1975 Boreen Rally

Brendan Fagan had ten marks to spare.

This report for the DU/TDC Boreen, 11th January 1975, is believed to be from the Irish Times, and written by Des Bradley. The press cutting comes from the collection of Dr Frank O’Donoghue.

Dubliners Brendan Fagan and Kenny Johnston, in their Ford Escort BDA, had ten marks to spare over the Porsche Carrera of Gerry Forde and Paul Phelan when winning Dublin University Motor Club / Trials Drivers Club Cibié Nite Lite Boreen Rally when it finished near Courtown, Co. Wexford, yesterday morning after covering a 180 mile overnight route from the start at Kilmacanouge, Co. Wicklow.

The rally, the first in the 1975 BP National Rally Championship, attracted thirty-eight starters, and twenty-three were classified as finishers having visited the four forestry special stages at Ballylug, Barnbawn, Glenealy and Shelton Abbey, before tackling the navigation section involving forty-one checkpoints.

For the first time in the six-year history of the event, the navigation section of the rally was “cleaned” by a competitor (zero penalties).  Reigning BP National Champion navigator Paul Phelan, guided Gerry Forde in his Porsche Carrera unpenalised through the entire route, but the pair had lost almost two minutes when they slid off the road on the slippery first forest stage at Ballylug, near Laragh.

This slip-up probably didn’t cost them the win on the event as Brendan Fagan had a terrific drive through the stages in his well-prepared Escort and finished fastest of all on the stages by almost a minute.

Overall Placings:

1. B. Fagan/K. Johnston (Escort BDA) 10.8 marks lost;
2. G. Forde/P. Phelan (Porsche Carrera) 20.7 marks;
3. J. Tansey/D. Johnston (BMW 2002) 22.5 marks;
4. S. Campbell/D. Smyth (Capri 3100RS) 26.9 marks;
5. J. Coyne/P. Potts (Sunbeam Stiletto) 40.6 marks;
6. G. McNamara/L. Fannin (Escort BDA) 41.1 marks;
7. D. Yeates/F. O’Donoghue (Opel Kadett) 49.0 marks
8. J. McCreesh/J. French (Escort RS2000) 56.9 marks;
9. J. Scallon/P. Scott (Escort RS2000) 81.4 marks;
10. G. Clarke/R. Gordon (Escort RS2000) 89.6 marks.

Class Placings:

• Over 1350cc:  G. Forde/P. Phelan (Porsche Carrera)
• Under 1350cc:  J. Coyne/P. Potts (Sunbeam Stiletto)
• Group One:  J. McCreesh/J. French (Escort RS2000)
• Non-Experts: 
  1. G. Clarke/R. Gordon (Escort RS2000) 89.6 marks;
  2. M. Jackson/T. Britton (Mini Cooper) 159.4 marks.
• Best TDC Member: J. Conway/C. Conway (Imp)
• Stage Award: B. Fagan
• Navigator Award: P. Phelan