DD MOTORING: ON THE ROAD AGAIN – BRIAN McDAID TALKS JAMES CULLEN AND A BEETLE MEMORY

He has been like a child trying to keep a secret but our motoring correspondent Brian McDaid has a bit of a Back to the Future story this week involving one of his heroes. We’ll let him tell you all…..

First entry is in for the 2016 Donegal Rally

Well its official, the 1991 winner of the Donegal International Rally is making a return to rallying on his silver jubilee of winning the event. Letterkenny’s James Cullen will be seeded at number 25 which was kindly organised and sponsored by the Donegal Motor Club.

The first official interview of the double Donegal winner went out on the airwaves on Saturday as head of sport, Oisin Kelly from Highland Radio interviewed one of his childhood heroes. Oisin explained what is was like as a young caddy heading down to Ramelton years ago to see the Donegal Rally go through the town and what it was like for him to see a hero from his own town getting cheered on by thousands that packed the streets of Ramelton and James leading the field.

James explained to Oisin that the possibility was now becoming more of a reality and he had a mixture of fear and excitement as the rally date comes closer. Aidan Caddye , Steven Sheridan and Denis Orr and a few other boys have being working on this possibility for a while now.

Their plan was to try and get a Ford Sierra similar to the famous “Pink Panther” that James won the rally in back in 1991, that proved impossible to do as there is not at decent Ford Sierra about that would last the pace for the three days expected of the Donegal Rally

The main thing at the moment is that we are going even though we are not sure in what car. It’s as much about the memories more than anything else. James explained that a lot of friends from the rallying world are no longer with us, and for him it will be a way to rekindle their memories that we will be doing the rally for. People like his navigator, the late Ellen Morgan who was his team mate on both occasion when he won the Donegal Rally.

James recalled doing his first Donegal Rally with Ellen in a Honda Civic which they rolled on the Fanad Stages and lost the windscreen and had to complete the rally both wearing sunglasses to keep debris out of the eyes, That year they won the “Spirit of the Rally” for this efforts to complete the rally in these conditions.
Then James also was the Clerk of the Course for the rally before returning to the driver seat to win the event he dreamed of winning as a young fellow growing up in Letterkenny,

The Donegal Rally is my All Ireland.

James described the Donegal Rally as his all Ireland Final. Throughout his rallying career , his life centred around the second or third week in June every year and now for him this whole thing has come back to life again is just amazing. The guys behind this are the men that have made this work, James was the second Donegal man to win his home event, following Dungloe’s Vincent Bonner who with Letterkenny’s Seamus Mc Gettigan won they rally in 1983. James Cullen’s celebration of his first win of the rally 25 years on will be possible only because of the great support from local business in Donegal.

James Cullen first and last rally

The last time James Cullen took part in a rally was on the Donegal International but he was not the driver on that occasion he was the navigator as he sat and read the notes to his son Declan who competed on the event for the 1st time. The first rally that James Cullen ever took part in was also as a navigator and sat on with local letterkenny man Paul Sheils from the Oldtown in Letterkenny, That was a night navigation rally, and the 1st stage rally was also with Paul Sheils, James also navigated for the late James Mc Daid and the Late Andy Hegarty.

Win a trip to the 1000 Lakes Rally
Cork man and great supporter of the Donegal Rally Alan Verso has kindly put up a fantastic prize for a draw to help fund James Cullen’s 25th anniversary rally. A trip for two all expenses paid to Rally Finland , formally known as the 1,000 lakes rally . The tickets, which are selling fast are 100 euros, each, The draw closes at the end of this month, So don’t miss this great opportunity to win a great prize and support a great cause as well.
So come this June, one of Donegal’s great drivers James Cullen never believed that he ever would be back heading over the start ramp on the Friday morning of the Donegal Rally . James was rallying for thirty years, and never in his wildest dreams did he ever thing he would be back in this situation, Its a bit like Disneyland for James at the moment and is so looking forward to doing the event.

James Cullen’s rally will be completely funded by the good will of local sponsors, and fans who would so much like to see him back at the wheel of a rally car, what ever the car may turn out to be. It will be a great to be part of this year’s effort to mark his great win in the history of the Donegal Rally which happen a quarter of a century ago this June. So lets get out and support in any way you can to make this event a great success.

Cullen gets full support from Chairman of Donegal Motor Club

Chairman of the Donegal Motor Club Brian Brogan has congratulated James Cullen and the group of his supporters and friends that have brought this idea forward and made it into a possibility. James Cullen is one of the best drivers that Donegal has ever produced, Competitors from all over the world have competed in the Donegal International Rally over the years and James Cullen has mixed it with the best of them. James was always in the top ten of the rally and even on his first Donegal as driver was in in 1979 in a Hillman Avenger along with fellow Letterkenny man Rory Kennedy, the crew finished in 12th place over all and won his class, James is an all round club person, starting on his first ever rally as navigator sitting on with Letterkenny’s Paul Shiels on a night navigation rally progressing from clubman level to the top of his profession, He always done so well on a very tight budget as he competed with the best of the rest. He run the Donegal rally himself as Clerk Of The Course before returning to win the rally outright twice with his co-driver the Late Ellen Morgan, As Chairman of the Donegal Motor Club I can say on behalf of the club that we are more than proud of what James Cullen has done for rallying in Co. Donegal. Its not every day that we will get the opportunity to celebrate a local man winning his local rally outright, So this year we are very proud in our support for James on his Home Rally.

Beetle memories

I can across a lovely photo of Caroline Harris for Auto Fast Fit in Letterkenny pictured as she took delivery of her new VW beetle at the turn of the century. It’s hard to believe this photo was take 16 years ago which was the second generation of Vw’s most successful car the Beetle. The picture was taken at Gallagher’s of Newmills. The flower in caroline’s hair came standard on all of the second generation beetles that year.

Fuel Watch

Best prices for Petrol are this week are at Tinney’s in Letterkenny at 123.9 and diesel prices at 107.9

And finally…….. Road Test 1990

Just looking through old photographs this week when I came across an old photo of a Volvo that I tested for the late Liam Mc Glinchey over 26 years ago.

My late father Fred McDaid (Known as “Big Fred”) who by the then had retired from his job in the ESB as truck driver. He was the one that taught me to drive at the age of 8 years in a truck belonging to the ESB on a quiet road out by Glendowan.

This picture was taken of him a couple of months before he passed away in 1990 the one and only time he accompanied me on a test drive, he died in April 1990.

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