AN incredible journey across
five continents – and counting – for Bantry native Catherine Levis-Shinnors is woven by personal milestones, like engagement and marriage, into an international adventure of motorsport.

Not just from a sporting or tourism aspect, Catherine’s travels have immersed her and her husband Matt in the cultures and communities of each country they have visited.

Explaining the reason behind their various expeditions, Catherine laughed before joking, "It's probably madness between the two of us, I suppose! One of us is as bad as the other!"

Those personal milestones trip off her tongue with consummate ease.
"The very first rally we did was Barbados in 2012, and we got engaged there," she said.

It also had a lucky omen.
"I actually won €2,000 in the lotto and that covered the shipping of the car (a Ford Escort Mk. 2) on a banana boat!" Catherine said, and added, "Then, our second rally abroad was the Arctic Rally in Finland (2016) and we got married there just before the rally."

A sign on the rear of their BMW 325i E36M simply said "Just Married".

The obvious question of where they met and how it all began brought another rally event...

Matt Shinnors, a member of the Cork Motor Club, has etched his name in Irish motorsport history by competing as a rally driver on all six continents—a feat that positions him as potentially the first Irishman to achieve this milestone.

His journey culminated recently at the Rally del Atlántico in Uruguay, the final round of the FIA South American Rally Championship.

Driving a Ford Fiesta with his wife Catherine as co-driver, Shinnors faced mechanical issues on the opening day.

However, the resilient duo rejoined the event under Super Rally rules and successfully finished the challenging rally. Shinnors was full of praise for the Uruguayan stages, describing them as “fast, smooth, and flowing gravel roads, some of the best in the world.”

A journey across continents

Over the years, Shinnors has competed in some of the world’s most iconic and even unheard-of events.

His career has spanned tarmac and gravel to snow and mud—and he has driven an array of vehicles, including front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive cars in both left-hand and right-hand drive cars.

 2024    Chachoengsao Rally Thailand            

2018    Safari Rally Kenya 

2018    Shinshiro Rally Japan         

2016    Gorman...

Privileged to drive a classic 1973 TE27 Corolla on the first round of the Thailand Rally in Chachoengsao Province Thailand

What a challenging rally. We survived the 40 degrees C heat over the weekend to bring the car home first in class.

Awesome job as usual by Catherine.

Thank you Thailand

Delighted to win the Mayo Motor Club's Frank Harrington Challenge in 2023 with the Evo 6.

Honered to be included in Michael O' Mahoney's Icons of Irish Rallying Book

Time to head back to New Zealand.

This time with Catherine and to the South Island for the Otago Rally.

We will drive a Magnum Motorsport classic rear wheel drive Toyota Starlet over the 280km two day event.

Check out the unseeded entry list. 

https://www.otagorally.com/home/competitors/entry-list

Matt retained the National Autocross Championship title in 2019.

After 6 rounds with three wins, two seconds and a third place driving his Subaru Imperza Matt clinched the title.

Matt was presented with champions award at the Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards 2019 in Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Tuesday, 10^th December.

At the Birr MC loose Autocross held in November 2019, the entry list included ten members of the Shinnors family from Bruff Co. Limerick.

Not an everyday occurrence in Irish Motorsport circles, we may need to scour the autocross archives to see if it is a record.

Left to Right: Austin Shinnors, Timo Shinnors, Catherine Shinnors, Alan Shinnors, Matt Shinnors, Greg Shinnors, Joe Snr Shinnors, Joe Jnr Shinnors, Elaine Shinnors and George Shinnors 

Today, (December 4th) at the Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards in the Mansion House Dublin Matt recieved his award for the National Autocross championship.

Article by Gazoo about our Shinshiro Rally adventure

https://gazoo.com/article/oneesan/181110.html