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Cronin joins Moonraker field in pre-grist rehearsal

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4 years ago

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MOONRAKER RALLY: Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have entered the Moonraker Rally in Cork in advance of the British Rally Championship moving to gravel rounds. Photo: Tom Banks/Jakob Ebrey Motorsport Photography

Current British Rally Championship (BRC) leader, Keith Cronin, has placed an entry for the Moonraker Rally, which is set to take place in his home county of Cork on Saturday, July 2.

The Munster Car Club organised event will be based in the village of Ballyvourney and is to be a counting round of the Motorsport Ireland National Forestry Rally Championship.

Cronin and co-driver, Mikie Galvin from Agahdoe, previously won the Moonraker in 2017, and then as now, are using the outing to gain additional gravel running in aid of a BRC campaign. The duo went on to take the British title that year, and presently head the 2022 points standings following a victory on the Jim Clark Rally last month in their Volkswagen Polo GTi R5.

With the BRC due to resume the following weekend on the Nicky Grist Rally in Wales, the Moonraker is ideally placed to provide the required warm-up. 

“The first two BRC rounds were on tarmac, and we’re now heading into two gravel rounds," Cronin explained.

"We haven’t done a forest rally since the Cambrian last October, and that was in the Fiesta rather than the Polo, plus we’re on Pirelli tyres now, so there’s some learning to be done. The Moonraker suits in every way, it’s only a week before the Nicky Grist and it’s only about 40 minutes from home. It’s possible that it will be our only outing in Ireland this year.”

The entry list for the Moonraker features most of the National Forestry Championship frontrunners, including Jordan Hone and Keith Power in Ford Fiestas, Conor McCourt in a Skoda Fabia, and local driver, Gerard Lucey, in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8. The field will also include Motorsport Ireland National Junior Rally Series competitors, divided into 14-18 and 19-25 age groups.

The Moonraker Rally will consist of eight stages, a loop of four repeated twice. It will get underway from Coláiste Ghobnatan at 9am, with the first stage scheduled to start at 9.37am. The National Forestry Rally Championship regulations require that two wheel drive cars run first, in reverse seeding order, with four wheel drives after in normal order. Service will be at the Údarás na Gaeltachta complex after stages two, four and six, and the Finish celebrations will take place at the Abbey Hotel in Ballyvourney, which serves as Rally Headquarters, at around 5.45pm.

The Volkswagen Polo of Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin is prepared by Tom Gahan Motorsport and supported by M O’Brien Group of Companies, Keohane Seafoods, Inver Energy, Cremin Coaches, Cronin’s HomeValue Hardware, Cronin’s Centra and Pirelli Tyres.

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Killarney coach Hayley Murphy wins Women of Vision Award

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12 hours ago

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7 June 2026

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Legacy Elite Head Coach Hayley Murphy was honoured at the Hi Style Villa Maria Women of Vision Awards 2026, held at the Garryvoe Hotel in County Cork recently.

The annual awards ceremony, hosted by Virgin Media’s Deric Ó hArtagáin, recognised 36 women from across Ireland for their talent, leadership, and positive impact within their local communities.

Ms Murphy, who coaches cheerleading and gymnastics in Killarney and throughout County Kerry, was selected as one of this year’s recipients.

“It was an honour to receive this award and celebrate with talented women from all over the country,” Ms Murphy said following the event. “It was an amazing experience.”

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Jessie Buckley named Kerry Association Dublin’s 2026 Arts Award winner

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13 hours ago

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7 June 2026

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Killarney actress Jessie Buckley has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Arts.

The 36-year-old made history in March 2026 by becoming the first Irish woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Hamnet.

Her portrayal of Agnes Shakespeare also earned her a clean sweep of major global accolades this year, including a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Critics Choice Award, a Screen Actors Guild (Actor) Award, and an IFTA.

The Arts Award, established by the Kerry Association in Dublin to recognise excellence by individuals born or raised in the county, will be formally presented to Buckley in the near future.

Praise from the Kerry Association


Jimmy Deenihan, Chairperson of the Kerry Association in Dublin Arts Sub Committee, stated that the decision to grant the prestigious award to Buckley was unanimous following her historic awards season.


“This monumental achievement by Jessie comes as a major boost for the burgeoning Irish film industry and will inspire a new generation of Irish screen talent,” Mr Deenihan said. “In her acceptance speech, Jessie endeared herself to a global audience with her dignified humility and the love and pride she expressed in her family and her county.”


Jeremy Twomey, Chairperson of the Kerry Association in Dublin, described Buckley as a sensational, deeply talented woman who serves as an outstanding role model.


“She has done Kerry and Ireland proud,” Mr Twomey said. “This deeply talented, sensational woman can act in any capacity, guileless or knowing, reserved or uncontained, transmit glee, ecstasy, dread, fear or confusion. She brings her audiences with her and is an outstanding role model for the younger generation who look at her and aspire to access on the world stage.”
Brigid Laffan, President of the Kerry Association, noted the immense pride within the county regarding Buckley’s level-headedness throughout her international success, calling her work in Hamnet “nothing short of wonderful.”


In accepting the accolade, Jessie Buckley paid tribute to her roots in the Kingdom.
“Growing up in Kerry was a gift in recognising the capacity for beauty and wildness in our own human expression from the nature I grew up around,” Buckley said. “Thank you, this is a great honour to accept this award.”

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