Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy driver Aoife Raftery secured her first-ever Irish Tarmac Rally Championship class win on the Modern Tyres Ulster Rally.

Driving her Peugeot 208 Rally4, the Craughwell-based driver dominated the class battle leading from start to finish.

This was only her second Irish tarmac event of the year, as she has been focusing on gravel rallies across Europe.

The challenging wet and mucky conditions posed no obstacle for the Galway native, who consistently set the pace throughout the event.

The Rally4 class in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship is renowned for its fierce competition, making Raftery's achievement even more impressive.

Together with co-driver Hannan McKillop, she not only clinched the class victory but also secured an impressive 24th overall finish and drove the first front-wheel-drive car across the finish line.

Commenting afterwards Aoife said:  “We are really happy. We have put in a lot of hard work over the last few years. The Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy puts in a massive effort, so it's great to come away with this win.”