KELLY AND BUCKLEY DOMINATE AN GRIANÁN HOTEL DONEGAL HARVEST RALLY FROM START TO FINISH
David Kelly and co-driver Shane Buckley produced an flawless start-to-finish performance to win the An Grianán Hotel Donegal Harvest Stages Rally, the penultimate round of the 2026 Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship.
Piloting their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, the Donegal Town driver and his Kerry navigator took control from the opening stage in Rooskey and never relinquished their lead.
Setting three fastest stage times across the nine-stage Burt-based event, Kelly and Buckley stopped the clock with an overall time of 58 minutes 26.0 seconds.
The victory marks Kelly’s second Triton National win of the campaign, adding to his season-opening win at the Mayo Stages, as well as a third overall victory of the year for following their Easter success on the Circuit of Ireland.
It was far from straightforward out front, however. Kevin Eves and Chris Melly kept Kelly under intense pressure through the opening two loops in their Škoda Fabia RS Rally2.
Heading into stage seven, Eves trailed Kelly by a mere 1.6 seconds before a puncture ended his challenge and allowed Kelly breathing room at the front.
Michael Boyle and Dermot McCafferty made a triumphant return to domestic competition after a summer break, overcoming early morning rust to post strong stage times and finish second overall in another Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, 20.0 seconds adrift of the winners.
Shane Quinn and Stephen Reynolds rounded out the overall podium in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, 39.7 seconds off Kelly, setting multiple fastest times during the day to keep Reynolds in contention for the co-drivers’ title.
Aidan Wray and Paddy McCrudden delivered their best result of the season to secure fourth overall, while former champion Sam Moffett brought his brother Josh’s championship-winning Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 home in fifth.
Moffett’s outing was primarily aimed at securing vital points for Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty. Moriarty, who navigated Josh to the national title, continues his quest to seal the Noel Smith Trophy as champion co-driver.
Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney finished sixth overall in a Citroën C3 Rally2, ahead of top modified honours.
McKenna Masters Greasy Donegal Lanes for Modified Triumph
Daniel McKenna and Andrew Grennan produced a brilliant drive to claim modified category honours in their Ford Escort Mk2. Adding to his Cork ‘20’ victory a month earlier, the Monaghan driver finished a remarkable seventh overall, outpacing a raft of modern Rally2 machinery on the technical stages.
McKenna faced stiff competition throughout the day, holding off Gary McPhillips and late co-driver call-up Calum Maguire by 16.9 seconds. Jonathan Pringle and Pierce O’Callaghan completed the modified podium in third.
Class Round-Up
In Class 2, Ben McFall and Mark McGeehan secured class victory in their Ford Fiesta Rally4, a result that provisionally wraps up the co-driver title for McGeehan. Danny Brady and Damien Sheridan finished second in class in a Peugeot 208.
Class 2A saw an intense duel between two former J1000 front-runnera, with James McShea and Liam Callaghan pipping Oisin McShane and Killarney co-driver Niall Myers by just 4.8 seconds in a pair of Peugeot 208 R2s. The class win should be enough for McShea to clinch the MIJRS Class 2A championship.
The Junior category victory went to Harry Dorrian and Davin Watson in their Honda Civic while Ulick Burke and Garret Burke recorded their first victory of the season in the Dacia Sandero Cup.
At the finish ramp, event winner Kelly confirmed that the Donegal Harvest Rally marks his final competitive outing of 2026, bringing his successful season to a close.
The final round of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship is the rescheduled Tipperary Stonethrowers on October 25 with the seeded entry for that event due to be released this week.
