Mayo & District Motorsport Club celebrates 50th anniverary
Barry McGing is presented the Mayo & District Motorsport Club young person of the year award by club chairman Junior Prendergast.
A most enjoyable evening of nostalgia, reminiscing, tributes, awards and an entertaining prize draw was had at the 50th anniversary of Mayo & District Motorsport Club celebrations at the Park Hotel, Kiltimagh last month.
Jarlath Sweeney, MC for the occasion, opened proceedings and welcomed the attendees and then introduced (John) Junior Prendergast, Mayo & District Motorsport Club Chairman, who acknowledged the milestone in the history of the club, founded in 1976 as Ballina Motor Club. The name was changed in the late 1990s to Mayo & District Motorsport Club to cater for an ever broadening membership in the region.
Junior paid tribute to committee members over the decades for their commitment, dedication and voluntary time in progressing the club forward and complimented the hundreds and thousands of competitors, stewards, marshals and helpers who participated in the many events held each year from Stages & Forestry Rallys, Autocrosses, Night Navigations, Autotests and Eco Runs. He thanked the numerous sponsors spread across the county and beyond for supporting the varying successful events.
In his address, Mayo TD Paul Lawless congratulated the Club on their Golden Anniversary and paid tribute to the committees and volunteers that made the club so successful. He highlighted the opportunity that Autocrosses provides in nurturing young drivers in the skills of car handling in a safe environment. The best way of entering rallying in an economical fashion. In extending best wishes on the continued success of the club going forward he commended the various winners of the various awards presented on the night.
The first set of awards announced were for club members, with three main trophies presented: Marshal of the Year: Sean Salmon, Castlebar; Club Young Person of the Year: Barry McGing, Claremorris; Club Person of the Year: James Towey, Swinford.
A series of awards were announced for the 2026 Frank Harrington Autocross events, with Oisin Coffey, Clerk of the Course presenting the prizes to the following:
1st, Danny O’Connor - Ford Ka; 2nd, Colin Rowland - Ford Fiesta; 3rd, William Cavanagh - VW Up!.
Top Female: Sadhbh McMahon - Chevrolet Spark.
Top Two-Wheel-Drive: Damien Scanlon - MG3
1st, Overall: Darren Collins - Vauxhall Corsa; 2nd, Martin Collins - Honda Civic; 3rd, Dean Humphrey - Mitsubishi Evo 9.
1st, Alan Moran - Peugeot 206 (Previous Young Driver Award winner); 2nd, David Kundziarz - Ford Fiesta; 3rd, Piotr Kundziarz - Ford Fiesta.
Seamus Coffey of Cold-Call Refrigeration, Claremorris, sponsor of the award explained to Jarlath what the initiative is all about, encouraging young people who show promise competing in entry level events with a bursary to help take the next steps forward in the sport.
For this year’s campaign there were three finalists: Alan Richardson, Westport (Toyota Starlet), Evan Molloy, Crossmolina (Nissan Micra) and David Kundziarz, Castlebar (Ford Fiesta). Evan Molloy was declared the winner.
Long standing member, official and competitor James McGreal to the stage to present the Margaret McGreal Award to James Ronan (Bekan) and David Doherty (Ballinlough), who were the fastest MDMC crew in the 2026 Mayo States Rally.
James, from Foxford, reminisced on the many hours taken in the weeks leading up to a rally in getting the cars ready on time and on occasion required burning the midnight oil, and often trawling for parts and components from scrapped cars. He highlighted some close calls, crashes and near misses in events over the decades.
John Duffy from Crossmolina, who holds the honour of recording the most Mayo Stages Rally entries as a Club member looked back on the various rally cars he completed in from the legendary Ford Escort MkII, Vauxhall Astra, Toyota Corolla Twin Cam and Honda Prelude, with John Egan from Roscommon, his trusted navigator. John provided a large quantity of memorabilia chronicling the five decades of club activities with event programmes, photographs and newspaper clippings spread across a number of tables.
A most entertaining raffle was held with numerous top value prizes, all sponsored, up for grabs. Some attendees went home with more than one prize, such was the luck of the draw!
The microphone was then brought across the floor with Jarlath also interviewing a number of people on times gone by, including Andrew Mullen, from Tubbercurry, former competitor and long term sponsor of the Border Rally Series through his business at Sligo Pallets. Westport’s David Healy, Class 11F 2026 champion in that Border Series was also chatted with, along with a few more former and new drivers entering the sport.
In the final wrap up, Jarlath thanks the hotel for serving the delicious dinner and the organising committee for all the proprietary work in assuring the event was a success.
Earlier that day the annual Margaret McGreal Memorial Eco Run was held, taking in a scenic route through Classic Mayo Rally Special Stages. Proceeds of the fuel economy competition was in aid of Foxford Alzheimer’s Community Trust CLG.
Prize Draw Sponsors
Kiltimagh Park Hotel; Mill Park Hotel, Donegal; Delaney’s Mace, Castlebar; Dent Craft, Castlebar; Fleet Transport magazine/ irishmotorsportsnews.com. Claremorris; Cuffe Car Sales, Belcarra; Western Truck & Trailer, Claremorris; Top Part, Castlebar; Mayo Motor Parts, Westport; Moran’s Butchers, Belcarra; Walsh’s Service Station, Kiltimagh; Bowes Ryan Cafe, Knock; Kean’s Claremorris; GB Coffee, Claremorris; Davey’s Pharmacy, Claremorris; Sligo Pallets; Mayo & District Motorsport Club; James Towey; Junior Prendergast.
