Kerry crews faced snow and treacherous conditions at the opening round of the 2026 Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship in Sligo on Sunday.
The inaugural Yeats Ridge Forestry Rally saw over 100 cars tackle fast and technical stages around Collooney.
Colin O’Meara made an impressive debut behind the wheel of his Peugeot 208 R2, alongside co-driver Daniel Seaman. Despite heavy snow on the opening loop, the pair finished 36th overall and fourth in Class 2A — a superb result on O’Meara’s first-ever rally.
Killarney co-driver Niall Myers, navigating for Donegal’s Oisin McShane, showed winning pace in Class 2A before mechanical trouble forced them out early. They returned under SuperRally rules, having set three fastest stage times.
In the Junior 1000 category, all three Kerry crews required restarts to reach the finish in challenging conditions.
James Spillane of Killorglin and Causeway’s Maurice McElligott briefly led the class after the opening stage in their Seat Mii, before mechanical issues saw them classified 14th.
Frank Wharton and Denny Greaney brought their newly built VW Up home after early setbacks, while Aidan O’Leary and John Falvey battled through to finish 13th in class in their Toyota Aygo.
The championship now moves to Dungarvan for the Moonraker Forestry Rally on April 18th.
