Young Driver Award for Ratoath's Cian Carey

Cian Carey from Ratoath has been awarded the Sexton Trophy for Young Racing Driver of the Year at the Motorsport Ireland Awards Ceremony in Dublin. The 22 year-old won it ahead of 16 year-old Jordan Dempsey from Mullingar, and 23 year-old Andy O’Brien (Templeogue, Dublin).

Cian won the Boss Ireland Championship this year despite competing on occasion against far superior race cars. He secured a remarkable five outright wins, three second places and four thirds on his way to being crowned champion. Cian intends to compete in the British Formula 3 Cup next year and has already tested the new car in Silverstone at the Walter Hayes Trophy where he secured a pole position and second place finish in his first outing.

He said: “It will be an absolute pleasure to race under the Motorsport Ireland and Sport Ireland Banners. I believe I have the pace to be extremely competitive on the track and I intend to bring home some wins to Ireland in 2017.”

The Billy Coleman Award for the Young Rally Driver of the Year was won by 24-year-old Josh Moffett, from Monaghan, who narrowly beat runners up Gary McNamee (Oldcastle) and Callum Devine (Claudy, Co Derry) to the title. The Manley Memorial Trophy for the International Driver of the Year went to Craig Breen, from Co Waterford, after he became the first driver from the Republic of Ireland to secure a works drive with Citroen in the World Rally Championship.

The Neil Shanahan Memorial Trophy goes to Se Og Martin as National Junior Kart Champion. Se og is from Dunloy, Co Antrim and is just 13 years of age.

The Inaugural FIA Celtic Trophy was won overall by Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin. The competition is spread over five rallies in the UK and Ireland. Cronin, a three-time British Rally Champion, won two of the five rounds and placed high enough to take the trophy ahead of nearest rival Sam Moffett. Group winners also presented on the night were David Guest and Paddy Robinson, who won the Group N title (ERT2), and Callum Devine and Keith Moriarty, who won the two-wheel drive (ERT3) and ERT junior titles.

The Ivan Webb Memorial Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Irish Motorsport went to Kevin Barrett, from Maynooth, Co Kildare, who has been an integral part of the Irish motorsport community for many years and a huge supporter of the National Rally Championship both as a competitor and sponsor of the championship through the Triton Showers brand.

The JC Millard Memorial Award for Clubman of the Year went to James O’Brien from Co Cork, for his contribution to the sport both as an organiser and competitor.