NAPA Irish Tarmac Championship Galway look back

Devine starts title defence with dominant maiden Galway win
NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship
Callum Devine kicked off his 2026 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title defence in style with a commanding victory on the Galway International Rally alongside Noel O’Sullivan.
The Skoda duo claimed their first win on the season-opening event, surviving challenging conditions to secure a 37.1-second win.
National Rally Champions Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy produced a strong performance in their new Skoda Fabia Rally2 to claim second place, fending off challenges from Michael Boyle, David Kelly, and a late charge from double Irish Tarmac Champion Josh Moffett, who snatched the final podium position with a fastest time on Galway’s deciding Windfield stage.
Devine’s rally began with understeer on the opening Kilcoona test as the fast stage delivered changing grip levels that tested the Irish Tarmac crews. Despite the handling issues, the Claudy driver set the benchmark time, 8.7 seconds quicker than Michael Boyle, to set up a lead he would never relinquish.
The championship favourites survived a moment on stage three, however, when their Skoda clipped the rear wheel on a bank, and bodywork damage from a chicane strike on stage four served as a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change on the demanding Galway roads.
Michael Boyle and co-driver Declan Boyle enjoyed a close battle with Doherty and Murphy’s similar Skoda for most of the event. A stage win on Galway’s 13th test put the 2025 Cork 20 Rally winner within 0.2 seconds of Doherty’s runner-up spot.
Unfortunately, Boyle’s Skoda cut out after a jump on stage 14, and despite his best efforts, he was unable to get it restarted.
Moffett and Andy Hayes’ Toyota Yaris Rally2 debut improved over the two-day event. The asphalt ace battled fading brakes towards the end of stage 11 but responded with a storming final stage to edge ahead of David Kelly for third by just 5.4 seconds.
Kelly and Shane Buckley delivered an impressive Galway debut together, setting back-to-back fastest times on Sunday’s opening two stages to vault from fifth into fourth overall.
The Donegal driver’s strong pace continued on stage 12 before disaster struck when he spun and got stuck in a ditch. Fortunately, all competitors received nominal times for the stage, allowing Kelly to continue his podium challenge until Moffett’s late surge relegated him to fourth.
Declan Boyle and Patrick Walsh rounded out the top five. Boyle matched his son Michael’s time on stage four in a remarkable display of close competition before settling into a rhythm that secured fifth place, 22.3 seconds behind Kelly.
A puncture on Galway’s opening test cost Cathan McCourt a chance at challenging for top positions. He fought back up the leaderboard throughout the event, eventually finishing 12th overall.
Junior WRC event-winner Eamonn Kelly’s Toyota Yaris Rally2 debut ended prematurely when he understeered into a wall on stage two. Elsewhere, off-road moments scuppered David Guest and Neil Roskell’s hopes on the next test while a collision with a tree ended Darren Gass’s run on stage six.
Galway International Rally top five:
1 Devine/O’Sullivan (Skoda Fabia Rally2) 1:45:24.7s
2 Doherty/Murphy (Fabia Rally2) +37.1s
3 Moffett/Hayes (Toyota Yaris Rally2) +46.6
4 Kelly/Buckley (Fabia Rally2) +52.0
5 Boyle/Walsh (Fabia Rally2) +1:14.3
McEvoy Motorsport & Flat 2 The Hat Modified ITRC
Michael Cahill and Killian McArdle delivered a masterclass in changeable conditions to claim a commanding two-minute, 15.6-second modified victory in their Ford Escort Mk2.
Cahill took the early modified lead despite a scare on the opening stage when an impact to his wheel while cutting a corner threatened to derail his rally early on. 0.9 seconds separated Cahill from Rodney Wilton after stage one, setting up a rally-long duel.
The battle intensified through Saturday as Wilton, fuelled by his pasta lunch choice in service, went 11 seconds faster than Cahill on stage four to seize the modified lead.
Despite spinning and stalling on stage 10, Cahill retook the modified lead with a time 9.7 seconds faster than Wilton, the gap between them just 1.7 seconds. Wilton’s challenge unravelled on stage 11 with oil pressure issues before rolling his Mk2 Escort on the next test, handing Cahill a commanding advantage that he maintained to the finish.
A fastest time on Galway’s penultimate test moved JF Shovelin and Dylan Baskin into second place ahead of John McQuaid and Thomas Treanor, who completed the modified podium and claimed top Modified ITRC points.
Galway Rally Modified top five:
1 Cahill/McArdle (Ford Escort Mk2) 1:53:07.6s
2 Shovelin/Baskin (Escort Mk2) +2:15.6s
3 McQuaid/Treanor (Escort Mk2) +2:43.7
4 McCarville/Kierans (Escort Mk2) +2:53.5
5 McGee/Reid (Escort Mk2) +3:07.9
Wales Motorsport Historic ITRC
Jason McSweeney and Liam Brennan marked their Ford Escort WRC debut with a hard-fought Historic victory, surviving constant pressure from Ray Breen and Damien Morrissey’s Subaru Legacy throughout the two-day event.
The battle between the Escort WRC and the four-wheel-drive Subaru provided compelling action across Galway’s 15 stages, with McSweeney eventually prevailing by just 18.6 seconds over the persistent Breen.
Adrian Evans’ BMW M3 challenge ended on stage eight when he put his car into the same stone wall that had claimed Eamonn Kelly’s Rally2 machine earlier in the rally.
Ray Cunningham and Ross Forde completed the Historic podium in their Morris Cooper S, finishing over six minutes behind the leading duo but claiming the Class 17 honours.
Galway Historic Rally top five:
1 McSweeney/Brennan (Ford Escort WRC) 1:57:13.0s
2 Breen/Morrissey (Subaru Legacy) +18.6s
3 Cunningham/Forde (Morris Cooper S) +6:48.4
4 Doyne/Heffernan (Ford Escort) +8:47.9
5 Koelle/Williams (Porsche 911 Carrera) +10:42.9
Paul Browne Plant Hire & Civil Engineering Junior ITRC
Graham and Trevor Roche capitalised on late drama to start their 2026 campaign as they finished 2025 – with a 21.8-second victory.
Aaron and Caolan Reid appeared destined for victory after three stage wins gave the Honda Civic duo a commanding 16.3-second lead heading into Galway’s Windfield finale. Unfortunately, an off on the deciding test spoiled their dazzling drive and handed the advantage to the perfectly placed Roches, who seized the opportunity to claim maximum points.
Patrick Doherty and Conal McNulty finished 21.8 seconds behind the Roches, surviving a late charge from Eoin and Darragh Kelly to claim the runner-up spot.
Local crew Jason Gorham and Liam Egan finished fourth, utilising their Galway knowledge to good effect, while Cian Hynes and Cathal Fallon rounded out the top five.
Galway Junior Rally top five:
1 Roche/Roche (Honda Civic) 56:17.5s
2 Doherty/McNulty (Civic) +21.8s
3 Kelly/Kelly (Civic) +24.0
4 Gorham/Egan (Civic) +31.2
5 Hynes/Fallon (Civic) +46.6

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