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Irish Notes
by Brian & Liz Patterson |
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Monaghan’s Josh Moffett, with Keith Moriarity co-driving in his Fiesta completed his rally season with a flourish by taking victory on last weekend’s Grizedale Stages Rally. Moffett was lying 3rd at the halfway mark, and through increasingly awful wet conditions upped his pace and set a fabulous time through the 17 plus mile final stage to win by 43s from Stephen Petch/Michael Wilkinson. Petch was also in a Fiesta and led the rally initially. Alan Carmichael and Ivor Lamont (Hyundai R5) finished 10th o/a.
Adrian Hetherington/Cathal Mulgrew were heading for a very good result, but their Escort suffered a puncture on the final stage. Such was the length of the stage that they had no option but to stop and change the offending wheel. When they got going, to add insult to injury they were so wet that the windows severely misted over, delaying them even more. Vivian Hamill/Andrew Grennan in their Escort also suffered delays and they too finished well down the order.
So, that’s the stage rallying mainly over for this year, although there are a few motoring speed events on over the Christmas period. It is time for most to regroup and plan for the 2019 season: the Valvoline Forestry series recommences on the 20th January with the William Loughman Forestry Rally, the Irish Tarmac series resumes with the Galway International (10th February) and the Triton Showers MI National Championship gets going with the Birr Stages on the 24th February. Then there is the WRC starting with the Monte Carlo Rally on 24/27th January. We were hoping to see the entries this week, to see where Craig Breen and Elfyn Evans slot into proceedings, but it will be a few days before that becomes clear. There are lots more events and championships to think about of course, but that is a fair starter.
Finally, it is with great sadness that we record the death of Killarney’s Maurice Nagle following a short illness. Maurice was one of the mainstays of the Rally of the Lakes and was Deputy Clerk of the Course since the event’s inception 40 years ago. Maurice, who was a rally man through and through, instigated and was Clerk of the Course of the Killarney Historic Rally when the Lakes switched from its December to the May date and the Historic was successfully formulated to fill the December vacuum.
Maurice was one of those men whom it was a pleasure to have known. He was as straight as a die, a tough but fair man, called a spade a spade, worked hard, played hard, never idle and was great fun at the appropriate times. One trip we remember fondly from quite a few years ago was when quite a few rally folk flew out of Dublin and over to Spain for the WRC Rally.
The traumas of Maurice’s first ever flight were soon forgotten when we all went partying at a small Irish bar in Lloret de Mar. Maurice was great man on the accordion. The craic was mighty and unforgettable. Little did he envisage then that the day would come when his son Paul was to co-drive Kris Meeke to five victories on the World Rally Championship: He was very proud of Paul’s achievements.
In many ways Maurice seemed larger than life, indestructible. His death was a big blow for his family and many friends. It was only two weeks ago that he acted as course car driver in his beloved Mk1 Escort on the Killarney Historic. Virtually nobody knew he was so ill, but he wanted a last run over Molls Gap.
He finished the course, did his job thoroughly and well, but for the first time ever did not appear in the radio control room for a chat with Mike Marshall after the finish. He took very ill that night and was taken to hospital. Sadly the end then came quickly. He will be missed. Over the years, when we thought of or met Maurice, it was with his wife Angela. They were a proper partnership. To Angela, their sons Paul and Alan, as well as their wider family circle and friends, we offer our very deepest condolences.
Brian & Liz Patterson and family
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