IWA 50th Anniversary Celebration Rally
The roads around Westmeath, Roscommon and Longford hosted the first ever Irish motoring rally for drivers and passengers with disabilities on Saturday 18 September. The rally tested all participants navigational and driving skills over a 140km long route. Armed with their course route, over 40 drivers and their navigators departed the Shamrock Lodge Hotel in Athlone on Saturday morning, by midday cars were beginning to arrive for a well earned rest in Cuisle. Already the stories were floating of missed turns and failure of some drivers to listen to their navigators!
After sampling the excellent fare in Cuisle, the teams now empowered by their morning experiences departed with increased confidence and zeal for the second half of the rally. By 4.30pm the first cars were reaching the finish line in the Shamrock Lodge and already the talk was of who were the likely winners.
As in all competitions there has to be winners and after our course co-ordinator Declan Grogan and his trusty helpers had calculated the scores, our winners were announced. As this was the first event of its kind in the country, both participants and organisers were somewhat wary of how it would run. However the feedback from all on Saturday evening was most positive and if the air of anticipation which surrounded the announcement of the winners is an indicator, then this event has a definite future.
The event which was generously sponsored by Wheelchair cars Ireland from Glasson, Co Westmeath could not have taken place without the guidance of Declan Grogan and his colleagues from Carlow, Midlands and Birr motoring clubs. Declan who has many years experience of organising motor sports events was extremely impressed with skill of all participants.
Without doubt all those who participated in this event enjoyed a fun filled day and many expressed a wish for this event to become a regular feature on the IWA calendar.
If you would like to participate in a similar event in the future, please contact the National Mobility Centre at 045-893094 or maats@iwa.ie
Sponsored by:
Wheelchair Cars Ireland.
Tel: +353 (0) 9064 39786
Mob: +353 (0) 07 8400403
OVERALL WINNERS
Patrick Lennon and Kirsten Dobbyn, Drogheda,Co Louth
CATEGORY WINNERS
Ladies Category
Driver: Maggie Woods, Navigator: Catherine O Toole
Passenger Category
Driver Emmett Daly: Navigator Liam Buckley
Drivers with less than two years experience
Driver John Paul Fitzgerald and Navigator Sarah Fitzgerald
Drivers with more than two years experience
Driver James Sheridan, Navigator Liam Buckley
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