Plenty of Donegal interest as Callum Devine wins Galway International Rally 

Callum Devine delivered a commanding performance to win the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally, the opening round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. 

Driving a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, the Derry man led from start to finish and secured victory by a decisive 37.1 seconds over Kilkenny’s Eddie Doherty, with Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) claiming third a further 9.5 seconds back.

Devine set the tone on Saturday’s stages around Headford, immediately building a strong advantage. An early lead of 8.7 seconds grew to over 21 seconds by the end of the opening loop, despite interruptions caused by accidents involving Eamonn Kelly and David Guest. 

Even a minor scare on SS3, where Devine damaged a rear wheel rim, failed to slow his momentum as he continued to top the times.

Behind him, Michael Boyle initially emerged as the closest challenger, while Doherty steadily closed the gap after switching to a tyre choice better suited to the conditions. 

Doherty claimed a stage win to break Devine’s run of fastest times, while Donegal’s David Kelly impressed as he settled into fourth overall. Moffett ran conservatively on Saturday, making setup changes as he adapted to his new car.

By the end of day one, Devine held a comfortable 42.3-second lead. The battle for second remained tight, with Doherty ultimately gaining the upper hand after Boyle lost time due to a stalled engine.

Sunday’s stages around Monivea proved even more demanding despite dry weather, with muddy conditions throughout. Devine adopted a cautious approach to protect his lead, while Kelly excelled on the slippery roads to move into podium contention. 

The fight for third went down to the final stage, where Moffett pushed hard to secure the position, surviving a late impact that damaged a wheel but avoided a puncture.

Devine sealed a well-earned victory, with Doherty second and Moffett third, while Jason McSweeney claimed Historic honours.