Stewart and Barry give the thumbs up to being in Donegal!
A plan hatched over a couple of pints in Australia has seen a Burt man travel almost 18,000 kms to compete in this weekend’s Donegal Rally.
And not only that but Barry Callaghan has spent almost €20,000 bringing his own rally car with him.
Barry, 29, has lived in Perth for three years and takes part in rallies across Australia
Now he has spent the last nine months planning the trip along with his boss Stewart Liddle, 55.
Dad-of-one Barry revealed “Like most things it kind of happened over a couple of pints one night and we couldn’t go back on it.
“Myself and Stewart rally back in Australia and I am always telling him about Donegal and how brilliant the Donegal Rally is.
“So we decided last October that we would just go for it and here we are,” he said.
Barry’s 2006 Subaru Imprenza left Australia in March and only arrived in Ireland on Monday last.
But while Barry didn’t leave his car behind, the same can’t be said about his heavily pregnant wife Keara (nee Barr) and son Matthew, 5.
“Keara is due our second child in July and I told her that if she goes into labour not to call me.
“Hopefully she can hold on until I get back but could you imagine having to fly back to Australia having spent all this money,” he laughed.
Navigator Barry, who is a panel-beater with local Australian company Signhere Signs, admits that most people think he is mad spending so much cash on a rally.
“Most people think I have a screw loose in my helmet.
“But the reality is that the nearest rally to us in Australia is 3,000 kms away.
“This is a little bit further and it’s going to cost a lot more but it’s a once in a lifetime thing – hopefully,” he laughed.
Barry said he is also delighted to be able to get back to Donegal and see his friends and family in the village of Burt close to the border with Derry.
“I’ve told Stewart to take it easy at the start of the race. I don’t want us going out on the first bend after all the time and money we have spent on our dream,” he added.
Meanwhile another Donegal man, Glenn Alcorn, has also traveled from Australia to take part in this weekend’s event.
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