RtG The Daily Dispatch - Shamrock - Complete - web - Flipbook - Page 6
Day 2: Faithlegg - Dungarvan - Castlemartyr, 9 May 2023
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
plates of cakes, scones and jugs of excellent coffee. It was
tough saying goodbye, but a rally schedule waits for noone and there was the long, map based, Mahon River Valley
Regularity to deal with. This took us along an impressive
section of coast road before tackling the first Test of the
day at Comeragh House.
Whilst the morning’s Regularities demanded a certain
sang froid and self-control, this Test allowed the crews to
press on a little. Despite Jim Smith’s warnings at the start
line, many were keen to explore the limits of grip through
a slippery section of Rhododendron plantation and up the
hill towards the big house itself. It was great fun for sure,
but by now the crews were beginning to think about their
waterfront lunch at the Dungarvan Time Control where
plates of perfectly prepared salmon and beef had been
lined up ready for our arrival. And it didn’t take long for
them to disappear.
Luckily the rain had held off for all of the morning, and
there were high hopes that the afternoon would also be
dry, as the route took in a few long sections of gravel.
First up was the ten mile Ballynaparka Regularity which
featured good quality tarmac and some slightly more
rustic surfaces before we turned our attention to the Apple
Orchards Test. A mile long slalom though serried ranks
of apple blossom, neatly stacked crates and a selection of
agricultural buildings. It was a real blast and, if the day
had ended there and then, no-one would have gone to bed
feeling short changed.
But the day didn’t end there and, after a cheeky cream
tea at the Tourin House Time Control, the crews lined up
to tackle the Tourin House Test. It consisted of a couple
of tight laps of a working farm, which made its Shamrock
debut in 2018 and gave a follow up appearance in 2019. This
third running proved to be just as popular as the previous
ones and saw cars weaving between massive tractor tyres,
sliding through machinery sheds and bouncing along
muddy tracks before skidding to a halt at the control in a
cloud of choking dust.
The Glenaboy Regularity was all that stood between the
crews and the night halt. This map based section saw yet
another change of pace which, metaphorically at least, put
the navigator in the driving seat as they plotted a specific
route to various points on the map, always looking to
approach from the right direction and using only roads of
a certain type, whilst keeping to a strict time schedule!
The MTC at Castlemartyr was a welcome sight, but there
was little chance of a quiet night in front of the TV. The
organisers had arranged a BBQ dinner at the Hunted Hog,
with Finnegan’s Gaels - a three piece folk and ballad group
- playing throughout the evening with guitar, vocals, fiddle,
mandolin and percussion. A rousing rendition of Happy
Birthday rang out this evening as we wished many happy
returns to RtG Chairman Graham Goodwin.
Keith and Norah Ashworth, 1938 Frazer Nash-BMW 328
Eric and John Kavanagh, 1929 Frazer Nash Super Sports
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