The Skibbereen and District Car Club

Since we have been on the missing list since Kerry Mini stages all the ways back on July 5th a few rallies have ran since and we will recap on our club members accomplishments in them.
July turned out to be a quiet month with Stonethrowers Rally being postponed due to the HEAT!, damage to the road being the main concern.
Into August, definitely one of the busiest months of the year on the rallying calendar.

The August bank holiday saw club members making the long journey to Monoghan for the rescheduled stages rally due to run earlier in the year in April.

3 crews represented the club here in Monaghan:

Car 8 Daniel Cronin and Padraig O’Donovan finishing 10th O/A

Car 136 John Forde and Sean Cronin unfortunately didn’t make it to the finish line on this occasion

Car 156 Richie Power and Gary Lombard taking home 1st in class 9

The following weekend we had a double header The Modern Tyers Ulster Rally on Friday and Saturday 7th and 8th and the Jim Walsh Cork Forestry Rally on Sunday the 9th.

To Ulster first where 3 crews from the club where competing:

Car 45 Barry O’Brien and Declan Buttimer finishing 1st in class 8

Car H5 Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy finishing 3rd in the historics category

Car 95 Darragh Walsh and Gary Lombard unfortunately didn’t reach the finish line this time out.

Now to the Jim Walsh Forestry where 4 crews had club representatives:

Car 18 Gerard Lucey and JJ Cremin retired before the end

Car 202 Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey took home 2nd 2WD

Car 214 Robert Cronin and Paddy Heffernan retired also

Car 238 Colin O’Meara and Daniel Seaman finished 6th in the highly competitive 2A class

A weeks break was to follow and then onto another double header weekend the Down stages rally Saturday the 22nd and the Galway Summer rally Sunday the 23rd.

1 crew represented the club in Down and represented us well. The crew of Car 108 Cal McCarthy and Niall Burns claimed a podium finish in 3rd place overall. A massive congratulations to them both on a fantastic result.

Onto the Galway Summer rally where 6 crews had club members in the car.

Car 5 Daniel Cronin and Padraig O’Donovan claiming 1st in class 5 and 5th O/A

3 crews in 2A had members on the notes:
Car 125 Anthony Dineen and Daniel Seaman 6th
Car 162 Fred Kelleher and Joseph O’Sullivan 8th
Car 163 Cyril Casey and Eoghan McCarthy 14th

Car 157 Brian Martyn and Conor O’Connell 12th in Class 11F

Car 175 Corey Eves and Michael White claimed 4th in Class 13

2 tarmac rallies and 2 forestry’s await us in September so will be another busy month for club members.

This year’s Skibbereen Loose Surface Autocross also wouldn’t be possible without the support of our associate sponsors.

Cronin Electrical , Cronin Solar and Cronin Security Systems

Cronin Electrical are based in Kilbrittain, outside Bandon, Co. Cork and offer services across 3 divisions

⚡️Electrical;

Cronin Electrical provide fully certified domestic, commercial, industrial and agricultural electrical installations across Cork county. From homes to farms and industrial sites, their team delivers safe and efficient installations that meet the latest standards

🔐 Security:

Cronin Security is a trusted provider of tailored security solutions for homes, farms and businesses. With over 20 years of experience, they specialise in installation of fully licenced CCTV, calving cameras, intruder alarms, access control and gate automation.

☀️ Solar:

Cronin Solar specialise in Solar PV and Electric Vehicle charger installations in homes, farms and businesses across Cork and provide tailored, energy efficient solutions to help reduce carbon footprint and reduce energy costs

We would like to thank Denis for coming onboard and supporting this year’s event.

This years Skibbereen Loose Surface Autocross wouldn’t be possible without the help of sponsors. Our main sponsor for the event Carbery Plastics Ireland. A little about the company below.

https://carberyplastics.com
Carbery Plastics is a trusted leading manufacturer of innovative liquid storage solutions offering clean, safe, efficient, and reliable storage and dispensing. With nearly 50 years’ experience in the roto mouldingindustry, we pride ourselves on our customer focus and highest quality products with certainty of performance.

‼️Reminder‼️
The 2 day Skibbereen Loose surface autocross is on this weekend Saturday and Sunday in Ladysbridge Aggregates, Ladysbridge, Cork. P25P8X5
For further details contact:
C.O.C Gary Lombard 087 9480887
Online entry available on Stopastride via link below. 👇

https://www.stopastride.live/enter/SDCC-carbery-plastics-ls-autocross-2026

Less than 2 weeks to our annual Loose Surface Autocross event, counting rounds of both the Tallybrooke Civil Engineering National Loose Surface Autocross Championship and the CJN Plant Ltd & Barrett Transport Munster Autocross Championship
Make sure to get those entries in…

In the meantime we would like to take this chance to welcome back our loyal sponsors from last year.

Our Title Sponsor
Carbery Plastics Ireland
Associate sponsors
Lordan Tarmacadam, Cronin Electrical , Cronin Solar and Cronin Security SystemsCronin Electrical, The Harbor Bar Leap, Henry Buckley Utilities,GK Print and The Roadhouse Diner.

These sponsors helped us out massively last year so would like to thank them for their continued support in making this event a success.

Keep an eye out on the page there’s more to follow…..

Entry Link 👇

https://www.stopastride.live/enter/SDCC-carbery-plastics-ls-autocross-2026

Events like theses are the back bone of Motorsport and are not possible without the dedication of the Volunteers. If you are around on Sunday and can give a hand it will be greatly appreciated.

Marshals still needed for this coming Sunday's Denis J. Downey Ltd. Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally .
Stage meeting times and details attached.

Do you still need your Competitor Contribution Scheme (CCS) point towards your 2027 competition licence?

If you are a Motorsport Ireland licence holder, you are required to contribute one day of work in 2026 to a club or event of your choice in order to earn a CCS credit on your Motorsport Ireland license for 2027. This credit will be verified when you apply for your 2027 license. Full details on www.motorsportireland.com

Interested in getting involved?

Contact our Chief Marshal, Sean Hayes, 087 4586783.

Why not help out on this event and you’ll tick off your CCS requirement for 2027 at the same time! 🏁

July was an action-packed month for our club, with fantastic results across both autocross and stage rallying!
Gerard O'Connell delivered a standout performance at the Midland Motor Club Autocross in Roscommon, taking overall victory in the Saloon Class by a razor-thin margin of just 0.17 seconds
Gerard kept up the momentum at the Clare Autocross, bringing home a strong 2nd in class.
Amy Gallwey & Patrick Calnan put in a brilliant drive at the Kerry Mini Stages, securing 1st in class.
Daniel Seaman also scored big in "The Kingdom," taking 2nd in class—a result that earned him maximum points in the Southern 4 Rally Championship.
Daniel is now preparing for his return to the gravel alongside driver Colin O'Meara. The pair aim to gain valuable experience on loose surfaces over the coming weeks before turning their focus toward the major tarmac events later in the year.

Rally Tour Colombia saw Matt and Catherine Shinnors continue their South American adventure, driving a Chevrolet Onix RS Turbo. Colombia’s largest motorsport event was a 980km, 3 day and 2 night regularity rally challenge.
After diverting from a cancelled rally in Bolivia, the pair learned quickly on the Andes mountain roads. On day 2 Dense fog on the night hillclimb saw the pair catch and pass 4 cars to attain a heavy lead, winning the Gold Medal for leg 2. However, being the only car without a toll pass, congestion at 2 tollbooths on day 3 stole the lead by a narrow margin for the pair to claim 2nd place trophy

The club was also proud to host round 6 & 7 of the Partsworld Munster Autotest Championship at Clonakilty Engineering, which drew a fantastic showcase of talent from across the country. Huge congratulations to Robert and his dedicated team for organizing such a thrilling and seamless event, and a massive well done to all the competitors for putting on a fantastic display of driving skill.