Michael Boyle's maiden Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship win at the Fastnet

Winning co-driver Dermot McCaffrey, Mark Phelan Fastnet Rally Clerk of the Course, winning driver Michael Boyle and Annette O’Donovan, general manager of the West Lodge Hotel

Michael Boyle and Dermot McCaffrey took an almost start-to-finish win on the Fastnet Rally, the final round of the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship. The Donegal crew’s victory in Bantry marked the end of a strong late-season run that included wins in Wexford and the Cork ‘20’ International Rally.

They admitted the conditions were tricky, especially on the second loop where grip was at a premium, but said their goal over the final two stages was simply to keep their noses clean and bring home their first National Rally win. Boyle said they enjoyed the big jumps over the opening Bull Rock stage after making suspension changes during the Drinagh service halt.

The event, organised by Skibbereen and District Motor Club, brought the curtain down on both the National Rally Championship and the Top Part West Coast Championship. While Kilkenny’s Eddie Doherty and Tom Murphy from Limerick had already secured the overall national title, there was still plenty at stake in Bantry.

Daniel Cronin and Padraig O’Donovan finished second overall in their Citroën C3 Rally2. The West Cork crew were delighted to round out an up-and-down season on home ground after several bouts of bad luck earlier in the year.

Ryan Loughran and Dale McGettigan had been running third all day but retired on the final stage. Loughran admitted he struggled with the slippery conditions and said he was surprised at how difficult they were given his usual comfort on wet roads. His retirement promoted Matthew Boyle to third. Driving his Ford Fiesta Rally2, Matthew recorded his first ever fastest stage time on stage six and joined his brother on the podium. The result confirmed both Boyle brothers as serious contenders for the 2026 Triton series.

Cal McCarthy and Eric Calnan were fourth in their Citroën C3 Rally2, with slick tyres proving a poor choice for the wet second loop. Jason Dickson and Martin Brady finished fifth after losing time with a stall at a junction on the second stage.

David Guest and Stephen Quin came home sixth in a Ford Fiesta Rally2, a result that secured them the Southern 4 Championship title. Former champion Declan Boyle, co-driven by Patrick Walsh, was an early casualty on stage one but still secured the Top Part West Coast Championship by virtue of starting the rally.

John Warren and Ruthann O’Connor finished seventh overall in their Ford Fiesta Rally2. It was their first event of the season in a right-hand-drive car, and they described the Fastnet as the best rally and best stages they had driven all year.

The two-wheel-drive category provided its usual drama. Barry Morris and Dylan Doonan won the 2WD section in their Darrian T90 GTR and finished eighth overall. Doonan, a Skibbereen and District Car Club member, found the conditions tough going but was delighted to secure a home win. However, it was Chris Armstrong and Darren Curran, who finished 11th overall, who claimed the National Two-Wheel-Drive Championship title.

Jason McSweeney and John McGrath were ninth in their first outing in an ex-Keith Lyons Ford Fiesta Rally2. Patrick McHugh and Pauric O’Donnell finished tenth, second in the 2WD battle, in their new Darrian T90 GTR.

Brian Brady and Jack Brunton, who impressed with a standout drive on the Clare Stages Rally in September, took Class 13 honours in the National Championship despite engine mount and mechanical issues with their Honda Civic. Their consistency throughout the season earned Brady the National Class 13 title.

However, it was Barry McLaughlin and Barry McBride who won Class 13 on the rally, finished 13th overall in their Ford Escort Mk1 and McBride also claimed the class 13 National championship honours.

Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Keelan Grogan, with co-driver Ayrton Sherlock, debuted a Renault Clio Rally3,  the first appearance of the new car in Irish national rallying. The pair were impressed by the car’s performance, noting major improvements in braking and power.

Further down the order, Denis Hickey and Eoin O’Leary finished 14th overall and were strong Class 14 contenders in their Ford Escort Mk2, despite a misfire hampering progress.

Jack Byrne and Eurig Davies took Class 2 honours and earned valuable Billy Coleman Award attention. Despite an early off-road moment and a restart under Super Rally rules, Cian Caldwell and Paul McPhillips did enough to secure the National Class 2 title and a Billy Coleman Award nomination.

Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy won the Historic section in their BMW M3 E30, a final event ahead of their defence of their Killarney Historic Rally title in November.

Ronan Dorrian and Kyle McDaid won the junior category and. The Donegal-based Honda Civic driver wrapped up the 2025 National Junior title too with his usual co-driver Mickey Joe Brown  who sat out the season finale.

The Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship awards night takes place at the Seven Oaks Hotel in Carlow on November 15.

Photos by Kerry Motorsport News