O’Sullivan adds Donegal to his Circuit and Rally of the Lakes wins

O’Sullivan adds Donegal to his Circuit and Rally of the Lakes wins

Roz Kelly, a member of Kerry Motor Club, made the long trip from her North Kerry home to Donegal to volunteer as a marshal. Her efforts were rewarded as she was one of the first people to congratulate winner Callum Devine and the finish

Noel O’Sullivan has become the first Kerry co-driver to win the Donegal International Rally.

Ireland’s only three-day event is considered the Holy Grail of Irish rallying and a win in the northwest is akin to an All-Ireland football medal in this part of the world.

Muckross man O’Sullivan and his driver Callum Devine have won three of the biggest Irish rallies on the trot.

Their winning streak started on the Circuit of Ireland Rally over the Easter weekend, and this was quickly followed by a second Rally of the Lakes win in late April.

Adding the Donegal title to their list of impressive wins this season puts them in the driving seat to win the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Their main title rivals, Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes crashed out of the Donegal event on Sunday meaning that the Kerry/Derry pairing now has a 15-point advantage at the head of the table with just the Cork ‘20’ and the Ulster International left to run.

Their 2023 Donegal win was even sweeter after they crashed out of last year’s rally while fighting for the win.

“It is great to get the job done especially after the way last year ended for us. It felt a bit like unfinished business,” said O’Sullivan.

“It’s feels very special to join the list of winners of this iconic rally.”

However, the Devine/Moffett battle is set to continue in the Triton Showers National Rally Championship in Waterford next month.

The series reaches its halfway point at the Carrick-on-Suir Motor Club’s Raven’s Rock Rally and, interestingly, it is Moffett who has the advantage there, he has won the last two rounds, the Cavan Rally and the Circuit of Kerry while Devine and O’Sullivan took top spot in the opening round, the Midland Moto in March.

A win in Waterford, for the Volkswagen Polo, mounted Devine and O’Sullivan crew would set up an exciting second half of the season. However, O’Sullivan does hold the top spot in the co-driver’s league as Moffett has used different co-drivers this year

Also in Donegal, Glenflesk driver, Bob Moran negotiated the notoriously demanding Donegal roads to finish in fourth place in the hotly contested class 11R in his Ford Escort.

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