Galway International Rally

Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin overcame challenging conditions to seal a 38.1-second victory on the Galway International Rally in their Ford Fiesta Rally2. 

Cronin was in top form to resist a mid-rally challenge from 2023 Irish Tarmac Champions Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan. 

Cronin, who hasn’t competed in Galway since 2016, set the benchmark time of the Samdec Security International runners on a slippery 12.3-kilometre Kilcoona opener. Cronin was 1.2 seconds faster than Sam Moffett and James O’Reilly through Galway’s first stage as usual Irish Tarmac frontrunners, Callum Devine and Josh Moffett, encountered early issues. 

Somehow, Devine managed to set the third-fastest time on Galway’s first stage despite struggling to hear his co-driver Noel O’Sullivan over intercom interference. Josh Moffett, with Andy Hayes on the notes finished stage one in fourth but was grimacing after his new Citroen C3 Rally2 was bottoming out over some severe Galway bumps and jumps. 

Matt Edwards’ Galway International Rally debut came to a devastating early end on stage two. His Fiesta slid wide into a bank and clipped a rock on a slippery Caherlistrane right-hander. Steering damage meant the three-time British Rally Champion had to retire from fifth position. 

The roads had started to dry in Galway’s countryside but the winter muck made the conditions as treacherous as ever. 

Sam Moffett slipped from fourth to fifth on the 12.7-kilometre Kilbeg test. His Hyundai stalled under braking, pushing him into a wall. Thankfully for the 2017 Irish Tarmac Champion, it was a relatively gentle nudge with his Hyundai able to complete the loop albeit losing over 30 seconds to the leaders. 

Overnight rain made for difficult rallying conditions on Sunday morning. Cronin used all his experience to find the perfect balance of speed and safety to grab a hat-trick of stage wins. 

Cronin held a 31.9-second lead over Devine with two stages remaining and was able to cruise home to take a dream result on ITRC’s opener. 

The battle for third, and top position in the new Citroen C3 Rally2 Trophy, was heating up on Sunday morning. 

Josh Moffett held a 6.4-second advantage over Desi Henry at the start of Sunday’s stages. As Moffett continued to learn how best to handle his new Citroen in the wet conditions, Henry knew he was in a prime position to pressurise. 

Despite a trip up a bank and pushing too hard on stage 12, Henry cut the gap to Moffett to 2.1 seconds with two Galway tests to go. 

Moffett upped his game on the drying roads setting a second- and first-fastest time. His podium position and €5,000 C3 Trophy prize were confirmed when Henry slipped wide on a square left junction on Galway’s finale. 

Sam Moffett would finish the rally seventh, just six seconds off fourth position. 

Brendan Cumiskey and Arthur Kierans finished 14th OA and won their class in the Rally3 Fiesta. While Galway is normally a challenging enough rally in itself, Kierans gave himself more of a task by driving home to Monaghan after the first day to drive the Drumlin Navigation Trial before returning to Galway for Sunday’s stages.

Frank Kelly, Rodney Wilton, and Conor Murphy found themselves in a three-way Ford Escort Mk2 fight for two-wheel-drive honours after Galway’s opening day of action. 

Murphy blitzed his opposition on Sunday’s Belleville opener, beating Kelly by 18.1 seconds on the 16.8-kilometre test. 

Wilton marked his intent on the next stage, taking his second stage win of the weekend. 2.5 seconds separated the trio of Escorts with three tests remaining. 

Disaster struck Murphy on Galway’s finale as his Escort’s engine pulled the pin at the end of the stage. The Kerry driver made it to the finish line but ended the rally a mere four seconds off last-minute winner Kelly. Wilton had to settle for third. 

Mickey Conlon and Domhnall Lennon took a start to finish victory in their Class 12 Escort, finishing 26th OA. 

Des Lyons and Aisling McArdle had been sitting 3rd in Class 11F but their rally ended after eight stages. 

Ireland’s young guns provided a top-quality battle in ITRC’s Rally4 category. Keelan Grogan and Ryan McHugh started as they meant to go – Grogan bettering the Donegal driver by a mere tenth of a second on stage one. 

Their duel lasted the length of the rally with last-minute drama settling the contest. 

A collision with a round bale would prove pivotal – Grogan’s Peugeot 208 Rally4 arrived at the end of the stage showing its war wounds. The resulting seven-second time loss was enough for McHugh to slip ahead and clinch his first Rally4 victory of the year. 

Joseph Kelly and Killian McArdle finished in third in a Peugeot 208. Cian Caldwell and Ryan Farrell had been sitting third in class after ten stages, but a terminal power steering issue ended their rally after Stage 12.