Callum Devine and Kerry co driver Noel O Sullivan have won the Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes.
Ivan Hurley reports
Callum Devine
Noel O'Sullivan
Robert Barrable, second overal
Josh Moffett, third oveall
Gary Kiernan, modified winner 
Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan and his Derry-based driver Callum Devine took their second Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes victory in as many years after an epic two days of motorsport in the West Cork and Killarney areas. The Volkswagen Polo GTI crew fought back from a puncture on Killarney’s Moll’s Gap opener tothen grab the rally lead on stage four the daunting Ardgroom stage and despite several challenges and dramas including a late steering rack issue they managed to hold off the advances of Robert Barrable and Gordon Noble in their Citroen C3 Rally 2 to take a 25.1-second victory
O’Sullivan becomes the first Kerry-based competitor to win the rally twice.
“I was lost for words the first time, and I really don’t know what to say this time either,” said O’Sullivan. “I grew up watching this rally, and my earlier memories are of Bertie Fisher and Rory Kennedy winning this rally. I never thought I could win, never mind twice, I am very lucky to be competing at the front of this sport and I am very grateful to all who gave me the opportunities.”
Fellow Killarney men and early rally leaders Rob Duggan and Ger Conway had a bitterly disappointing end to what was a brilliant debut performance in their first Killarney outing in a top-line rally car and Rob’s first time competing in a top car since 2018. Starting off the event with fastest on the first stage, setting a blistering pace on Molls Gap to be fastest by 9.8 seconds. The defending modified champion drove a similar Polo to that of the event winners. Fastest again on the opening run over a very wet Moll’s Gap on Sunday morning, the local crew started Sunday morning in third place. Their brilliant run came to a dramatic end on the rally’s penultimate stage, Gortnagane, when they clipped a bank and broke a steering arm.
Robert Barrable’s runner-up position was solidified after Duggan’s off with Irish Tarmac championship leader, Josh Moffett, cruising home to inherit third place and collect much valuable championship points. Enda O’Brien and Declan Boyle enjoyed a great duel in their Volkswagen Polos. O’Brien finished on top, by 7.3 seconds, to claim fourth overall in his right-hand-drive variant.
Local driver Alan Ring and his West Cork co-driver Adrian Deasy were another crew on a debut run in another Polo.They realised their pre-event plan of a top-ten finish by coming home in ninth place. It was their first outing in a frontline car in several years after concentrating on historic rallying in recent times. Ring rued the lack of seat time and full confidence in his hired machine but, nevertheless, was very happy with his run.
Rally4
Ioan Lloyd claimed an incredible 1.5-second victory in Rally4 pipping Kyle McBride on the very last stage. The front-wheel-drive class showcased some incredible driving and battles all weekend.
Casey Jay Coleman had led the class by 43.5 seconds after Sunday morning’s stages. Unfortunately, a crash on Gortnagane put his Ford Fiesta Rally4 on the list of retirees. Keelan Grogan finished Saturday 11.8 seconds behind Coleman but retired on stage nine after colliding with a chicane on Moll’s Gap.
McEvoy Motorsport Modified ITRC
Kevin Eves and Chris Melly looked set to secure their first modified victory of the year. They drove superbly to lead the two-wheel-drive category by 45 seconds with two stages remaining.
Their Toyota Corolla had to freewheel out of Knockrower East, however and were unable to return for the final loop.
Jason Black and Karl Egan would have inherited modified’s top spot but the Circuit of Ireland winners were forced to stop on stage fourteen with a broken propshaft.
Chris Armstrong was another leading retiree on Sunday, he had been battling Gary Kiernan for third in modifieds when his Ford Escort Mk2’s driveshaft broke on Ballaghbeama.
Kiernan was left to bag a maximum haul of Modified ITRC points, finishing 37.1 seconds ahead of Eddie Doherty.
John McCarthy made it a Ford Escort Mk2 lockout on the modified podium and in turn secured Class 13’s top spot.
Synergy Motorsport Engineering Historic ITRC
Historic Championship leaders Duncan Williams and Guy Weaver continued their run of form to win the Rally of the Lakes’ historic category by 25.8 seconds over Gareth Bevan and Dafydd Evans.
Williams and Weaver led from their second stage after jumping ahead of initial pacesetters Will Onions and Dave Williams. But their victory was by no means a runaway as Bevan and Evans kept them honest throughout the epic mix of Killarney classics such as Cod’s Head, Moll’s Gap, and Ballaghbeama.
Onions and Williams had to settle for third in the end, finishing first in Class 18.
Paul Browne Plant Hire & Civil Engineering Junior ITRC
Darragh O’Donovan and Michael White secured a one-minute victory in Juniors aboard their Honda Civic. O’Donovan had started fastest with Moll’s Gap’s benchmark but John Michael Kennelly slipped ahead by 3.3 seconds with a rapid time through Ballaghbeama.
Ballaghbeama was to be Kennelly’s last stage of the day as O’Donovan regained the lead to seal his second Junior ITRC win of the year.
Evan McEvoy jumped into second, a position he would hold until the end of the event, and eventually finished 13.4 seconds ahead of Kyle McDaid.
Local Crews:
Lawlor’s Cross crew John McCarthy and Kieran O'Donoghue put in one of the drives of the rally to bring their Ford Escort home in tenth place and third in the modified section of the rally.
“We are very happy with the result,” said O’Donoghue, “It was a very hard rally on cars and men.”
Conor Murphy and Sean Collins overcame a host of problems, including a misfiring engine and a puncture to bring their Ford Escort home in 12th place.
Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey were three places behind in another Escort. They endured a host of problems including a broken throttle and clutch cable over the two days.
Defending junior champions Jason Farrell and Donagh Crowley stepped up to the main rally for the first time and took their Honda Civic to a dominant class 11F win. Mark O'Leary and Andrew Cronin were second in the same class in their Toyota Starlet.
Brosna’s Chris Browne and Michael Browne were third making the class an all-Kerry affair.
Robert Counihan Timmy Kelly reported a trouble-free run in their Toyota Corolla Twin Cam to finish 37t.
Kenneth Quirke came home from New York, especially for the rally. He and co-driver Seán Hegarty drove their Talbot Sunbeam to a call11R victory. Shane Doyle and William Kelliher were second in their class in their BMW E30
Kemare’s Brian Hickey and Noel Murphy reported a trouble-free run in their Ford Escort Mk2 on their way to 42nd.
Father and daughter John Hickey and Michelle Hickey had a very enjoyable weekend in their Fubaru.
“I could nothing better in the world, all the holidays you can imagine, than a father a daughter competing together in the Rally of the Lakes.”
His brother Charlie and his daughter Charlene had to rely on Super Rally rules to get to the finish but also reported an enjoyable weekend.
Raymond O'Neill and Jason O'Connor finished second in class 12 in what was O’Connor’s first attempt at the rally.
Mike Neligan and John Hurley overcame manifold problems in their Toyota Corolla Twin Cam to take third in class.
Despite a few close calls on their home Gortnagane stage, husband and wife Brian Doherty and Tara Duggan had a good weekend in their Ford Fiesta.
Killarney co-driver Tommy Moynihan guided Patrick O'Connor to fourth in class 20 in their Mitsubishi Evo 10.
There was an interesting mix of local co-drivers on pacenote duty for the O’Callaghan family. Sean Nolan guided Chris to 59th overall while his mother Hazel, guided by Tony McCarthy was six places
Niall Mulcahy, who was co-driving for Tralee’ John Corrigan deserved an award after the rally. He fell by accident in the service park on Sunday afternoon. Despite needing stitches he waited until he finished the rally before presenting himself at A and E.
Father and son Tom O'Sullivan and Mark O'Sullivan reported a trouble-free run, as did Maurice Kennelly and Eoin Mulvihill.
Thomas Randles and Mark Horgan had severe engine problems in their Ford Escort and had to use
Kieran Fitzgerald and Denis O'Leary survived an off-road excursion in Beallaghbeam in their Toyota Starlet to take seventh in Class 11F.
Ruby O'Riordan made her rally debut and guided her father John to fourth in class.
Fancied class 11F front runners Darren Young and Pa Lawlor suffered a puncture and a blown oil cover cap and were another crew to depend on Super Rally rules to get to the finish.
Steven O'Connor and Paul McGlinchy overcame fuel pipe issues to make it to the end.
For the third event in a row, Sean Hickey and Noel Fleming failed to complete the full rally because of alternator problems.
Ian Horgan retained his Southern 4 Rally championship lead after a trouble-free run in his Toyota Corolla Twin Cam.
Bob Moran had alternator issues in his Escort but made it to the end.
Stephen O'Connor and Jonathan O'Shea were contesting their first Rally of the Lakes and suffered brake issues in their Toyota Starlet.
Local co-driver Ger Somers and Raymond Spence overcame a host of clutch issues to get their Ford Escort to the finish.
Billy McCarthy and John Falvey broke a steering arm in their Nissan Micra on the first run over Beallaghbeama and were another crew to use SuperRally to get to the end.
Three crews: Jack O'Shea/Darragh Lynch (Austin Mini Cooper) Gary Healy/Kevin Doherty (Honda Civic) and Amy Burke/Emel McNamara (Ford Fiesta Mark 1) all used Super Rally rules to get to the end.
Co-driver Brian Duggan was the best-placed Kerry man in the historic rally. He guided Luke McCarthy to fourth place.
Brendan O'Mahoney and Darren O'Mahoney were eighth in their unusual Lada Samara.
Results for the Junior category
Brothers Damien Nagle and Shane Nagle were the top Kerry crew on the junior rally, taking fifth place at the end.
The unrelated Keith O'Connor and Aaron O'Connor were three places behind and happy to put their heavy Midlands Moto Rally crash behind them.
Brother and sister Mossie Costello and Megan Costello were ninth in their Civic.
