The entry list for this Sunday’s Abbey Court Hotel Birr Stages Rally reads like a "who’s who" of Irish rallying history.
As the Triton Showers National Rally Championship moves to Nenagh for round two, the sheer density of silverware on the start line raises a unique question: just how many former champions can one event hold?
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Headlining the field at number one is the defending Birr champion and recent West Cork Rally winner, Josh Moffett from Monaghan. Alongside co-driver Keith Moriarty (Limerick) they are aiming for their first National win in their in their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2
Notably, the field also features former champions Tim McNulty (Dublin), Roy White (Tipperary), and three-time national king Niall Maguire (Monaghan),
Moffett is followed by a high-speed Donegal convoy: Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty start at two in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, while his father multiple national champion Declan Boyle returns at number three with Patrick Walsh (Wales) handling the notes in a similar Skoda.
The quality remains through the top ten. Desi Henry (Derry) and Dean O’Sullivan (Donegal) return to the national stages at four in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, followed by Matthew Boyle (Donegal) and Gary Byrne (Donegal) at five in another Skoda.
Jason Dickson (Tyrone) and Martin Brady (Galway) start at six, ahead of Longford’s Shane Quinn and Stephen Reynolds (Leitrim) in their Fiestas.
Fresh from a strong West Cork run, Daniel Cronin (Cork) and Padraig O’Donovan (Cork) bring their Toyota GR Yaris at number eight, followed by modified convert Kevin Eves (Donegal) and Chris Melly (Donegal) at nine.
Rounding out the top ten is Triton Showers boss Paul Barrett (Kildare) and Darragh Kelly (Roscommon) in their Citroen C3 Rally2.
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The depth of the Rally2 field extends well into the teens. Keelan Grogan (Leitrim) and Ayrton Sherlock (Galway) start at 12, followed by the hard-charging Gary Kiernan (Cavan) and John McCabe (Cavan) at 14. Longford's Tommy Doyle and Liam Moynihan bring the Hyundai Rally2 at 15, ahead of Niall Devine (Tyrone) and Liam McIntyre (Donegal) in their VW Polo GTI R5.
Aidan Wray (Donegal) is co-driven by round one winner Paddy McCrudden (Donegal) at 17, followed by Mayo’s John Warren and Ruthann O'Connor at 18. Ryan McHugh (Donegal) and Declan Boyle (Donegal) continue their development at 19, while Joseph Kelly (Donegal) and Killian McArdle (Monaghan) are another Rally2 learning new machinery.
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MODIFIED MASTERS: THE TWO-WHEEL DRIVE FIGHT
Leading the 2WD charge at number 11 is Kevin Gallagher (Donegal) and Ryan Moore (Donegal) in their beautifully turned out Darrian T90 GTR.
They face a formidable Escort and Starlet pack, including Chris Armstrong (Cavan) and Darren Curran (Donegal) at 20, and the quick Aaron McIntyre (Cavan) with Darren O'Brien (Cavan) at 22.
Jonathan Pringle (Meath) and Pierce O'Callaghan (Monaghan) start at 23, while Johno Doogan (Monaghan) and Paul Lennon (Cavan) sit at 25. Patrick McHugh (Donegal) and Pauric O'Donnell (Donegal) competes in another Darrian T90 GTR.
Not to be discounted is round one winner Brian Lavelle who also leads the National Mk2 Trophy element of the championship.
The all-Donegal crew of Patrick Doherty and Conal McNulty are the top-seeded Junior crew in their class 16 Honda Civic.
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The event also serves as the launchpad for the Stellantis Rally Cup Ireland.
Front-runners including Oran England (Cavan) with Darragh Mullen (Sligo), Danny Brady (Cavan) with Liam Callaghan (Cavan), Dean Murphy (Clare) with David Murphy (Clare), and Robert Cronin (Cork) with Paddy Heffernan (Tipperary) are all chasing victory in their Peugeot and Opel machinery.
John Hayes (Wexford) lead the Rally3 charge in their Ford Fiestas.
The first car leaves Parc Ferme at 8:30 AM this Sunday. The route consists of three stages run three time at Ballymackey, Forty Acres, and Cloughprior covering 107km of technical Tipperary lanes. The winning crew is expected back at the Abbey Court Hotel in Nenagh at approximately 4:40 PM.
Full route details and stage times are available in the official event programme, on sale at local outlets now.
THE DACIA SANDERO CHALLENGE:
The Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup continues to be one of the most competitive one-make series in the country, and the Birr entry list reflects a massive battle at the head of the field. Leading the pack away at number 401 is the Kilkenny duo of Cillian Doherty and Lauren Doherty.
They face immediate pressure from the Clare-based crew of Anthony O'Halloran and Cian Lynch, seeded at 402.
Rounding out the top three seeds is the Donegal pairing of Liam Doherty and Sean Boyle at 403.
Virginia, County Cavan-based rally driver Oran England heads to Nenagh this weekend for the Birr Stages Rally.
This event marks a critical juncture in his 2026 campaign. After a dominant class victory at the Triton Showers National Rally Championship opener in Mayo, England, now leads the National Rally4 standings and carries significant momentum into Sunday’s nine-stage event.
The rally serves as the highly anticipated season opener for the revamped Stellantis Rally Cup Ireland. With a capacity entry of Rally4 machinery, the Cup offers a direct pathway for young talent, including a €3,000 parts voucher prize fund per round and a career-defining incentive at the end of the season.
For England, the trip to North Tipperary is also a homecoming of sorts; his father Timmy, also an accomplished driver, hails from nearby Roscrea.
"Mayo was a perfect shakedown, but Nenagh is where the real championship battle begins," said Peugeot 208 Rally4 driver, England. "We made a tactical switch to Michelin tyres on the Friday in Mayo to get a head start on the data. That mileage in the wet was invaluable. Most of the Stellantis field will be learning the tyre characteristics on the opening loop in Birr. We already have a baseline for how the Peugeot reacts. It’s a fast, demanding route, but the plan is to use that experience to find a rhythm early and push for the lead."
The event is doubly important as the first asphalt round of the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series (MIJRS). England currently sits fourth in the dual-surface championship after a solid fourth-place finish on the gravel at the Yeats Ridge Forestry in February. With a Billy Coleman Award nomination awaiting the overall MIJRS winner, England is targeting a maximum points haul in Nenagh to climb the leaderboard.
By securing top National points in Mayo, England has already established a secondary route to a Coleman nomination should his Junior series plans encounter setbacks. This dual-threat strategy, combined with the technical expertise of co-driver Darragh Mullen, the reigning British Junior and Stellantis Cup co-driving champion, positions the crew as the benchmark for the 11-strong Rally4 field.
Mullen, a member of the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy, noted the importance of the preparation work: " The work we put into the pacenotes in Mayo paid off in the tricky conditions, and we’ll be bringing that same focus to the 107km of stages in north Tipperary and South Offaly. The Peugeot 208 Rally4 felt good; we’re confident with the car going into this Birr and District Motor Club-organised event.
It’s a full circle back to Oran’s first-ever rally, the corresponding Birr Rally two years ago, so it will be an interesting and exciting chapter. Thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy for all the behind-the-scenes support in the run-up to the rally.”
The action gets underway at 830am on Sunday morning with three stages run three times, ahead of a 430pm finish at the Nenagh Court Hotel.
Oran England Motorsport is supported by: Peugeot Ireland; TEE Fire Safety Solutions; BJD Electrical; The Mason’s Apron; Lough Owel Motors; BSR Plant & Civil; Fortus; Streamline Coaches; OHR; CA Hire and Kerry Motorsport News.
