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Galway Archive
40 Years Ago
20 Years Ago
Old News
Billy Coleman & Dan O’Sullivan had a runaway victory in
the Galway International Rally winning by over nine minutes
in their Escort Mk2. Ten Porsches started the event and one
of these was expected to continue their domination of Irish
Rallying. However Coleman put the pressure on from the
start and one by one his challengers fell away. Such was his
dominance over the second days Connemara stages that his
lead was up to 11 minutes before easing back somewhat on the
final days. Ken Shields and Peter Lyster were second overall in
their Porsche with John Taylor and Phil Short finishing third
after a troubled first day which cost him a lot of time.
30 Years Ago
It was a Rothmans Porsche 911 1-2
as Billy Coleman & Ronan Morgan
took a comfortable victory in
the Galway International Rally
from their team mates Saeed al
Hajri & John Spiller. Once rivals
Austin McHale & Bertie Fisher
hit trouble in their Opel Mantas it
was relatively plain sailing for the
Corkman who comfortably coped
with the tricky conditions which
included snow and ice on some stages. His Qatari team
mate al Hajri was delighted with his first trip to Ireland as he
prepared for the Circuit of Ireland. Ian Donaldson took the
final podium place in his clubman spec MG Metro 6R4.
After a fierce battle Bertie Fisher & Rory Kennedy came out
top in the Galway International Rally in their Subaru Impreza.
They were pushed hard all the way by James Cullen & Ellen
Morgan who were trading times for most of the weekend until
the second day when their Escort Cosworth hit standing water
and went off the road losing almost a minute. In the end Cullen
settled for second place and was well clear of Liam O’Callaghan
& James O’Brien in third place who were in their first outing in
a Toyota Celica ST205.
10 Years Ago
Eugene Donnelly & Paul Kiely in a Toyota Corolla WRC took
victory in the Galway International Rally with a two minute
victory over Eamon Boland & Francis Regan in a Subaru
Impreza WRC. The winning margin didn’t tell the whole story
though as Derek McGarrity challenged for the lead early on
only to suffer a puncture. Tim McNulty then took the fight to
Donnelly only to go off the road near the flying finish late on
the second day and was forced to retire. An impressive drive
from Peadar Hurson & Damien Connolly in an older spec
Subaru Impreza WRC saw them net third overall just ten
seconds behind Boland.
Words: Kevin O’Driscoll. Photos: RallyRetro
Looking Back 50 Years by Eddie Fitzgerald
Steve Griffin started competing in test
trials in 1962 in a GTS ( Gibney Trials
Special) , bought for him by his brothers
Dave and Shea , Steve qualified for the
Hewison Trophy at his first attempt , the
format was a I day trial unlike the modern
series run over 15 events. Steve won and
took the championship in 64 and 65 ,
Steve’s older brother Shea having 60, 61.
and 63. Steve and ambitions to race and
Dave lent his road going Cooper S for the
Park in 65 , second place was the result so
for 66 a racing mini was built , with all the
right bits , racing rallying and many other
branches of the sport got his attention , in
1994 he added the Sexton Trophy to the
sideboard becoming along with Pearse
Cahill the only drivers to win both awards
, the photo from 50 years ago shows Steve
taking a wide line at Ratra corner in 1966
, the flag man is Dougie Hughes known to
all for his involvement with Karting and
Midget Car Racing and more recently his
MC at rallies . 50 years on Steve is still
competing , driving Liam Plower’s midget
and working on an Anglia for Retro Rally
events .
Dermot Carnegie started competing in a
Dellow ( Ford Special) in test trials before
moving on Mini Coopers culminating
in his first Hewison Trophy win in 1967
12
going on to win it a further 9 times
, Dermot rallied up to the 80s then
switched Rallycross first in a Metro 6r4
then a selection of Fords winning 5 Irish
and 6 British championships , a move
to retro rallying with various cars has
proved highly successful our photo shows
Dermot in his test trial, rally and road
going Cooper S competing in a trial at
Red Bog in 1966