Three full days, 20 epic stages, and 274 kilometres of competitive action define the Donegal International Rally, where eleven ambitious Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy members are poised to excel.
Following their recent European Rally Championship podium at Rally Poland, Jon Armstrong and Shane Byrne will debut M-Sport’s 160th Ford Fiesta Rally2 at this Irish Tarmac Rally Championship event.
Armstrong, following top seed Callum Devine, will experience Donegal’s opening Malin Head test for the first time. The two-time Junior WRC runner-up will rely on the local expertise of co-driver Byrne, who has competed on the three-day event four times in a Honda Civic and a Citroen C3 Rally2.
The M-Sport duo has demonstrated impressive speed in the ERC this year, consistently posting fastest times, and showcased their abilities against Irish Tarmac competition at March’s West Cork Rally. Armstrong and Byrne aim to replicate their asphalt form from West Cork, where they secured 12 stage wins out of 16 three months ago.
“I am really excited to compete on the Donegal International Rally for the first time,” Armstrong stated. “It feels strange that I haven’t competed there before, but I am very grateful to get the chance this year.
“It is a three-day event, a long rally, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Rallying at home is special, we discovered that in West Cork, and we will soak up the atmosphere again in Donegal.
“It is cool to be going in a works M-Sport Ford Fiesta Rally2, it is something to be proud of.”
British Rally Championship contender William Creighton will join Armstrong in the academy’s pursuit of Donegal honours. Creighton and co-driver Liam Regan will pilot their Toyota Yaris Rally2, bearing the number four.
The 2023 Junior WRC champions are returning after a two-month break, their 2025 record highlighted by an East Riding Stages win and a runner-up finish at the Kielder Carlisle Stages.
Creighton has previously competed on the Donegal International Rally twice in his Peugeot 208 R2. He also stepped in as Regan’s co-driver at last year’s event, tackling the famous stages in a classic Skoda Estelle.
“It is hard not to be excited about going to Donegal this weekend,” Creighton remarked. “I have travelled there many times when my Dad was competing, I know how special the buzz is surrounding the whole event.
“A lot has changed since I last competed there in the Peugeot 208 R2, so it will be nice going back, having developed so much since then.
“Donegal is effectively a WRC event in length, and there will be a high level of competition between Irish Tarmac regulars and ERC drivers like Hayden Paddon and Jon Armstrong. I am looking forward to the challenge of competing against these guys on famous high-speed stages that also have quite a bit of narrow, bumpy sections.
“We have only done 50 miles of asphalt rallying in the Yaris, and that was back in February, so it will be great for us to get three days of top-quality rallying under our belts ahead of our next batch of rallies in the British Rally Championship. Thanks to everyone who has made the opportunity to compete in Donegal possible; we will be giving our best to get a good result for them.”
The academy’s final Rally2 crew at Donegal will be local talents Ryan MacHugh and Declan Boyle. MacHugh and Boyle have achieved two 12th-place finishes since upgrading to a Ford Fiesta Rally2 for Killarney’s Rally of the Lakes.
MacHugh enjoyed a successful warm-up at May’s Cavan Stages Rally, building pace throughout the day in preparation for Donegal’s highly anticipated event.
Two all-academy crews will compete head-to-head on their home stages in Donegal’s Rally4 category.
“I am really looking forward to the weekend,” said MacHugh. “It will be my biggest event to date in the new car.
“We have two days of recce done with one to do – it will be great to get back familiar with the stages.”
“We’ll aim to make a solid start and continue to build our pace against Rally2 opposition throughout the three days.”
Kyle McBride and Darragh Mullen have displayed impressive speed on asphalt events this year. The Peugeot 208 Rally4 crew has secured victories at the East Riding Stages, West Cork Rally, and Jim Clark Rally; they are eager to add the Donegal International Rally to their achievements.
Donegal is also crucial for McBride’s Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup aspirations. Setbacks in Kielder and Killarney leave him with a 14-point deficit to close on his rivals as he aims to replicate his round one dominance from West Cork.
“Donegal is the biggest rally of the year for me,” said McBride. “It is my home rally, one I always dreamed of competing on, so I feel really fortunate to go back for a second year in a row in the Peugeot 208 Rally4. Thanks to everyone who has made it possible.
“The stages are really unique and challenging, we enjoyed our recce seeing all the different characteristics each stage has.
“It is going to be a challenging weekend, and I can’t wait to get the Rally4 battle going again. Hopefully, we can get some solid points on the board for our Stellantis Cup campaign.”
“Donegal – it’s the big one, isn’t it?!” Mullen noted. “Like every event, I’m looking forward to it, but Donegal is just different. The stages are fantastic, with classics like Atlantic Drive and Knockalla. Friday’s stages around Malin Head are just something else to be able to rally on.
“Kyle and I had a great recce and are eager to get on the stages to repeat our result from last year, if not go one better.”
Another Donegal-based crew, Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan, will be vying for Rally4 glory this weekend. 20-year-old Harris has impressed in his maiden season behind the wheel of his Ford Fiesta Rally4, showcasing rapid drives on recent gravel rallies. Their last asphalt event ended successfully, claiming class honours at the Circuit of Kerry.
“We are looking forward now to our home event, the big one,” said Harris. “This will be our third tarmac event in a Rally4 car.
“As Donegal doesn’t fall as a championship round for us, it will be good to focus on seat time in the car for MIJRS tarmac rounds later in the year. It will also be good to compare our pace against some of the international regulars.”
Killian McArdle has had a busy week, transitioning from the ERC’s Rally Poland to his latest Rally4 event alongside Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup contender Joseph Kelly. McArdle will renew his rivalry with academy teammates McBride and Mullen on Donegal’s three-day challenge.
“It has been great to experience rallying in the European Rally Championship with Casey Jay Coleman,” McArdle reflected. “It is great to learn the level of preparation needed on the co-drivers’ side for these events.
“Rally Poland was a highlight, competing on high-speed gravel roads, which is something we are unfamiliar with in Ireland. It was great to experience that style of road.
“Donegal is always the rally you look forward to every year. I have had a great year so far alongside Joe Kelly with top points in Killarney for the Stellantis Cup, it would be great to repeat that this weekend.”
Motorsport Ireland Academy hopefuls ready for Donegal challenge was last modified: June 19th, 2025 by
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