22 year-old Kildare woman makes history as first woman to win a Formula Sheane race

Róisín Sweeney, from Naas in County Kildare, made history on Saturday afternoon when she crossed the finish line at Kirkistown to become the first woman to win in a Formula Sheane race since the late David Sheane introduced the class over 20 years ago.

Sweeney, 22, is an aerospace engineer and also a former Motorsport Ireland Karting Champion. She moved to car racing with a Global GT sportscar two years ago but was beset by mechanical issues.

For 2026, she moved to the Formula Sheane class. The F1 style cars are built by Sheane Cars in County Wicklow and are capable of reaching speeds of over 140mph and can accelerate from 0 to 100kmh in under four seconds.

Speaking after the race, Sweeney said: “I'm over the moon. The car was just perfect, really good fun to drive. The Formula Sheane class is fantastic, everyone welcomed us in and helped us so much all season long. A big thanks to my family for the support and to all my valued sponsors who make this all possible. Roll on 2027!”

Two weeks ago, Róisín scored a popular podium finish at the Leinster Trophy race meeting at Mondello, where she works part time as a race instructor, and, buoyed by this, she headed to the ultra fast former airfield circuit of Kirkistown in Northern Ireland for the final rounds of the 2026 Airport Cars backed series at the weekend.

Sweeney’s father Dan runs the car and, having raced previously at Kirkistown, both he and the star driver decided to change the setup slightly from the usual Mondello Park settings. It proved to be a wise choice for the two engineers, as the Nordic Spirit car rocketed off the grid to take a lead it would never lose.