Women Deliver Across the Disciplines in Action-Packed Weekends
Successful weekends for women in Irish motorsport, with standout performances in rallying and karting highlighting talent across the sport!
Class Victory for Hallinan and Duggan in Monaghan
Gemma Hallinan and Ciara Duggan celebrated a milestone achievement at the Monaghan Stages Rally, taking victory in Class 2A and finishing as the event's highest-placed all-female crew.
Driving their Ford Fiesta, the duo delivered a composed and consistent performance throughout the event to secure their first-ever class victory. The result was made even sweeter as it came after a challenging spell of three consecutive retirements, making their return to the finish ramp all the more rewarding.
The rally also marked a significant personal milestone for co-driver Ciara Duggan, who made her 52nd rally start.
Maguire Top Female Driver for Monaghan Motor Club
Molly Maguire and co-driver Conor Mohan also enjoyed a memorable outing at the Monaghan Stages Rally, with Maguire claiming the award for the highest-placed female driver representing County Monaghan Motor Club.
The pair encountered an unusual challenge on the penultimate stage when they came across a blockage that left around 15 cars stationary on the road. Drawing on his extensive navigation experience, Mohan identified a nearby farm lane that provided a safe route around the obstruction. Leading the queue of stranded competitors through the detour, they were able to rejoin the rally route and continue their event.
Their perseverance paid off as Maguire completed the rally to secure the club's top female driver honours.
Young Greer Continues Karting Success
The next generation of Irish motorsport talent was also in action, with six-year-old Georgie Greer claiming victory in the T4 Bambino class during Event 7 of the Motorsport Ireland National Kart Championship at Watergrasshill. Competing in the T4 Bambino class as a rookie, Georgie set the fastest novice lap time in every heat before going on to dominate the final, taking both the class victory and P1 overall. It was another impressive display from the young karter, showcasing speed, consistency and confidence well beyond her years.
Greer's latest class win continues an impressive start to her karting career and highlights the exciting young talent emerging through the ranks of Irish motorsport.
Aoife Raftery Maintains Perfect Record with Grampian Class Win
Aoife Raftery continued her outstanding 2026 season with a class victory at the Grampian Forest Rally, making it three class wins from three competition starts. Taking on the challenging Scottish gravel stages as part of the British Rally Championship, Raftery delivered another impressive performance, showing strong pace and consistency throughout the event. Finishing top of Class 4 and 11th overall with co-driver Ayrton Sherlock, the weekend was a huge success for Aoife and her team. The result further underlines the young Irish driver’s growing reputation on the international rally stage, with a remarkable 100% class-winning record across her competition starts so far this season.
Holly Dunnion Secures Second in J1000 Championship
Holly Dunnion strengthened her position in the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series J1000 Championship with a superb result at the Jim Walsh Cork Forestry Rally. Dunnion alongside dad, Mick Dunnion who is her trusty co-driver, delivered another strong performance on the challenging forestry stages to secure second place in the J1000 Championship standings. The result marks another important step in Holly’s development and keeps her firmly in contention as the championship heads towards its remaining rounds.
The Jim Walsh Cork Forestry Rally was Round 7 of the 2026 J1000 Championship, with the series designed to develop the next generation of Irish rally talent.
Ayda O’Brien Takes IAME Cadet Victory at Athboy
Ayda O’Brien added another impressive result to her 2026 karting campaign with victory in the IAME Cadet class at Athboy. Competing in Round 4 of the Motorsport Ireland National Karting Championship, O’Brien showed strong pace throughout the weekend to take the class win. The result continues an excellent season for the young driver, who currently leads the IAME Cadet championship standings after previous victories at Kiltorcan and Watergrasshill. With three wins from her opening four completed rounds, O’Brien is establishing herself as one of the standout young talents in Irish karting and continues to fly the flag for young women coming through the sport.
Lauren Doherty 2nd in the Dacia Sandero Challenge
Lauren Doherty enjoyed another strong result in the co-driver’s seat at the Monaghan Stages Rally, guiding her brother Cillian Doherty to an impressive second-place finish in the Dacia Sandero Challenge Cup. The sibling pairing delivered a consistent and competitive performance throughout the rally, securing another podium in the highly competitive one-make series. Lauren’s calm and accurate pace notes played an important role in helping Cillian maintain his challenge at the front, adding another strong result to their season together.
Congratulations to all of the competitors on their achievements as they continue to showcase the strength and depth of women and girls competing across Irish motorsport.