Gary Cassidy and Conor Mohan won the Monaghan Motor Club's 2024 Drumlin Navigation Trial, organised by Clerk of Course Ciaran Tynan and ACOC Michael Tynan.
The Expert crew finished the Newbliss-based event on just three penalties. The Drumlin has a reputation of being a challenging event. Two consecutive plot and bashes after TP1 set the tone for the night.
Only five crews would make it to TP4 in Analore with a clean sheet. The majority of crews dropping a minute or two at one or both plot and bashes.
The first road-goes of the night was used to drop-off the main road and get a correct approach to TP5 at Gaelscoil Eois. Where an overshoot could have meant a wrong approach.
TP6 and TP7 brought the event towards Stonebridge and Gransha, where familiar territory of old railway, farm tracks and narrow lanes meant both driver and navigator had to be switched on to find the correct slots.
This was also evident on TP8 whereas crews left along narrow lanes for Aghabog. No one would make it without dropping at least a minute, even though the route was pre-plotted.
A relaxed section in Aghabog at TP12 gave some breathing space before the next plot and bash section. Leaving TP13, a route card with the plots to Via1 and Via2 was handed out. However, attention had to be paid to the approach and departures; as well as remembering to visit pre-plotted TP14 and TP15 in between.
Challenging route
Only one pairing, Arthur Kierans/Shane Maguire, would clean this section. Kierans showing that competing on the Galway International the same weekend was taking nothing out of him.
The route went along some more traditional navigation lanes south to Dartry, west towards Scotshouse and then east again to Doohat for the start of the ITC. The regularity section was short, but at 27mph, trickier than usual.
It wasn't long before the event got back up to speed however. The end of the ITC also marked a plot and bash section to find TP28. Via5 had to be avoided on the way, and two wind farm lanes awaited crews to get to TP30.
One final box tulip took in a usual farm in Corlougharoo before the last controls and back to Newbliss.
By the end of the night, Derek Mackarel and Conor Boylan were close behind Cassidy/Mohan on five penalties, with Martin Tynan and David McCrudden third, a further point back. At the Acorn Centre, all marshals, timekeepers, officials, landowners and other volunteers.
A special word of thanks to the Cavan results team who had the mastersheet published in record time.
The event was a counting round of the National Navigation Trial Championship, the Squealing Pig Border Navigation Trial Championship and Monaghan Motor Club's navigation and overall championships.
The next round of the national championship is the 100 Isles navigation organised by Skibbereen & District Car Club on 10/11 February.
Drumlin Navigation Trial class results.
1st Beginner: Shane and Eoghan Farrell (138 pens)
2nd Beginner: Ciaran Duffy and Ben Mohan (145 pens)
3rd Beginner: Pauric Duffy and Fintan Duffy (155 pens)
1st Novice: Ciaran and Aaron McGorman (12 pens)
2nd Novice: Shane and Molly Maguire (25 pens)
3rd Novice: Martin and Gretchen Swinburne (34 pens)
1st Semi-Expert: Declan Tynan and Aaron McElroy (11 pens)
2nd Semi-Expert: Damien Treanor and Christopher McMahon (33 pens)
3rd Semi-Expert: James Fitzgerald and Patrick Corcoran (34 pens)
1st Expert: Derek Mackarel and Conor Boylan (5 pens)
2nd Expert: Martin Tynan and David McCrudden (6 pens)
3rd Expert: Andy Mackarel and Greg Shinnors (9 pens)
1st Overall: Gary Cassidy and Conor Mohan (3 pens)
