Boyle heads star-studded field into Circuit of Munster Rally showdown

MAYO: Winning co-driver Paddy McCrudden. Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship manager Laura McMenimim and winning driver David Kelly at the finish ramp of the WEST TYRES/ Westport Woods Hotel and Spa Mayo Rally on Sunday evening.  Photo by James Burke

Boyle heads star-studded field into Circuit of Munster Rally showdown
Fresh from a dramatic victory at the Carlow Stages Rally just over a week ago, Donegal’s Michael Boyle will lead the field away as the top seed for this weekend’s Circuit of Munster Rally. The Limerick-based event marks round four of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship over the June Bank Holiday weekend.
The national campaign has been hugely competitive this year, with the opening three rounds producing three different winners.
Boyle and co-driver Dermot McCafferty earned the number one seed after mastering treacherous, slippery conditions along the Carlow-Kilkenny border last time out in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
After trading the lead early on, he safely guided his Skoda through a chaotic final loop to snatch a thrilling win on the very last stage, capping off his performance with maximum points on the power stage. It was his second career National event win and his fourth overall victory, giving him massive momentum heading into Munster.
Right behind Boyle on the road is David Kelly (Co. Donegal), the man who started the season’s trend of high-stakes competition by winning the opening round at a saturated Mayo Stages Rally. Kelly skipped the second and third rounds but returns to the national trail this weekend alongside Shane Buckley in another Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.

MAYO: Winning co-driver Paddy McCrudden. Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship manager Laura McMenimim and winning driver David Kelly at the finish ramp of the WEST TYRES/ Westport Woods Hotel and Spa Mayo Rally on Sunday evening.  Photo by James Burke

BIRR: Co-driver Keith Moriarty (Limerick) with Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship manager Laura McMenamin and driver Josh Moffett (Monaghan) won last time out in Nenagh. Photo: Dermot Kelleher.

Completing the top three seeds is former champion Josh Moffett (Co. Monaghan) in his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. Moffett took full advantage of a wide-open field to win round two in Birr, and by finishing third in Carlow, he remains the only driver to secure two podiums this season. Guided by Limerick Motor Club’s Keith Moriarty, the Monaghan driver arrives in Limerick as the overall championship leader.
The rest of the top tier features immense quality. Matthew Boyle (Co. Donegal) starts at number four alongside Gary Byrne, keen to bounce back from an accident in Carlow in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, while former national champion Declan Boyle (Co. Donegal) starts at five with Patrick Walsh in another Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Longford’s Shane Quinn holds seed six with Stephen Reynolds, eager to recapture his Birr podium form in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, followed by Eamonn Kelly (Co. Donegal) and Paddy McCrudden at number seven, who are using their Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 for vital seat time ahead of the Donegal International Rally.
A highly motivated Kevin Eves (Co. Donegal) starts at eight with Chris Melly, determined to make amends for final-stage heartbreak that denied him a win in Carlow in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
He is followed by Tyrone’s Cathan McCourt and Barry McNulty at number nine in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, and fellow Tyrone man Ryan Loughran alongside Dale McGettigan at number ten.
Loughran makes a rare national appearance in his Ford Fiesta Rally2, fresh from victory at the Manx National Rally in early May.
Leitrim’s Keelan Grogan and Ayrton Sherlock (Ford Fiesta Rally2), Longford’s Tommy Doyle and Liam Moynihan (Hyundai i20 Rally2), Cork’s Daniel Cronin and Padraig O’Donovan (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), Cavan’s Gary Kiernan and John McCabe (Ford Fiesta Rally2), and Tyrone’s Jason Dickson alongside Martin Brady (Ford Fiesta Rally2) complete the top fifteen. Armagh’s Darren Gass rounds out the top-flight at number sixteen with Enda Sherry, entering as a proven past winner at national level in a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2.
In the modified section, Meath’s Jonathan Pringle and Pierce O’Callaghan are the form pair after winning the Escort Mk2 award in Carlow, but they face opposition from Monaghan’s Johno Doogan and Paul Lennon (Ford Escort Mk2), Cavan’s Rodney Wilton and Conor McMahon (Ford Escort Mk2), Armagh’s Jason Black and Karl Egan (Toyota Starlet RWD), and Kerry’s Conor Murphy alongside Sean Collins in their Ford Escort Mk2 following a very strong showing at the Killarney Rally of the Lakes.

In Class 2, national championship class leader Oran England (Co. Cavan) and Darragh Mullen remain the benchmarks after early-season form in their Peugeot 208 Rally4.
They face a unique challenge from Donegal’s PJ McDermott Jr and Johnny Baird in a Peugeot 208 Rally4, who are using the event as a high-speed training rally for Donegal, alongside third-in-Carlow finishers Danny Brady (Co. Cavan) in another Peugeot 208 Rally4.

The Junior Class 16 is led by locals Graham Roche and Trevor Roche (Co. Limerick) in a Honda Civic, who face opposition from the Donegal pairings of Aaron Reid and Caolan Reid (Honda Civic 1.6VTI) and Rhys McElhinney alongside Conor Morrison in their unique left-hand-drive Honda Civic.
In the Historic class, Cork’s Peadar Walsh and Mossy Griffin lead the field in their Ford Escort Mk1 ahead of Armagh’s Trevor Wilson and Paul Mulholland in a spectacular BMW M3.
The 2026 Circuit of Munster is based entirely around a compact event hub at the IPS Packaging head office within the Annacotty Business Park (V94 V2RP), which hosts the headquarters, service park, and refuel zone. The first car hits the stages just after 9:00am on Sunday, tackling nine demanding stages before the winner is declared at approximately 5:15 pm.

Kevin Barrett 1966-2026
Ahead of this weekend’s event, the Triton National Rally Championship committee and the Circuit of Munster organisers pause to pay tribute to Kevin Barrett, who was laid to rest on Thursday in Maynooth following a brave battle with cancer.
Kevin was a true gentleman, a loyal friend, and a titan of Irish motorsport whose competitive career spanned over four decades. As the Managing Director of Earthridge International, his driving force behind the Triton Showers title sponsorship came entirely from a deep, genuine love for rallying rather than a simple business decision. He wanted to give back to the sport he loved, completely revitalising the national series in the process.
On the stages, he was a formidable competitor and a crowd favourite, piloting his iconic Triton-liveried Subaru Impreza WRC to countless podiums and a memorable overall victories at the 2009 Galway Summer Rally and 2011 Mayo Rally.

TRITON: Declan Tumilty (Championship Chair), Aiden Harper (Motorsport Ireland President), Kevin Barrett (Triton Showers)

---

---