Keith Cronin from West Cork and co-driver Marshall Clarke powered to their first Safety Direct Galway International Rally win at the weekend.

The current Group N British Champion in his Subaru Impreza WRC won by 13.5 seconds from Eugene Donnelly in his MINI WRC after a titanic battle that lasted all day in slippery conditions on the byways of East Galway on Sunday.

The Safety Direct Galway International Rally is the first event of the Irish Tarmac Championship and Cronin is a new name on the trophy. Driving his Subaru Impreza WRC for the first time his win means that for two years in a row, youth has had its way for another year after Darren Gass won the event last year. Cronin has been flying the Irish flag with distinction abroad for a couple of years and with name like Gass, Garry Jennings, Declan Boyle and World S2000 Champion Craig Breen making headlines, it is a new era in Irish rallying.

Despite a spin on the first test in Bellville that cost him 20 seconds Cronin gradually found his rhythm and by the end of the second loop of stages he was just .1 of a second behind Donnelly, who had lead from the start with three stages to go. From there Cronin set fastest times on the next two stages which gave him a lead of 18.5 seconds with the final test to go. Donnelly did claw back 5 seconds on the last stage but Cronin wasn’t to be denied.

Indeed, the first stage was to prove crucial in the event.  Last year’s winner Darren Gass crashed out of the event on the last corner of the first stage leaving the way open for Donnelly first, and later Cronin to entertain the large number of spectator that lined the roads round Ballinasloe. In third place at the finish were the Boyle brothers, Declan and Brian from Donegal with Belfast’s Derek McGarrity in fourth. Both mixed with top two for long periods but a combination of the sheer speed of the winner and the second placed man and some technical difficulties, both had to settle for the minor places.

Galway crew John Joe Fleming and Robbie Ward were the best local crew and they picked the coveted Brian Thornton Memorial Cup as the leading Galway team. Tom Flaherty and Patrick Curley were just pipped for the National title after leading that event from early on - Patrick Kiernan eventually taking the honours.