News
Rob Duggan A Sensation In Donegal
The Joule sponsored Donegal International Rally took place last weekend in Letterkenny. The three day event received a maximum capacity entry in all categories of over 150 cars, there was a total of twenty special stages based around the foothills of Donegal, which included the famous classic stages such as Knockalla, Atlantic Drive and Fanad Head. Killarney & District Motor Club competitors were there in force and didn’t disappoint.
Rob Duggan was an absolute sensation, finishing 3rd R5 car & 4th Overall, Rob has gained the respect of the whole Rallying community on this island. Having proven his pace and ability in the past driving both front & rear wheel drive, the step up to a four wheel drive R5 monster was sure going to be interesting. Duggan and navigator Ger Conway took on the best of the best over the 3 day event and didn’t disappoint, following a brief test on Thursday in this unknown Ford Fiesta R5 machine, there was complete astonishment at the end of the first stage Friday when Duggan merged as the Fastest R5 car overall. As the weekend progressed Rob set a number of Fastest R5 times, along with 2 Fastest overall stages times” absolutely incredible”. The ever changing weather conditions were the biggest challenge for the crew as the lack of knowledge of the car and set up changes to be made in order to achieve the maximum handling of the car were unknown. The crew fought hard and were as high as 3rd overall and 2nd R5 car at one stage. They were stuck in the middle of a monumental R5 battle between brothers Sam & Josh Moffett from county Monaghan with mere seconds in it all way to the finish.
This for sure was one of Rob’s best results to date, huge credit must go to Ger on the notes also, there is no doubt that they had the”Drive of the Rally”.
In the National section it was Killarney & District Motor Club that were out the front also, Noel O’Sullivan from Muckross was co-driving for top Donegal driver Kevin Gallagher in his unusual Darrian T90. The crew were involved in a huge battle all weekend for the lead of the National section. They finished runners up to Kildare’s Ian Barrett in a similar Darrian. KDMC’s Barry Meade was as expected front runner in the national section but a puncture dropped him well down the order on Friday, The crew then set out on a huge recovery drive and setting some blistering times along the way to climb back up to 9th Overall. In the extremely competitive Junior section KDMC’s Derry Long and Declan Casey had a brilliant drive. They competed in a Honda Civic and finished a very strong 6th overall and 3rd in class, this result now puts Derry into second place in the Junior Section of the Irish Tarmac Championship. This was the crews first visit to Donegal, achieving such a fantastic result and securing valuable championship points makes this result all that more credible.
Congratulations & Well Done to all
News
Eight month wait for a driving test in Killarney
A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at […]

A Killarney councillor is calling for action in an effort to reduce the driving test wait list in Killarney
The current wait list for a test in Killarney sits at eight months.
Cllr John O’Donoghue raised the issue at Monday’s full meeting of Kerry County Council.
He proposed that driving instructors should be employed to carry out the final test to reduce the current backlog.
At Monday’s meeting he asked that hat Kerry County Council would write to the Minister for Transport to ask him to consider giving driving instructors temporary powers to issue a temporary Driving Licence/Certificate of Competence to those on the waiting list for tests.
“The wait is currently far too long and the system is in danger of becoming completely overwhelmed,” he said.
“The huge waiting list for young drivers is well documented at this stage. In a case I am familiar with, a young person passed their theory test in January 2022 and he immediately applied for his mandatory 12 driving lessons. When these were completed, he applied for his driving test on the 2nd of December 2022. Some weeks ago, he still had not received an application to apply for his driving test. This wait is placing him and his family under considerable extra cost and stress which is completely unacceptable.”
In the course of his research into the matter Cllr O’Donoghue discovered that the next available date for a driving test in Killarney is May 25, 2024, while Tralee is June 3 2024.
“Bear in mind, these are only the dates on which you receive an invitation to book your test, the test itself will then be an estimated three to five weeks later.
“This is an appalling situation and one which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency. I am proposing that driving instructors, which presumably are fully trained up on the rules of the road, be granted temporary powers to be allowed to issue temporary driving licences to young people. When the waiting list time has been reduced, I would still propose that these people sit the test as usual, but the current pressure needs to be alleviated as soon as possible. There is precedent as I believe that in the 1970s, a cohort in this country were issued driving licences without having sat a test as the wait time for the test was too long.”
News
Ballymac charity vintage run on October 1
The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1. The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac. Registration […]

The Ballymac Vintage Club is hosting a classic car, tractor and Honda 50 run on October 1.
The run will leave from and return to the Halfway Bar, Ballymac.
Registration begins at 9:30am and sets off at 11am.
“There will be two separate routes with one for tractors and the other for cars and motorbikes. Proceeds on the day are in aid of Castleisland Day Care Centre and we’ll have plenty of spot prizes to giveaway too in the morning,” said the club’s PRO Kieran Glover.
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