MORE THAN 1,500 rally fans and competitors attended a memorial service yesterday to honour the memory of 24-year-old Thomas Maguire, a co-driver who died on Saturday in the Topaz Donegal International Rally.
The service at the Mount Errigal Hotel in Letterkenny – rally headquarters – also prayed for the recovery of 25-year-old driver Shane Buckley who was left fighting for his life.
He was said to be critical in Letterkenny General Hospital.
The final day of the weekend rally was cancelled and its future is to be reviewed.
Clerk of the course Danny Gormley said that Mr Maguire and his two brothers had been very involved in rallying.
“The rally needs to continue. The competitors want it, the supporters want it and Donegal needs it,” said Mr Gormley.
“Thomas loved rallying and his loss has deeply affected everyone involved in the rally. His loss will be felt by rallying fans all over the country,” he added.
Rally fans at the service were reminded that Mr Maguire, of Longwood, Co Meath, and Mr Buckley, of Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, were aware of the dangers in the sport but still loved it.
Motor Sport Ireland president Joe Corcoran underlined the high standards within the sport in this country.
“Competitors go out every weekend and enjoy it. They are aware of the dangers. Every so often we get a tragedy. Unfortunately, this weekend the tragedy was for the Maguire family,” he said.
Gareth McHale, who was leading the rally at the time, expressed sympathy with the Maguire family and added: “The rallying community is a very close fraternity and everyone will console each other and the family.”
Supporters formed a lengthy queue yesterday to sign a book of condolences, which will remain at the rally headquarters for the next few days.
Mr Maguire was navigating a Citroen C2R2 Max for Mr Buckley when the car went over the edge of a cliff after ploughing through a hedge and hitting a wall on a dangerous bend on stage 11 at Knockalla, near Portsalon on the Fanad peninsula.
The Coast Guard at Malin Head alerted its helicopter at Strandhill, Co Sligo, after the accident, but the injured driver was raised to the top by other rescuers as the chopper arrived.
Mr Buckley was then taken by ambulance to hospital.
Mr Maguire was the second-youngest in a well-known rallying family of five.
One of his brothers was at the rally and he was taken to the scene of the tragedy, while his mother and father, Maura and Thomas, were brought by helicopter from their home in Co Meath.
The rally is one of the biggest sporting events in the country and an estimated 70,000 spectators were due to attend over three days.
It is the first time a competitor has been killed in the Donegal rally. In 2008, 18-year-old spectator Richard O’Donnell, also known as Richard McGrath, of Strabane, Co Tyrone, was killed and in 2002, two 22-year-old marshals were killed when a car ploughed into spectators.
Meanwhile, gardaí in Co Kerry are investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 24-year-old motorcyclist on the main Tralee to Listowel road on Saturday evening.
The accident occurred shortly after 8pm. The young man has been named locally as John Fuller of Listowel.
He was on his way from the Listowel direction and was about a mile from his house when he collided with a tractor and trailer, near the six crosses, around four miles from Listowel.
The N69 was closed for some time yesterday to allow Garda technical experts examine the scene. Diversions were in place.