Kilkenny driver Eddie Doherty and his Limerick co-driver Tom Murphy were crowned Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Champions after taking victory on Sunday’s Loughrea Plant & Tool Hire Clare Stages Rally.
The Skoda Fabia crew started and finished the rally in front, and with main rival Josh Moffett sidelined early, their maiden national crown was secured with one round still to go.
The Ennis-based event, organised by Clare Motor Club, marked the penultimate round of the championship and featured nine stages around Ruan and Ballinruan. Changing weather throughout the day kept crews guessing, but Doherty’s cautious approach paid off.
Speaking at the finish, Doherty admitted he had kept his focus on staying clean. “Over the afternoon loop I just tried to keep my nose clear. The conditions were tricky, and I didn’t want to do anything silly. At the start of the year I wouldn’t have picked the wet rallies as the ones I’d win, but I’ve ended up winning Kerry, Sligo and now Clare, all in the damp. It seems to suit me somehow,” he said.
Reigning champion Josh Moffett, partnered by Keith Moriarty, had to retire after the morning loop when his Hyundai i20 R5 suffered a broken front hub. That mechanical issue not only ended his challenge in Clare but effectively handed the title to Doherty, as Moffett could no longer close the gap before the Bantry finale.
Declan Boyle had been second for most of the day in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. A puncture on one of the afternoon stages cost him over 20 seconds, but he held on to secure another podium in second place.
Behind him, his son Michael Boyle delivered one of the best drives of his career. With Stephen Joyce on the notes for the first time, he steered another Fabia RS Rally2 to third overall.. Joyce, who was making his debut alongside the young Donegal driver, marked the day with his own maiden trip to the overall rostrum.
Cavan’s Gary Kiernan and co-driven Conor Smith, who is fresh a recent European Junior Rally Championship victory, claimed fourth place in their Ford Fiesta Rally2. Kiernan had shown excellent pace in dry conditions on the ALMC Rally earlier in the summer, and his Clare performance gave him valuable confidence in the wet.
Bantry’s Daniel Cronin, co-driven by Padraig O’Donovan, was best of the Citroën runners in his C3 Rally2. They rounded out the top five, building useful mileage and pace ahead of the championship finale.
Australia’s Richard Dalton made his first ever Irish rally appearance and impressed immediately. Driving a Ford Fiesta Rally2 with Martin Brady alongside, Dalton was at home in the slippery conditions and worked his way into the top ten. However he retired from sixth place late in the day, still a strong showing considering his limited Irish asphalt experience.
Niall Henry and Peter Ward brought their Ford Fiesta home in sixth place, their best national performance of the year. Brother Desi Henry had started the rally as one of Doherty’s main title rivals but was forced to retire on the opening loop, ending his outside championship hopes.
Class 13 provided one of the biggest stories of the day. Brian Brady and Ray Flynn took their Honda Civic to class honours and an overall seventh-place finish. It was an extraordinary result for a front-wheel-drive car, particularly in the wet. Brady admitted it was his first rally in wet conditions for over six years, making the achievement even more impressive.
Further back, class leaders Barry McLaughlin and Barry McBride overcame alternator and battery problems in their Ford Escort Mk1 to complete the top eight overall.
Navan’s Cian Caldwell and Ballinode’s Paul McPhillips not only won Class 2 in their Peugeot 208 Rally4 but also secured a sensational ninth place overall. It marked the first time a Rally4 car has finished inside the top ten of an Irish National Rally. The result all but sealed the class title for Caldwell and with it a nomination for the Billy Coleman Award.
The final place in the top ten went to Matthew Boyle in another Fiesta Rally2. He had been running well inside the top five but a problem on the penultimate stage dropped him down the order. Still, his recovery to tenth ensured that all three Boyles made the top ten.
