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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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The late Jim Callaghan (inset) was a founder member of the Donegal Motor Club
Jim Callaghan, a founder member of the Donegal Motor Club, has died.
Late of Ballyraine in Letterkenny, he was among those who formed the Donegal Motor Club in 1970.
A long-time stalwart and enthusiast of motorsport, Mr Callaghan passed away on Friday.
A former competitor, he has also acted as Clerk of the Course for the Donegal International Rally from 1978-79 and 1984-85.
He was part of the group that came together in January, 1970, at the Milford Inn Hotel to set up the Donegal Motor Club. He served a period as the Chairman of the Motor Club.
“It was way beyond expectations actually,” he recalled in an interview some years ago. “The event went from strength to strength really.
"It took a while to build it up. The enthusiasm was beyond belief at the time. The foundation of the motor club I put down to the collective mad thoughts of the Milford people. The membership was drawn from all over the county.”
Mr Callaghan was also a long serving teacher and worked at St Baithin’s National School in St Johnston for around 20 years until he retired in the 1990s.
He set up a class in the 1970s, operated out of the Ballyraine Hotel (now the Mount Errigal Hotel), to teach navigating skills for budding co-drivers.
“Jim was the man who gave us a grounding in navigating events and map reading,” multiple Donegal International Rally winning navigator Rory Kennedy told Donegal Live.
“I was only a teenager when I went to that class and Jim was showing us how to plot a map and understand a rally. Those people were pioneers back in the day and were the architects of the Donegal Rally.
“I had a great affinity with Jim and a great admiration for what he did.”
He is survived by his wife Kay, son Gerard (Jacquie), daughter Cliona (Ali), grandchildren Jamie, Rory, Aaron, Emma, Aidan and Andrew, neighbours, relatives and friends.
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He will be laid to rest at Conwal Cemetery on Monday after funeral Mass at St Eunan’s Cathedral, Letterkenny at 12 noon.
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