Motorsport Ireland today honoured their National Champions of 2007 at a prestigious gala lunch held at the Crowne Plaza Dublin Airport Hotel.
The lunch was attended by personalities spanning more than half a century of historic achievement in the sport.
21 year-old Keith Cronin from Bantry in Cork was announced as the Young Rally Driver of the Year and was presented with the Billy Coleman Award and a cheque for €35,000.
Runner up spot went to Ian Barrett from Maynooth, Co. Kildare, along with a cheque for €10,000 and in third place was Daniel Barry from Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, who collected a cheque for €5,000.
Niall Quinn from Dunboyne, Co. Meath was selected as the Dunlop Young Racing Driver of the Year. The 19 year-old was presented with the prestigious Walter Sexton Memorial Trophy and a cheque for €35,000. Another Meath driver, Peter Dempsey from Ashbourne, picked up the second place award and €10,000, with Dundalk’s Niall Breen taking the final place on the podium along with a cheque for €5,000.
Junior World Rally Championship driver and FIA Rookie Champion, Shaun Gallagher from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, was voted by the Motorsport media as the International Driver of the Year and winner of the Manley Memorial Trophy.
Rally Ireland promoter Ronan Morgan won the Ivan Webb Memorial Trophy for his outstanding contribution to the sport, both as a competitor and an organiser over many years.
Announcing the awards, John Naylor, President of Motorsport Ireland, expressed his pride in all that the sport has achieved in the past year, including the very successful running of Ireland’s first round of the FIA World Rally Championship last month.
John also thanked the Irish Sports Council for their valued support and encouragement in the development of the sport over recent years, particularly in relation to our two young drivers’ awards schemes and the creation of a stranding scheme for our high achievers.
