This article is from page 21 of the 2012-06-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
THE successful Clare rally navigator Gráinne McEnery remains in a critical but stable condition in a Dublin hospital more than a week after a rallying accident in Portlaoise.
The Ennis woman sustained serious head injuries when the car she was co-driving lost control on a turn during the sixth stage of the Heartlands Mini-Stages Rally on Sunday week last.
Her family and driving partner Mike Quinn have been keeping a bedside vigil since.
Clare Motor Club held a prayer service for Gráinne on Tuesday last, led by Fr Harry Bohan in the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis.
Grainne, who is one of the most successful rally navigators in the country, secured the 2011 Top Part West Coast Rally Championship the first Clare person and woman to do so.
She has also won the Michael Farrell Memorial Trophy.
Gráinne, who works as service manager with O’Sullivan & Hansbury Motors in Ennis developed an interest in rallying from a young age as her dad Joe, a keen rally spectator and her brother Charlie, a championship-winning navigator brought her to various events around the country.
Gráinne has been competition with Kerry driver Mike Quinn since 2009 and immediately they were a successful team coming second overall in the West Coast Rally Championship and winning the Rally.ie National 2wd Drive Championship. They won numerous other rallies that year and in 2010 finished third overall in the West Coast Rally Championship.