Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members win two of the biggest awards in Irish Motorsport
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy member Cavan’s Craig Rahill (21) was named the Billy Coleman Award Young Rally Driver of the Year, at the annual Motorsport Ireland Awards Luncheon in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin.
Rahill, who hails from Cavan, was nominated for his success in this year’s Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series, Triton Showers National Rally and Sligo Pallets National Forest Rally championships.
He dominated all three in his Ford Fiesta Rally4.
As part of the award, Rahill will receive support to the value of up to €50,000 from Motorsport Ireland and Sport Ireland for the 2025 season as well as up to a further €50,000 pledged by the Team Ireland Foundation thanks to support from Rally Academy founder and patron John Coyne.
“It’s a true honour to be standing up here. I have to thank my family first of all, without them, I wouldn’t have got into the sport. I have to thank the main man, My co-driver, Conor Smith. Thanks to the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy and all my sponsors. To have my name on this trophy is unbelievable. I won’t waste this opportunity, the best is yet to come,” said Rahill at the awards ceremony.
The two runners-up Donegal-based drivers, Ryan MacHugh and Kyle McBride will both receive support from the Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy in 2025 as well as finalists Keelan Grogan (Leitrim) and Jack Harris (Donegal.)
Craughwell’s Aoife Raftery was announced as the inaugural Rosemary Smith Award on the day.
The award, named in honour of Ireland’s most successful female driver, Rosemary Smith, who passed away this time last year, was presented to Raftery for her exceptional contributions to motorsport and for embodying Smith’s passion and spirit.
Shortly before passing on December 5 last year, she presented a special award to the Royal Irish Automobile Club.
The RIAC, in collaboration with the Motorsport Ireland Women’s Commission, decided to perpetually present the award to a current female motorsport competitor who carries on Smith’s legacy.
She has followed in Smith’s footsteps by contesting over 40 rallies across Ireland, Britain, and Europe.
“I am delighted to win the Rosemary Smith Award,” said Raftery.
“It is an honour to be the first person to get my name on the trophy and it means a lot. Rosemary inspired many with her achievements and was someone I looked up to. This award means we can honour Rosemary’s legacy and inspire future generations of women into motorsport. It is quite poignant too as her anniversary is on Thursday this week.”
Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members, drivers Josh McErlean, William Creighton and Jon Armstrong and co-drivers Eoin Treacy, James Fulton and Liam Regan all received citations for being High Achievers in international rallying during the 2024 season at the ceremony.
Fulton will contest this weekend’s Monza Rallysprint in Italy, under the auspices of the Craig Breen Foundation, alongside WRC All-live broadcaster Mike Chen in a Hyundai i20 Rally2.
Co-driver Ayrton Sherlock is also in Monza alongside Casey Jay Coleman in a Škoda Fabia Rally2 run by Gass Racing.
It was a busy week for Fulton who revealed on Thursday that he will partner Japanese driver Yuki Yamamoto in a 2025 World Rally Championship in a Toyota Yaris Rally2.
Yamamoto is a member of the Toyota Gazoo Racing WRC Challenge Programme.
“I’m extremely happy to be teaming up with him, who has experience in the top categories, and I’m really looking forward to the next season,” said Yamamoto.
Meanwhile, amidst the hype of 2023 World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä contesting the Killarney Historic Rally last weekend, the 2023 Junior WRC co-driving champion Regan drove his Skoda Estelle 130 to a class win.
