Declan Boyle lands first rally win in six years with late drama at the Wexford Rally

Lettermacaward’s Declan Boyle took his first victory in over six years with a late win in the Wexford Volkswagen Rally placing first on the final day ahead of Ballylickey’s Daniel Cronin, who was forced to retire on the final stage. 

Competing in his Skoda Fabia Rs Rally2, Boyle seized the lead when Cronin retired, resulting in an all-Donegal podium. David Kelly, from Donegal Town, finished second in his VW Polo GTi R5, just 12.3 seconds behind Boyle, while completing the top three was Declan’s son, Michael Boyle, trailing his father by 8.3 seconds. 

Cronin, who had been leading with a 17.3-second advantage going into the final stage, was forced to withdraw when a turbo sensor issue emerged in his VW Polo GTi R5 during the first stage (SS16) of the last loop. 

On Saturday, under dusty conditions, Cronin set the pace on the opening stage, with Michael Boyle just half a second behind. Declan Boyle followed four seconds further back.  

Cronin extended his lead on SS2, pulling 5.2 seconds ahead of Michael Boyle. However, Declan Boyle made up time on the final stage of the loop, moving into second, six seconds behind Cronin and 2.7 seconds ahead of his son Michael, who had encountered an obstacle on SS2. 

Michael Boyle responded with a strong time on SS4 during the repeat loop, reclaiming second place and closing the gap to 3.8 seconds behind Cronin. However, Cronin dominated SS5, widening his lead to 7.1 seconds as Declan Boyle moved back into second, while Michael lost time after an overshoot. 

At the final service of the day, Cronin’s lead over Declan Boyle stood at 4.8 seconds, with Boyle setting the fastest time on SS6. Cronin, anticipating rain, opted for softer tyres for the final loop and ended the leg 8.8 seconds ahead. 

Sunday’s stages were met with very wet conditions. Cronin admitted to underperforming on SS10 and SS11 but recovered on SS12, extending his lead over Declan Boyle to 15.5 seconds. Meanwhile, David Kelly closed in on Michael Boyle, reducing a 31.2-second gap to just 4.8 seconds. 

On the repeat of the loop, Cronin improved his driving, increasing his lead over Declan Boyle to 17.3 seconds. Kelly continued his charge, moving into third on SS13 and solidifying his position before the final loop. 

However, in a late twist, Cronin was slowed by a turbo sensor issue, losing too much time despite resolving the problem. He retired from the race, allowing Declan Boyle to take the lead and finish 25.9 seconds ahead of Kelly, securing his first victory since March 2018.