Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan claimed their fifth consecutive Assess Ireland International Rally of the Lakes victory after a thrilling two-day battle with Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy, winning by just 13.2 seconds.
The reigning champions’ dominant performance on the world-class Kerry stages allowed them to reclaim the championship lead after their Circuit of Ireland setback, posting seven fastest times across the weekend’s 14 stages to cement their status as the masters of Killarney.
Devine’s victory came despite intense pressure from National Rally Champions Doherty and Murphy, who led briefly on Saturday afternoon before the Claudy driver’s class shone through on Sunday’s decisive Moll’s Gap tests.
The Assess Ireland International Rally of the Lakes got underway on Saturday morning with the iconic Moll’s Gap test, where Devine stamped his authority immediately by going 3.9 seconds faster than Doherty. Kevin Eves claimed the third-fastest time while championship leader Josh Moffett’s challenge suffered a devastating blow, losing 34 seconds to the leaders after a hairy fifth-gear spin.
The lead changed hands repeatedly throughout Saturday morning as Doherty and Devine traded fastest times. Doherty responded on the Gortnagane stage to take a slender 0.1-second lead, while Moffett began his fightback with the third-fastest time on Caherbarnagh. Eves’ challenge suffered a setback when he damaged the front end of his Skoda after hitting a bale on a chicane.
Devine reclaimed the lead with the fastest time on stage five, moving 0.1 seconds ahead before wet and dry conditions on the afternoon’s Caherbarnagh test allowed Doherty to edge back in front, while Matthew Boyle remained in fourth despite losing time due to a spin on the same test.
The pendulum swung back to Devine on Doon Bridge before he delivered a fastest time on Saturday’s final Knockrower test to establish a 3.5-second overnight advantage. Strong finishes to the day brought Matthew Boyle and Moffett closer to third-placed David Kelly and Shane Buckley, while Michael Boyle sat just 12 seconds further back.
Sunday’s opening Moll’s Gap test brought another fastest time for Devine, extending his lead by four seconds. Doherty refused to concede defeat, clawing back four seconds on the Ballaghbeama stage to keep the pressure on, but Devine responded on Shanera to extend his advantage by two seconds.
Behind the leaders, Moffett was matching Matthew Boyle’s stage times in their intense battle for fourth place, the pair separated by just 1.4 seconds. Michael Boyle took 4.8 seconds out of Moffett to move within 7.8 seconds of the top five, while Sam Touzel’s challenge for a top-ten finish evaporated when he suffered a puncture, losing two minutes and dropping from tenth to 13th.
Devine produced a decisive blow on stage 12, going 8.6 seconds faster than Doherty on Moll’s Gap to establish a comfortable margin. Doherty felt his Skoda’s set-up was too soft for the high-speed test, costing him crucial time.
Their duel kept going, though, as the Kilkenny pilot fought back on stage 13, going faster than Devine, but the gap still stood at 13.1 seconds heading into the final test. Matthew Boyle edged 0.3 seconds out of Moffett through Ballaghbeama to carry a slender 1.6-second advantage into the deciding Shanera stage, setting up a tense finale for fourth place.
The final stage delivered high drama as Moffett and Matthew Boyle posted the two fastest times through Shanera. However, it was Moffett who stole the show, snatching fourth place at the death by 2.2 seconds after his charging drive following Saturday’s early dramas.
Kelly and Buckley completed the podium in third place, consolidating their championship challenge with another solid points finish. Michael Boyle claimed sixth after a consistent weekend, while Declan Boyle finished seventh ahead of Eamonn Kelly in eighth.
Assess Ireland International Rally of the Lakes top five:
1 Devine/O’Sullivan (Skoda Fabia Rally2) 1:26:58.9s
2 Doherty/Murphy (Fabia) +13.2s
3 Kelly/Buckley (Fabia) +1:13.4
4 Moffett/Hayes (Toyota Yaris Rally2) +1:25.7
5 Boyle/Williams (Fabia) +1:27.9
McEvoy Motorsport & Flat 2 The Hat Modified ITRC
Local hero Robert Duggan delivered a masterclass on his home stages to claim modified victory in his Ford Escort Mk2.
Duggan’s opening Moll’s Gap stage time was over 20 seconds faster than his closest two-wheel-drive rival Conor Murphy and quick enough for sixth overall, faster than several Rally2 competitors including Sam Touzel and Daniel Cronin. The Kerry driver maintained his advantage despite losing fifth gear to a gearbox issue on Sunday to secure a remarkable three-and-a-half-minute victory.
Murphy ran second in the modified standings before retiring with alternator issues on stage 13, promoting Barry Meade and Colin Fitzgerald into the runner-up position in their Escort for the final stage.
The closing Shanera test delivered a thrilling finish to the modified battle as John Michael Kennelly and Dylan Harrington, who had jumped ahead of Vincent O’Shea on the penultimate stage, joined O’Shea and Rodney Wilton in posting faster times than Meade on the final test.
Despite losing time on the deciding stage, Meade held on to claim second place by just 2.9 seconds from Kennelly after the intense battle. O’Shea finished a further 2.5 seconds back in fourth, with Wilton completing the top five and collecting maximum McEvoy Motorsport & Flat 2 The Hat Modified ITRC points just 3.9 seconds behind Kennelly after all three crews beat Meade’s time on the final stage.
Rally of the Lakes Modified top five:
1 Duggan/McCarthy (Ford Escort Mk2) 1:31:47.0s
2 Meade/Fitzgerald (Escort Mk2) +3:33.5s
3 Kennelly/Harrington (Escort Mk2) +3:36.4s
4 O’Shea/O’Donoghue (Darrian T90 GTR) +3:38.9s
5 Wilton/Coady (Escort Mk2) +3:42.8s
Wales Motorsport Historic ITRC
Reigning Wales Motorsport Historic ITRC champions John O’Donnell and Paddy Robinson bounced back from their Circuit of Ireland disappointment to claim Historic victory in their BMW M3.
Stage wins on all but one stage gave them a strong 16.6-second overnight lead over Jason McSweeney who kept in touch with the fastest time on stage seven.
O’Donnell maintained his advantage throughout Sunday to seal victory and reignite his Irish Tarmac campaign.
McSweeney and Liam Brennan had to settle for second in their Ford Escort WRC 20 seconds clear of local ace Fergus O’Meara who completed the Historic podium in his BMW M3.
Mark Falvey’s Ford Escort RS1600 and Adrian Evans’ BMW M3 rounded out the top five.
Rally of the Lakes Historic top five:
1 O’Donnell/Robinson (BMW M3) 1:36:54.3s
2 McSweeney/Brennan (Ford Escort WRC) +40.3s
3 O’Meara/Duggan (BMW M3) +1:07.3
4 Falvey/O’Brien (Escort RS1600) +3:27.9
5 Evans/Jones (BMW M3) +5:05.2
Paul Browne Plant Hire & Civil Engineering Junior ITRC
Darragh Walsh and Gary Lombard moved into the Paul Browne Plant Hire & Civil Engineering Junior ITRC lead with an impressive victory on Saturday’s stages.
Walsh showed his intentions early with an incredible 39-second fastest time on the opening Moll’s Gap test, establishing a dominant advantage he would never relinquish.
Aaron and Caolan Reid controlled second throughout the event, resisting the challenge of title rivals Graham and Trevor Roche. The Roche-manned Civic dropped out of third on stage five, handing the podium spot to Jamie Jervis.
It was Cian Hynes and Cathal Fallon who snatched third place on the final stage from Dylan Sheehan thanks to a stunning stage win, while Catherine Walsh rounded out the top five.
Assess Ireland International Rally of the Lakes Junior top five:
1 Walsh/Lombard (Honda Civic) 52:10.3s
2 Reid/Reid (Honda Civic) +2:02.8s
3 Hynes/Fallon (Honda Civic) +3:36.8
4 Sheehan/O’Riordan (Honda Civic) +3:43.4
5 Walsh/O’Driscoll (Honda Civic) +4:12.7
PHOTO BY D HARRIGAN IMAGES