Keith Cronin turns on the style to win in Galway

BALLYLICKEY'S Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin in their Ford Fiesta Rally2 have won the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally in what was stunning return to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Cronin, on his first rally since last May, finished 38.1seconds ahead of the VW Polo GTi of Derry’s Callum Devine and his Killarney co-driver Noel O’Sullivan with Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes in a Citroen C3 Rally2 a further 13.1 further behind in third.

Leading by some 15s overnight, Cronin was best through all bar of two of today’s stages, gradually increasing his lead over Devine in the mixed conditions. Moffett was under pressure from the similar Citroen of Derry’s Desi Henry, an overshoot cost a few fleeting seconds but he was best on the final pair of stages to secure the spot as Henry endured a brief excursion and slipped to sixth behind Donegal’s Declan Boyle in a Citroen and David Kelly in a VW Polo, Monaghan’s Sam Moffett in a Hyundai rounded out the top seven.

Cronin, who last competed in the Tarmac series in 2016, when he was the first driver to win the series in an R5 car, has certainly laid down a marker ahead of the next round in Clonakilty, the West Cork Rally on St. Patrick’s weekend. 

Read next Thursday’s Southern Star for a comprehensive report.

Result - Corrib Oil Galway International Rally (Round 1, Samdec Securities Irish Tarmac Rally Championship) Galway: 1. K. Cronin/M. Galvin (Ford Fiesta Rally2) 1h. 41m. 16.8s; 2. C. Devine/N. O'Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5)+38.1s; 3. J. Moffett/A. Hayes (Hyundai i20 Rally2)+51.2s; 4. D. Boyle/P. Walsh (Citroen C3 Rally2)+2m. 23.5s;5. D. Kelly/D. O'Sullivan (VW Polo GTi R5)+2m. 27.1s; 6. D. Henry/S. Loudon (Citroen C3 Rally2)+2m. 28.5s; 7. S. Moffett/J. O'Reilly (Hyundai i20 Rally2)+2m. 29.6s; 8. M. Boyle/D. McCafferty (VW Polo GTi R5)+5m. 13.5s; 9. J. McGonigle/G. O'Brien (Citroen C3 Rally2)+5m. 22.3s; 10. G. Kiernan/J. McCabe (Ford Fiesta R5)+5m. 29.5s.