Robbie Peoples on head gaskets, dropped valves and mother’s fried breakfast

Robbie Peoples never won the Donegal International Rally and though rallying for the best part of three decades he never came close.

Unlucky for some 13th, in 2006, was as close as he ever came to being first to hit the ramp at the Mount Errigal, on the Sunday evening.

He did clock a number of class wins including three in a row in the early years plus a number of seconds and thirds in the class finishes down the through the years.

But for the farmer from Kilmacrennan, who competed in the Donegal International 29 times, 21 of them consecutively, the stat he takes most pride and satisfaction from is his record of finishes in his trusty Mark 2 Escort.

“It was said at the launch of this year’s rally that I had competed in the rally 30 times but that is not the case,” explained Robbie.

“I took part 29 times and only failed to finish five of them, which is an achievement in itself and something I’m very proud of.

“I did my first Donegal in 1986. I missed 1987, that was the year I got married and I did everyone of them then from 1988 to 2009. The rally was cancelled in 2001 due to Foot and Mouth disease.

“I did not compete in 2010 but I returned in 2011 and all the subsequent years up to 2017, my last. And Keith Stewart was co-driver for all of them and we were always in an Escort.

“The first Escort I owned, I bought it from Hugh Tinney, and competed in it up to 2002. I then bought a Mark 2 Escort. It was Damian Gallagher’s old car and I competed in it until I finished in 2017.

“I still have it and the old one. Anything that comes around here never leaves. It’s still going well. My son Alister is having his first Donegal in it in this year's rally.”

Robbie’s other son, Stephen, is also following in his footsteps and is also competing in this year’s event. Robbie is from a long line of farmers with no great tradition of rallying or motorsport. But now, it seems, it’s finally in the blood.

“Farming and farmers are not a group that you would associate with rallying,” says Robbie. “My interest was kindled when I was a wee boy and I used to see Ivan Stewart and a few of my other friends heading off on their bicycles to see the rally.

“I must have pestered my uncles because they brought me to watch the rally and from very early I was hooked.

“Ivan, a friend and a neighbour, was interested too and we bought an Avenger. We bought it from Raymond McDaid, in Saint Johnston.

“That was in 1984 and the first rally we did in it was up around Ballybofey. Ivan was driving and I was the co-driver. I only stepped in at the last minute.

“Lester Speer was to sit in with Ivan but he did not have a licence. I remember we were on a shoestring budget and we had no helmet so we had to borrow two for the day.

“Ivan borrowed his from somwhere and I got mine from Reba Graham.”

The Avenger was co-owned by Robbie and Ivan Stewart but Robbie, now really bitten by the bug, bought out Ivan and did a number of rallies before buying the 177LYI Escort.

Now with a new Escort, which had already had a number of outings in the Donegal Rally with Hugh Tinney, Robbie was ready to take on the challenge of the Donegal International.

“James Sheridan sat with me for a number of rallies and was beside me for the start of the Harvest Rally, but after the first run up the Atlantic Drive - my favourite stage in Donegal - James got sick and was unable to finish the rally.

“I remember the morning of the Harvest my mother made a big breakfast, a good big fry for myself and James before we headed off.

“We were going fine until half way through the Atlantic Drive, my mother’s breakfast landed at James feet. He threw up the lot and was very sick and was unable to continue!

“Keith Stewart, a brother of Ivan's, sat with me for the rest of the Harvest which included two more runs over Atlantic Drive and at the end of the second run Keith said we’ll have to do that again sometime.

“And we have been together ever since. James was a brilliant co-driver and he sat on with a number of other drivers down the years.

“In fairness to my mother’s breakfast I think it was my driving more than the breakfast that caused his sickness.”

Robbie and Keith’s first couple of outings with big boys did not go well at all. Engine trouble in 1986 and 1988 meant early exits.

“The head gasket blew in Garygort in ‘86 and more mechanical trouble ended our rally in ‘88.

“We had a big scare too in 1989 on the morning of the start of the rally and it looked like our rally was over before we got started when on Friday morning she dropped a valve.

“Panic stations, but Ivan Stewart came to the rescue. He had an old engine which had not been started for a number of years so we took a chance to fit the new engine and it started just about.

“I remember we struggled in third gear to make it up the mountain and we just made it to the start ramp in time to get away.

“We were just about going when we got to the start of the first stage. But halfway through the stage the engine gave a couple of splutters and took off and went like a bird for the rest of the rally and we made it to Sunday evening no bother. We had finished our first Donegal.”

The records for 1989 show that Robbie Peoples and Keith Stewart, in an Escort finished in 58th place overall and third in their class, in the Shell Donegal International Rally.

And really for Robbie and all club rally drivers it is about completing the three days. The prize is all the spills and thrills and the sheer enjoyment of three days of driving over the only three day event on the Irish Rally calendar.

The 2017 Donegal International was his last. He entered the 2018 but was on the reserve list and came with one place of competing for what would be his 30th.

“I came within one place of going in 2018 and I decided there and then I had done my last and finished with competing.

“If I had got in and gone I may still be competing who knows but after not making the cut I decided that was it. “

Robbie’s involvement in the rally now is either as a marshal or working in service.

“I’m not into spectating and watching the rally. Chasing around from stage to stage and the traffic jams are not for me. I haven’t decided yet for this year but I will act as a marshal or work in service with the two boys, Alister and Stephen.”