RtG The Daily Dispatch - Shamrock - Complete - web - Flipbook - Page 3
Day 1: Faithlegg - Kiltorcan loop, 8 May 2023
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Around the farmyard, two Riley 12/4s: Nigel Odlum and Nick Bennett...
... and Thomas Houlihan and Edel Murphy’s Special
Two Tests in quick succession were still to be tackled,
one at Woodville House and the other at Whitechurch and
both were absolute stunners. The first for the beautiful
parkland that had been given over to us and the second
for the sheer lack of grip around two laps of a farmyard. A
long and very detailed Regularity around Campile finished
the day off nicely. From here the crews took the short ferry
ride over Waterford Harbour and soon found themselves
back at the MTC, where in the bars and on the terraces the
craic was good, the Guinness flowed nicely and very soon
more than the Irish eyes were smiling.
Will and Helen Stone, 1928 Bentley 3/4½
briefing from Mark Appleton, Fred Gallagher and Michael
Jackson, a light lunch preceded the distribution of the road
books and at 2.01pm the dropping of the an trídhathach,
the national flag of Ireland. Fred Gallagher waved the cars
down the driveway and over the River Suir towards the first
Regularity at Tory Hill where the crews were faced with a
choice - liberal use of the throttle or a more conservative
approach - to avoid labouring the engine!
The First Test of the 2023 Shamrock was at Kiltorcan
Raceway and a Time Control in the cafe followed soon
after. By the time the Passage Control at Coolshane had
passed beneath our wheels we were heading back towards
Faithlegg on exceptional roads and through miles of
impressive countryside.
Noel Nolan and Brian Molloy, 1932 Alvis Speed 20
www.rallytheglobe.com
