made at the finish ramp of the Sligo Stages Rally which was the fourth round of the 2015 season.






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