Manus Kelly: Remembering the King of the Hills

The Donegal International Rally, with its iconic views and famous stages, is a truly special event.

However it will forever be tinged with sadness after the passing of the great Manus Kelly on the Fanad Head stage on 23 June 2019.

A top-class rally driver, Manus, or Mandy as he was affectionately known, was also at the heart of the community in Donegal.

A prominent businessman, he had just been elected onto Donegal County Council at the first time of asking, just four weeks prior to his fatal accident.

Motorsport is dangerous and there is always a high element of risk, however when the news started filtering through that three-time Donegal winner had passed away there was a there was a collective 'surely not?'. Think Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna or Joey Dunlop.

His passing at the age of 41 left a hole not only in the the lives of wife Bernie and their five children - Annie, Mandy, Charlie, Conan and Bella - but the wider community in Glenswilly and beyond.

When this author posted a tweet asking for memories of Manus, the response was quite overwhelming.

"Passion", "gentleman", "family", "special" and "people's champion" - plus, of course, his brilliant smile - were some of the most common terms in the surge of tributes.

The love and support for Manus, Bernie, their children and long-time co-driver and friend Donall Barrett is clear to see.

While his warm manner made Manus one of the most approachable drivers in the service park, on the stages it was a different story.

His first Donegal Rally was in 2006, taking a class win in a Toyota Corolla, however victory in the National class in 2015 set Mandy and Donall up for bigger and better things the following year.

Occasionally in motorsport, there's a connection between car and driver which gives such confidence, they become a force on the stages. That is what happened in 2016 with Manus and his Subaru Impreza S12B, and it would spark three years of triumph in the hills.

That year, Manus and Donall, after a trip to a field, were 9.3 seconds behind leader Keith Cronin heading into Fanad, the final stage. 19.74km later, the duo had managed to pip Cronin to the win by just 0.5 seconds.

In what was only his second rally in the Subaru, it was a stunning performance with driver, navigator and machine all in perfect harmony.

In rallying terms, 0.5 seconds after 20 flat-out stages is like a hair between two thoroughbred race horses and, with everything on the line, his final-stage charge is regarded as one of the best performances in the rally's history.

With that, Manus had achieved his dream.

The following year, Manus was embroiled in a rally-long battle for victory with Donagh Kelly.

This time, with three stages to go, Manus took the lead with another blistering run through Fanad.

Donagh would crash out on the penultimate stage, allowing Manus and Donall to cruise home with an almost two-minute advantage and take another home triumph.

While, on paper at least, the margin of his 2018 success wasn't as large, in reality it was Manus' most-dominant win.

After taking the lead on the opening day, the Donegal duo didn't look back, ending the rally some 42.2 seconds ahead of Sam Moffatt.

It was a sublime performance to complete a heroic hat-trick, and a perfect farewell to his time in the Subaru and one of Irish rallying's most potent partnerships.

Donegal-based photographer Kevin Glendinning said the build up to the 2019 rally, when Manus was working on his election campaign, highlights how he always tried to accommodate everyone.

"We'd organised a chat for the programme about three or four times but he was really busy with the election," he said.

"One night at 11.50pm he asked me if it suited, and away we went. He was so genuine and everything was heartfelt.

"He laughed at the end and said it felt like it was therapy. I think he was just delighted to talk about rallying and not try to canvass me.

"Manus was a big man, with a big smile who always took time to promote his beloved Donegal."

That was echoed by Radio Kerry broadcaster Ivan Hurley, who said: "Manus was a man of the people, you always felt like you knew the man. He made time for everyone."

In the busy world that we now live in, that's an underrated trait.

The vast number of people who have such vivid memories from just stopping in the service park for a photograph, autograph or chat is telling.

Those lasting impressions speak volumes about Manus' character.

One of those people was photographer Cian Donnellan, who was on the receiving end of Mandy's warm nature in Killarney in 2018.

"While Manus on the stages was ferocious, Manus the man was funny and charming," he said.

"I'm a bit shy around people, so I was reluctant to point a camera in the faces of people I considered heroes.

"A lot of crews sat in the car with their doors closed. Manus was totally different. Window down, all smiles, he waved me closer. We shared a few words, and joked.

"After the event, Manus was the first ever driver to reach out to purchase photos of mine.

"I expected them to appear on his Facebook page, instead they ended up on the side of an Arctic Truck Trailer for Applegreen. It was classic Manus, go big or go home!"

While he was best known for his exploits behind the wheel, Manus' reach went beyond the stages.

There was countless charity work, helping the local community and also time spent with Glenswilly GAC.

A half-forward with "a great left boot on him", Manus was a talented gaelic footballer, according to former team-mate and manager Ciaran Gallagher.

Manus won the Donegal Senior C Championship with Glenswilly in 2016 as a manager, and Gallagher says Manus' final game as a player, the same final the following year, showed the best of the man.

Nursing an injury, Manus was determined to play, noting that with his rallying and work commitments growing, it could be the last time he got to step out on the pitch for his club.

"He was down at training and you could see he was hurting but he had some determination," added Gallagher, who replaced Manus as manager for 2017.

"He rung me before the game and said: 'I'm not 100% but I will give it my all.'

"He was forced off after about 20 minutes and he was disappointed he couldn't get longer out of the match.

"Instead of sitting on the bench, he was up carrying water on the far side of the pitch and encouraging the boys on. That was the kind of man he was.

"He won it as a manager and he won it as a player. The way he was with the rallying is the way he was with the football - he always gave it his all."

The truth is, there are few people like Manus left in the world. He was one of a kind and the endless stories of generosity and kindness are testimony to that.

After last year's tragedy, Irish rallying will never quite be the same again. However, in times of adversity it is important to remember the memories which made Manus such a special and a well-loved individual.

A family man, a community man, a Donegal man and a champion.

Manus will forever be the King of the Hills.