By Martin Walsh

THE MacHale name is synonymous with Galway rallies and following a lapse of 12 years, Dubliner Gareth MacHale (VW Polo GTi R5) and his Kildare co-driver Brian Murphy won the weekend Bluebird Care Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

It was 42-year-old McHale’s first rally win since he won the Cork ‘20’ International Rally in 2010, after which he took a sabbatical from the sport. At the end of the nine stage Athenry based event, they finished 15.2 seconds ahead of the Skoda Fabia R5 of the Waterford/Wexford duo of Andrew Purcell/Andy Hayes. Dubliner Robert Barrable and his Donegal co-driver Paddy Robinson (Ford Fiesta Rally2) were 7.7 seconds further behind in third.

Local Curragreen driver Andrew Burke (Skoda Fabia R5) and his Carraroe co-driver Martin Brady were the top Galway crew, they won the Conroy Cup and finished 26th overall. Elsewhere, Athenry’s Paul McHugh/Amy Shiel (Honda Integra) came out on top in Class 3 from another local crew Micheál Rodgers/Kasey McKeon (Honda Civic).

Claddagh’s Ross Forde and Oranmore’s Aaron Forde (Ford Escort) won Class 19; Tuam’s Declan and Brian Forde (Escort)  were third in Class 10 and Ballinasloe’s Des Lyons (Honda Civic), co-driven by Aishling McArdle, won Class 11F.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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