DRINAGH’S National Navigation Trial Championship double winner Denis O’Donovan has a remarkable run of success in the Carbery Navigation Trial with ten victories under his belt and is one of the favourites for this weekend’s event that is based at the Kilmurry GAA complex.
The 85-mile event dovetails as round three of the Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial series and the second round of the Munster Navigation series.
O’Donovan, who won the national series with Mallow’s Derek Butler in 2019/2020 and 2022/2023, teams up with Ballintemple native Michael ‘Bones’ O’Connor, now based in Caherdaniel in Kerry and a former clerk of the course of the West Cork Rally.
O’Connor won seven national titles partnering multi-champion Dubliner Paul Phelan, the last in the 2000/2001 season. The pair are linking up for southern events before they review the situation in early January to decide on continuing their partnership on the national trail.
However, this weekend they have some formidable opposition including Mogeely’s James Fitzgerald and his Ballincollig navigator Ken Carmody, who are contesting both championships. Remarkably, they have finished runner-up in the national series on three occasions. In the recent second round of the national series in Monaghan they were very much in contention until they lost time at a location involving six different exits.
Indeed, the Drumlin Trial attracted over 40 crews and it will be interesting to see how many the Skibbereen and District Car Club will start on Saturday night. At the time of writing, the number was just shy of 15 but traditionally, locals are late to enter the event so that number should increase.
Last year’s winning driver Ballincollig’s Brian Duggan will be accompanied by Horse and Jockey navigator Susan Smyth.
Unfortunately, the event clashes with the awards presentation for the National Forest Rally Championship which rules out a few crews from competing in the event. The local contingent should include Leap’s James French/Ciaran French and the Rosscarbery/Leap crew of Brian O’Mahony/Amy Gallwey.
