IT WAS A day of Donegal joy at the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally.
For the first time since the event began in 1977, no driver had ever won it three years in a row, but Donagh Kelly from Frosses etched his name into that little chapter of the history book today.
Kelly, the reigning Irish Tarmac champion, was the comfortable winner in the WRC Focus. With Conor Foley on the notes, Kelly with a minute-and-a-half to spare from Keith Cronin in second.
Garry Jennings, who had to change co-driver on Friday night came home in third.
Rory Kennedy, Jennings’ regular navigator, had to withdraw because of a famiy bereavement and David Moynihan stepped in. Having not done the recce and having to read Kennedy’s notes, Moynihan performed admirably.
Kelly noted the going as difficult on the opening stage of the weekend on Saturday morning, but he had little trouble on his way to claiming a hat-trick of wins, opening up a 50-second lead on day one.
Muff’s Joseph McGonigle and Ciaran Geaney from Falcarragh finished tenth in the S2000 Skoda as they look to build on the promising year in 2015.
It was a weekend to savour for Letterkenny men Brian Brogan and Damien McGettigan as they took victory in the national rally. The Escort was 6.3 seconds in front of Alan Ring by the time they crossed the final stage.
Brogan, the Donegal Motor Club Chairman, had a magnificent weekend. Pushed all the way by Ring and Adrian Hetherington, the Donegal pair came home in style for a memorable win.
John Bonner from Dungloe was sixth with Leon Jordan on the notes.
Letterkenny brothers Kyle and Dale McGettigan came tenth while Kilmacrennan’s Paddy Robinson called the pacenotes for David Guest, the Group N winner.
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