Fermanagh competitors fall away on Donegal Rally final day

Co-drivers Dave Moynihan and Brian Hoy both looked set for great results as they headed into day three of Ireland’s most challenging rally, but accidents over the final stages proved costly for both, with Moynihan and driver Matt Edwards dropping from first to fourth and Hoy, alongside Cathan McCourt, crashing out while challenging for a podium finish.

Michael McDaid was also on course to retain his Historic title before a coming together with a chicane spelt the end of his chances.

There were no late dramas for Garry Jennings however as he claimed seventh overall on an event won for the second year in a row by Callum Devine.

The opening day’s action saw the drivers tackle six stages around Malin Head, and after the first loop of three it was Edwards and Moynihan who held the early advantage, posting the fastest time on each stage to build a lead of 2.1 seconds over Keith Cronin.

Hoy and Cathan McCourt held an early fourth position, but they soon benefitted from the demise of Cronin, who had just got ahead of Edwards before crashing out on the fifth stage at Mamore Gap.

Cathan McCourt and Brian Hoy crashed out on the last day. (Image: Catherine Barron)

His exit saw Edwards take a 12-second advantage into day two, with McCourt edging past David Kelly to finish the day in third.

Jennings was struggling to match the pace of the front runners and he closed day one just outside the top 10, but the Kesh driver was well ahead in his class in his right-hand drive Ford Fiesta.

Day two started off with the famous Knockalla test and Edwards and Moynihan maintained their 13-second lead over Devine throughout the opening loop of four stages, with third-placed Hoy and McCourt opening up an 18-second gap to fourth.

Jennings had moved inside the top 10 after the first half of the day, and he improved further on the afternoon loop to finish day two in eighth.

Moynihan and Edwards’ afternoon stages saw them eek out a further three seconds over Devine, but Hoy and McCourt slipped back to fourth after a spin and a stall on the last test of the day.

There was worse to follow for the pair on the first stage on Sunday morning however.

With only 17 seconds separating four cars in the battle for third, McCourt and Hoy’s rally came to an abrupt end when they went off the road on the first stage of Sunday morning.

One stage later it was Moynihan’s turn to hit trouble when the Ford Fiesta mounted a stone wall on Atlantic Drive, costing the pair almost a minute and dropping them to fourth. A further spin on the penultimate stage saw them slip to fifth, but a last-stage charge lifted them back to fourth by the finish ramp.

Two-time former winner Jennings had climbed to sixth after a relatively trouble-free final day, but Michael Boyle mounted a late charge, taking 19 seconds off the Kesh driver over the final two stages to demote Jennings to seventh.

Garry Jennings claimed seventh overall. (Image: Catherine Barron)

Ruairi and Martin McGarrity were dominating class 22 in their Citroen DS3 but they were another to fall victim to the twists and turns of Donegal as they crashed out on Stage 12.

Chrisy Corry and Dwayne McPhillips also failed to reach the finish, retiring while holding fifth in class 22 in their Fiesta, but Nigel Frazer, with driver Conor Curley, brought their Ford Escort home eighth overall in the National Rally.

Declan Gallagher was the winner of the National section, with Co. Kerry navigator John McCarthy becoming the first recipient of the Austin Frazer Award, awarded to the winning co-driver in memory of the Enniskillen man who was clerk of the course for the first five Donegal International rallies.

In the historic section, Michael McDaid was locked in a fierce battle with Tommy O’Connell for the top spot, but he clipped a chicane on the Atlantic Drive stage and the resultant damage ended his rally prematurely. Jonni McDaid and Tony McGovern raced into an early class lead in their historic Talbot Samba, but their rally ended on their third stage.