Chester family’s 1,000 mile rally in £100 “banger”

Sep 4 2008 Chester Chronicle

A CHESTER family starts a 1,000 mile rally around Ireland today (Friday) in a £100 banger to raise money for the Hospice Of The Good Shepherd.

Rally enthusiasts Philip Mannion, 51, and sons Daniel 25, Paul 23, and Stephen 17, will be driving from Belfast, Northern Ireland, before averaging more than 200 miles a day to reach Cork, South-East Ireland, in just four days.

Speaking before the team left Chester, Paul, a Chronicle reporter, said: “We’ve been very lucky to have had help from Manor Garage, Lightfoot Street, Hoole, who are a Renault specialist and thoroughly looked over the car to make sure it was roadworthy.

“It has taken a few months preparation but we are aiming to finish in the top three so we can raise more money for the charity.”

The team, called Sat Nav Superstars, is just one of about 100 entries that will be contesting the endurance rally.

The family are staying in Belfast courtesy of Travelodge, who have just opened a new hotel on St John Street, Chester, and have more than two million hotels in the UK, for more information visit www.travelodge.co.uk.

And they are travelling to Ireland courtesy of Irish Ferries, the low fares ferry company. For more information visit www.irishferries.com.

Anyone who wants to sponsor them can do so by visiting www.justgiving.com/scallyrallyireland.