How the Lakes was won…

Devine and O’Sullivan secure historic fifth consecutive Rally of the Lakes victory

Callum Devine and Noel O’Sullivan wrote their names into the history books last weekend by securing an unprecedented fifth consecutive victory at the Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes.

The result sees Derry driver Devine equal the late Bertie Fisher’s record of five straight wins from 1990 to 1994. For Muckross man O’Sullivan, the achievement is unique in Kerry motorsport; equalling the five-in-a-row record held by Donegal’s Rory Kennedy.

The Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 crew faced a relentless challenge throughout the event. On Saturday, they were hounded by Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy in a similar machine. The pace was unforgiving, with the overall lead changing five times over the opening seven stages. Devine managed to hold a slender 3.5-second lead heading into the overnight halt.

The battle continued into Sunday until the third and final run over the iconic Moll’s Gap. Devine delivered a decisive blow, going eight seconds faster than Doherty to put the win out of reach. Stopping the clock at 8 minutes and 7 seconds for the 14km stage, it was the crew’s fastest-ever time on the Gap. They eventually crossed the finish line at the Gleneagle Hotel with a 13-second margin of victory.

 At the finish ramp, an emotional O’Sullivan admitted the feat had not yet sunk in. “I grew up watching this rally,” he told the crowd. “It is unbelievable. We have to come back for six in a row now.” Doherty and Murphy remained magnanimous in second place, acknowledging they could not match Devine’s and particularly O’Sullivan’s specialised local knowledge on the final passes of the Kerry classics.

The podium featured further Kerry success as Rockfield’s Shane Buckley guided Donegal’s David Kelly to third overall in their Skoda.

The pair held the position for the entire rally, fending off late charges from Matthew Boyle and Josh Moffett to follow up their recent Circuit of Ireland win with a podium on Buckley’s home event.

The focus for Devine and O’Sullivan now shifts to the Donegal International Rally next month, where they will chase a fourth consecutive win in the Northwest.

Modified Masters

Aghadoe’s Robert Duggan and John McCarthy dominated the modified category from start to finish. Driving their Ford Escort, they set the fastest modified time on all 14 stages. Despite a late scare on Sunday when they lost fifth gear, a quick gearbox fix at the Fossa service halt allowed them to finish an incredible 11th overall.

Barry Meade and Colin Fitzgerald secured second in the modified section, 20 years after Meade won the Junior event in Killarney.

 Third place went to Kerry Motor Club’s John Michael Kennelly and Dylan Harrington. Other notable local class winners included Kenmare’s Vincent O’Shea and Eoin O’Donoghue in their Darrian T90, and Glenflesk’s Dave Slattery and Denis Coffey, who overcame a Saturday gearbox change to win their class in an Escort.

In the historic category, Fergus O’Meara and Brian Duggan finished third overall in their BMW M3, followed by the Kerry/Cork pairing of Mark Falvey and James O’Brien in their Escort RS1600. The newly introduced WRC class for 2026 was won by Tralee’s Thomas Fitzmaurice and Fionn Foley in a Subaru Impreza WRC.

Family connections remained strong throughout the field. Charlie Hickey was joined by his son Cathal for the first time, finishing 10th in class, while Pat Looney and daughter Tara completed the rally to raise awareness for the Irish Kidney Association. Paudie O’Callaghan and Daniel Murphy celebrated O’Callaghan’s 40th year of competing in the Lakes with a class win in their Toyota Starlet.

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