[Jabber]

The results of the Billy Coleman Award have been announced.

1st - Gareth MacHale

2nd - Kevin Kelleher

3rd - Ian Barrett


Well done to all....

 

[anto]

Gareth MacHale Wins 2005 Billy Coleman Award For Young Rally Driver of the Year
Congratulations to 25 year old Gareth MacHale from Rathcoole, Co.Dublin who has been selected as the fifth winner of the Billy Coleman Award. The announcement was made today at a media reception held at Motorsport Ireland’s Headquarters in Dublin.
Along with the title of “Young Rally Driver of the Year”, Gareth will also collect a cheque for €32,000 courtesy of the Irish Sports Council, Motorsport Ireland and its affiliated Rally Clubs.

The final three selected out of fourteen qualifiers were Gareth, 27 year old Kevin Kelleher from Clonakilty, Co.Cork and 24 year old Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co. Kildare. Kevin receives a cheque for €8,000 as runner up with Ian receiving a cheque for €4,000.

During the year, Gareth achieved outstanding success on the Irish scene in his Toyota Corolla World Rally Car, winning six events outright and finishing 3rd Overall in the inaugural Rally Ireland event in October. Gareth’s performance this season also gained him the 2005 McCauleys National Forest Rally Championship.

The aim of the Award is to encourage Ireland’s young rally drivers to follow in the footsteps of Billy Coleman, who is one of Ireland’s most famous rally drivers to attain International success.

At the reception, John Naylor, Chairman of Motorsport Ireland said “With the profile of Irish Rallying never higher, it is wonderful to see so many young talented drivers coming to the fore and we will be following their careers with great interest”.

The formal presentation of awards will take place at Motorsport Ireland’s Champions Lunch on 24th January 2006 in Dublin.

Driver Profile

Gareth MacHale
Date of Birth: 12.8.80 (age 25)
Nationality: Irish
Home Town: Rathcoole, Co.Dublin
Occupation: Civil Engineer
Hobbies and Interests: GAA, Cycling, Gym and general Motor Sport.

Performance during 2005 Season:
* 1st Overall National Forest Rally Championship
Outright wins at:
* Carrick-on-Suir
* Tipperary
* Wicklow
* Monaghan
* Birr
* Killarney
* 3rd Overall Rally Ireland

Plans for 2006 Season:
During the forthcoming year, I hope to take part in more International events and selected World Championship Rallies based in Europe. I am also considering the Junior World Rally Championship as a precursor to entering the World Rally Championship.
World Rallying is a very physically demanding sport and while I consider myself fit, I believe I have more work to do in this area.

-o-O-o-

Driver Profile

Kevin Kelleher
Date of Birth: 20.06.78 (age 27)
Nationality: Irish
Home Town: Clonakilty, Co.Cork
Occupation: Builder
Hobbies and Interests: Fixing up rally cars, helping out on club events, and Golf.

* Performance during 2005 Season: Winner Group N West Cork Rally
* Winner Group N Circuit of Munster
* 2nd Overall Kerry Mini Stages Rally
* 2nd Overall GSMC Mini Stages Rally
* 2nd Overall Southern 4 Championship
* 10th Overall Killarney International Rally of the Lakes

Plans for 2006 Season:
Presently, our Mitsubishi Lancer is being upgraded to Evo IX. We plan to start in both the Dunlop National and Pirelli International Tarmac Championships and depending on how well we are doing, decide which one to focus on.

-o-O-o- Driver Profile

Ian Barrett
Date of Birth: 11.12.81 (age 24)
Nationality: Irish
Home Town: Maynooth, Co.Kildare
Occupation: Mechanical Engineer
Hobbies and Interests:
Karting, Circuit Racing, Running and attending the gym.
* Performance during 2005 Season: 1st Class 4 Border Championship
* 2nd Class 4 and 7th Overall Sligo Stages Rally
* 1st Class 4 Newry & Mourne Stages
* 4th Group N Lurgan Park
* 3rd Group N Donegal Harvest

Plans for 2006 Season:
My 2006 goal is to compete in the entire Dunlop National Championship in Class 4 and also selected rounds in the Pirelli International series.

taken from rally.ie

 

[evolution]

Well done to him, he def deserves it, and i am sure he will justify this further throughout 2006.

 

[jonb]

Just ot add my congratulations to Gareth, I am sure the award will gain a lot of overseas exposure with Gareth.
He was the most deserving of the final 3 and just reward for his support of Irish Rallying in general this year.

 

[dillylacey]

Originally posted by anto

driver Profile

Gareth MacHale
Occupation: Civil Engineer

He might be an engineer, but he's definately not civil!!!!

 

[Gary Nolan]

Have to disagree with you big time on that one. Love to know where you came up with that conclushion, sound out in my opinion and very approachable. Congratulations on winning the Billy Coleman award, and the best of luck in 2006.

 

[dcr22B]

I had dealings with Gareth a few times when I worked for the supplier of his Dad's race suits and to me, he was a sound fella and best of luck to him in the future.

When will the begrudgery end??

 

[CiaraC]

Originally posted by dcr22B
When will the begrudgery end??

The introduction of communism should do it Everyone with the same blah blah blah...

Nice one Gareth. A very civil, friendly and witty bloke with a talent that has been rightly recognised.

 

[dillylacey]

I thought they might have given it to Barrett, just to prove what a FARCE the whole award is.
For what I said above, I was a timekeeper on several round of the national forestry this year, he and that Nagle boy should be tied together, jumped up little snobs!!!

dcr22b, it's not begrudgery, Gareths been wild pacey in the forests, but courtesy or a smile would be nice from time to time, and what is €32,000 to him but bog roll! Brian O Mahoney is by far a braver pilot and should have been collecting his prize today.

[Edited on 13-12-2005 by dillylacey]

 

[CiaraC]

Originally posted by dillylacey
he and that Nagle boy should be tied together, jumped up little snobs!!!

That is the exact point where your post lost all credibility in my opinion

Originally posted by dillylaceydcr22b, it's not begrudgery, Gareths been wild pacey in the forests, but courtesy or a smile would be nice from time to time

If they have had a really bad time of it in the stage then a smile is far from their minds Dilly. If he had shouted and roared at you then I would expect you to be angry. He is a very focused driver and Paul a very focused co-driver. You have no idea what is going throughh their minds when they pull up to a control.

[Edited on 13-12-2005 by CiaraC]

 

[Robbie]

Well done to Gareth & Paul they deserve it.

 

[dillylacey]

Hard luck Ian Barrett, definately Ireland's fastest driver! He was robbed. Who said he didn't have the balls for Group N this season?

 

[Trojian Horse]

Ciara,in life ignorance will get you no-where.....so why should rallying be any different.....at the end of the day without timekeepers and marshals there will be no rallying

 

[Trojian Horse]

oh forgot the point if this thread... well done or whatever to the boy wonder

 

[half bull half hiefer]

well done g :barf::dunno::roll:

dry your eyes fellas, g wouldnt have been my choice but no point crying :kiss::yes::roll:

 

[dillylacey]

Originally posted by CiaraC
If they have had a really bad time of it in the stage then a smile is far from their minds Dilly. If he had shouted and roared at you then I would expect you to be angry.
[Edited on 13-12-2005 by CiaraC]

'a bad time of it on a stage'???????????

he walked the pineappleing thing all year!!!

I don't expect a kiss on the cheek from them for what I do, but a 'thanks' or some credit would be nice, plenty of others say it. Maybe it's a Dublin thing? The way the pair of them carry on is laughable most of the time. This ain't the point of the thread anyhow, but then again the Billy Coleman Award was a POINTLESS EXERCISE this year

[Edited on 13-12-2005 by dillylacey]

 

[CiaraC]

Originally posted by Trojian Horse
Ciara,in life ignorance will get you no-where.....so why should rallying be any different.....at the end of the day without timekeepers and marshals there will be no rallying

Trojan, I never said that ignorance towards marshals or timekeepers was acceptable, far from it.

Rallying is a stressful sport for all involved, more so for the lads in the cars especially when fighting for event wins. The people who stand out in all weather should be respected, but in all walks of life, you cannot smile and be polite ALL of the time.

Can you say hand on heart, if you are having a really bad day that you will be all smiles ??

 

[BR_1600 _8V]

Best of luck to Gareth. Hopefully he will get recognised on the world scene and open up some doors for other young Irish lads in the next few years.

 

[rallyfan]

good man gareth!!!

 

[Jimmy Page]

"Perhaps it's a Dublin thing?" Is Paul Nagle not from Kerry? Again, you lose credibility. "Ian Barrett is Ireland's fastest driver.".........and again, you lose any shred of credibility.

Many congratulations to Gareth, he was the deserved winner at the end of it all. Hope he gets on well next year again.

[Edited on 13-12-2005 by Jimmy Page]