Mark Higgins, winner of the Galway International, has retired from the Circuit of Ireland on the first day of this 3 day event
He suffered a broken differential on his Impreza at the start of SS4 Anglesey Mountain 2, leaving Eamon Boland in his Impreza 50 seconds clear of Gareth McHale's Focus. A similar gap separates 3rd man Tim McNulty (Impreza) from Aaron McHale (Focus)

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Speed is life

That's a shame, cheers for telling us. I like Higgins.

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Leader Board after stage 14
1 Eamonn Boland Damien Morrissey Subaru Impreza S12B A8 2:18:55.1
2 Gareth MacHale Craig Parry Ford Focus A8
2:19:21.3
3 Tim McNulty Eugene O'Donnell Subaru Impreza S12B A8 2:20:13.7
4 Aaron MacHale Killian Duffy Ford Focus WRC A8
2:23:23.6
5 John McGlaughlin Crawford Henderson Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9 N4 2:29:52.4

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Speed is life

Final Results after day3

1 Eamonn Boland Damien Morrissey Subaru Impreza S12B
A8 3:03:21.4
2 Gareth MacHale Craig Parry Ford Focus
A8 3:03:26.3
3 Tim McNulty Eugene O'Donnell Subaru Impreza S12B
A8 3:04:47.2
4 Aaron MacHale Killian Duffy Ford Focus WRC
A8 3:15:24.4
5 John McGlaughlin Crawford Henderson Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
N4 3:21:09.5
6 Brendan Cumiskey Conor Foley Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
N4 3:23:06.8 0:01:57.3 0:19:45.4
7 Denis Biggerstaff Alistair Wyllie Subaru Impreza WRC
A8 3:27:00.7
8 Kevin Kelleher Martin Kelleher Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
N4 3:29:44.4
9 David Wright Susanne Wright Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9
N4 3:30:11.9
10 Tommy Doyle Tony McDaid Renault Clio R3
A7 3:36:02.0

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Speed is life

Despite a last minute drama which saw the two leading cars starting the final stage separated by just four seconds, the Wexford-Waterford combination of Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey put on a final spurt to hold off the late challenge of Dubliner Gareth MacHale and his British co-driver Craig Parry to win the Circuit of Ireland International Rally by one of the narrowest margins ever, 4.9 seconds after more than three hours of high speed special stages spread over three days.


The pair from the south-east led for most of the rally, setting out in the NVD Subaru Impreza for Sunday's six stages in Co Down with a lead of 26 seconds over their rivals' White Oak Ford Focus. An overshoot for MacHale on the day's third stage cost him 10 seconds, leaving him a daunting 35 behind as they set off for the last loop, in a seemingly hopeless position.


However, Boland struck trouble on the second run through Knockiveagh, outside Banbridge, when his screen washers failed and he had visibility problems. MacHale was on a charge and clawed back 21 seconds, followed by another 10 on the penultimate test at Legananny, leaving everything to play for over the last nine miles of Slieve Roosley, near Rostrevor.


Boland returned to full concentration and added nine tenths of a second to his narrow lead, achieving a special ambition by winning Ireland's oldest International Rally - the first driver from the Republic to win the event since Austin MacHale, Gareth's father, ten years ago.


Tim McNulty from Summerhill in the Pierse Impreza and Aaron MacHale's Maxol Focus completed a clean sweep of the top four places for southern drivers, with the elder of the two brothers struggling through the day with gearbox problems which cost him four minutes on one stage.

John McGlaughlin and Brendan Cumiskey took the top places in the Group N Production class in their Mitsubishi Lancer Evos, while Clonakilty driver Kevin Kelleher was very fortunate to limp home in third place with serious transmission problems on the final stages.

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Speed is life