Tara Maher
15-year-old Fionn O'Connell from Carrigaline has always been passionate about two-wheel bikes. His obsession started when he got his first balance bike as a baby. The Carrigaline youngster is leading the Moto1 class in the Mondello Masters Championship.
"I took to it like a duck to water. As the years passed and I grew older, my toys got bigger and faster," he told The Carrigdhoun.
Fionn is currently leading the championship for his class in the Mondello Masters, the most prestigious motorcycle racing championship in Ireland.
When he was 5 years old, he was gifted a Yamaha PW50. He recalled how he used to do laps of the garden until the petrol ran out.
When he outgrew the bike, he moved onto a Kawasaki kx65, his first bike with gears and a clutch. "I did stall quite a bit a few times but the more laps I did the more I progressed but after a while I realised that motocross riding just wasn't for me."
In 2019, Fionn's Dad, John, took him to see the last round of the MMRCI to test a minimoto on a tarmac for the first time. "As soon as I swung my leg over it, I knew this is what I was searching for."
He got his hands on a 125cc pit bike that he raced in the MMCRI championship the following year, "I won my first ever race on it, and I was hooked. As I got older, I started to ride a MiniGP bike in the FIM MiniGp, which took place in 2021, and I placed fourth in the championship."
Determined to do better, he returned the following year stronger and was overjoyed to finish third.
Last year, Fionn took it a step further and competed in his first championship abroad. "I raced in Spain in the MIR racing cup on a 250cc moto5. It was a difficult year with plenty of learning experiences. In the last round at the Cartagena circuit, I had my best result, finishing 9th. It was a positive end to the season.
This year, he has taken another step up onto a Yamaha R3, which he is racing in the Moto1 class in the Mondello Masters Championship in Mondello Park.
This year, the championship runs over six weekends, with three races each weekend.
At the moment, with two rounds left, he is leading the championship with a 44-point lead and nine race wins under his belt.
"This has been one of the most enjoyable times I have ever had on a bike. Thanks to my teammate and mentor Kevin Keyes, I learn new techniques every time I go out on track."
O'Connell holds two lap records around the Mondello Park international and national circuits.
Fionn's dedication to the sport is second to none. Every day, he's out running, cycling, riding minibikes, or going to the gym.
Getting Fionn to this level of competition has been a team effort. It couldn't have been done without his parents, for "fuelling his journey," his teammate and mentor, Kevin Keyes, mechanic Colin Draper, Cork Motorcycle Club, and local sponsors Phil Wilson Panel Beating, Carrigaline Auto Services, BCD Electrical, Daracore Racing, and The Bed Linen Company.
O'Connell is young and ambitious. He aims to represent his country in the World Championship and win a title.
But for now, he is focused on the year ahead. He is currently finalising plans but one thing is for sure, there are "bigger, better and faster things to come!"
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