Rally driver Frank Meagher, who died in an accident on March 10th aged 39, while testing a Ford Sierra Cosworth over a forest track on Slievenamon, Co Tipperary.Francis (Frank) Meagher was born on November 30th, 1962, in Cloneen, Co Tipperary, the son of local garage owner and farmer Leo Meagher and his wife Mary (née McGrath).
He was educated in the Cloneen National School and spent a short time in Rockwell College. However, as a youth Frank Meagher was more interested in things mechanical rather than academic and he left Rockwell to train as a mechanic in his father's garage.
He was a keen golfer and a one time member of Cahir Golf Club where he got down to an under 10 handicap. But motor sport was his first love and he was a member of the Tipperary Light Car and Motor Cycle Club from an early age.
He competed in his first event in 1979 in a 1300cc Ford Escort with Ronnie Gahan, his future wife, co-driving. It was a rather traumatic competition début as he crashed out on the first corner.
His first major win was the Wexford rally in 1985, which he repeated two years later. He won the National Rally Championship the following year at the wheel of a Ford Escort RS1800, co-driven by Trevor Hughes. That year he also scored his first international victory in the West Cork rally.
In 1992, he drove a Ford Sierra Cosworth to an outstanding win on the Circuit of Ireland. In 1993, his season ended with an accident on the Cork 20 from which he and his co-driver Gareth O'Callaghan were lucky to emerge unscathed.
The following year he finished third in the Circuit, but another accident, on the Killarney Rally of The Lakes (again with O'Callaghan co-driving), was a major setback. His morale plunged to an all-time low, but typical of the Tipperary man's courage and determination he recovered to take second at Lurgan Park and third in the Cork 20. He also came first in the Tipperary Stonethrowers' Rally, an event he won for a record nine times.
Frank Meagher had his best season season in 1995, driving a Ford Escort Cosworth to victory on the Galway, Killarney and Cork internationals with Pat Moloughney on the pace notes. He won the Manx with Michael Maher co-driving, and finished third on the Circuit and Donegal rallies to win the Tarmac Championship - the only driver to win both national and international titles.
Pressure of business and the phenomenal cost and time factor of rallying at such a competitive level forced Frank Meagher to take a three-year sabbatical in 1996 apart from an occasional event.
He campaigned a Ford Escort WRC in 1999 and more recently a Ford Focus WRC, also competing in forestry events in a Sierra Cosworth.
In recent years he had expanded his garage business, operating sales and repair facilities in Cloneen, Fethard and Cashel, and was planning a new rally campaign. He had overcame some tough times in business and rallying with sheer dedication.
Frank Meagher, family man and employer will be sadly missed. Frank Meagher, the quiet and unassuming rally driver and sportsman, will be missed also by the countless fans who followed his fortunes.
Frank Meagher lived at Milestone, Cloneen, and was married to Ronnie (Teresa), by whom he is survived along with their four children, Emma, Colin, Ava and Frank junior. He is also survived by his parents, Leo and Mary, and brothers, Charles and Iain.
Francis (Frank) Meagher: born 1962; died, March 2002