Michael Boyle takes dramatic win in tight Carlow Rally

For Lettermacaward driver Boyle (28) it was his first win of the season and in the current national series.

Sun, 17 May, 2026 - 18:18

Martin Walsh

Donegal's Michael Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) returned to winning ways in dramatic circumstances with a final stage victory to win the Carlow Rally, the third round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship. The weather and the lead changed many times, the latter on five occasions over the nine stages. For Lettermacaward driver Boyle (28) it was his first win of the season and in the current national series - finishing 4.5s ahead of the similar car of Tyrone's Cathan McCourt with Monaghan's Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 9s further behind in third.

Another Tyrone driver Seamus Leonard (Ford Fiesta Rally2) topped the time sheets on the opening stage - 5.3s ahead of the Boyle with Welsh ace Meirion Evans (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) 1s further behind and 1.1s ahead of McCourt. Evans remarked that the feeling in his Toyota wasn't where he needed it to be and it affected his confidence. A blanket of 9.1s covered the top nine illustrating a close contest.

Top seed Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2), who was fifth and 7.8s off top spot, commented on the lack of grip, Boyle had a slight altercation with a chicane bale. Shane Quinn (Ford Fiesta Rally2) in sixth suffered when the tyres lost their efficacy towards the stage end.

Moffett set the pace on SS2, only 0.1s ahead of Evans with Michael Boyle 2.2s further behind in third followed by Kevin Eves (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) along with the Fiesta Rally2 cars of Keelan Grogan and Quinn and the Hyundai i20 Rally2 of Tommy Doyle. Declan Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) had throttle sensor issues and dropped out of contention.

Although Shane Quinn initially headed the time sheets on SS3, when amended, Moffett was the rally leader 3.4s ahead of Evans with Boyle another 4.8s behind with Grogan fourth. Quinn was eighth.

On a wet SS4, Evans, opting for a safer option in terms of tyres, moved into the lead 4.4 ahead of Moffett with Boyle 1.3s further behind. Eves slotted into fourth from Quinn, who gambled on full wets and posted the fastest stage time to move up three places to fifth. Local driver David Condell (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) lost time with a puncture; Doyle (seventh) was lucky to survive a major moment that cost him a place on the leaderboard.

Evans stretched his lead to 7.8s on SS5 where Moffett, who slipped to third, found the conditions very slippery. Even though Quinn stalled at a hairpin, he actually moved to fourth at the expense of Boyle, who admitted the conditions were tricky.

Evans was one of the few drivers to complete SS6 unscathed. Boyle, despite a spin, posted the best time with most of the others receiving an amended time after a catalogue of issues. Moffett clouted a bank, Quinn had an altercation, Eves spun but like Evans, stopped to check on the welfare of others caught up in stoppages.

At the final service Evans led Boyle by 6.2s with Eves 1.6s further behind followed by Moffett, McCourt and Doyle.

The first stage of the final loop and in wet conditions Eves, on wet tyres, became the fourth different rally leader - albeit three tenths of a second ahead of Michael Boyle with Evans an additional 1.3s further back - the Welsh driver having chosen slick tyres. However, such was the intensity of the rally, the top five, that also featured McCourt and Moffett, were covered by just 9.9s. There was only a fraction of a second between Eves and Boyle on the penultimate stage with McCourt 2.1s further away in third and Evans 7.1s off top spot.

Unfortunately, Eves spun and later slid off and didn't finish the final stage. Boyle took his first win of the season, his first in the current Triton campaign where he also annexed the bonus point for winning the Power Stage.

Victory in the Modified category and the Mk2 Challenge went to Cavan's Jonathan Pringle (Ford Escort).

Meanwhile, in the Bishopscourt Motor Races in Downpatrick, Bagenalstown's Michael Connolly (Dallara World Series) won both rounds of the Springfield Hotel Formula BOSS Ireland Championship finishing ahead of Dunboyne's Lee Malone (Ralt RT4) in both races - his respective winning margins were 13.348 and 29.115s.