With four International Rally wins to their credit already this year, Global Group Irish Tarmac champions Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey look like making it a fifth as they led the opening day of the final round, the Murphy Construction/Weathermaster Cork 20 International Rally, from start to finish.

At the overnight halt, their NVD Subaru Impreza was twenty seconds clear of the Ford Focus of Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy, with the rest of the field a long way behind. Multiple Tarmac champion Eugene Donnelly was Boland's closest challenger on the opening stage, but his Skoda Fabia was an early retirement with an electrical problem.

The gap between Boland and MacHale grew to 25 seconds at the midway point of the day, but the Rathcoole driver upped his pace and reduced it on the last four stages. His brother Aaron, a former National champion, held third position last night in another Focus, but he was two and a half minutes down on the leader and is realistically out of contention.

Former Production World Champion Niall McShea from Fermanagh was the clear leader of the Group N class in a new model Subaru Impreza N14, in fourth place overall, 36 seconds ahead of his nearest class rival Damien Tourish.

Global Group Irish Tarmac champions Eamonn Boland and Damien Morrissey continued their total domination of the Murphy Construction/Weathermaster Cork 20 International Rally on Sunday, starting the second day with a 20 second lead over Gareth MacHale and Brian Murphy and dictating the pace to reach the finish fifteen seconds ahead and score their fifth International victory this year.

MacHale tried a tyre gamble early on Sunday in damp, slippery conditions, and although he did pull back time on Boland on a couple of stages, it wasn't enough to change the result and he had to be content with runner up position.

These two pairings were in a class of their own, and Aaron MacHale had no real chance of catching them, driving steadily to a distant third place, more than four minutes behind. Former Production World Champion Niall McShea from Fermanagh was the clear winner of the Group N class in a new model Subaru Impreza N14, taking fourth place overall, almost two minutes ahead of his nearest class rival Damien Tourish.

Clonakilty brothers Kevin and Martin Kelleher finished third in their class and seventh overall to clinch the Tarmac Group N title, while Brendan Cumiskey won the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge. The Junior Rally went to Garreth O'Mahony from Enniskeane.

Austin MacHale debuted the all new Opel Corsa S2000 Developed by MSD, the corsa looking and souding fantastic on the narrow stages.

1 Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 05m 13s,

2 Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 05m 28s,

3 Aaron MacHale/Killian Duffy (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 09m 48s,

4 Niall McShea/Marshall Clarke (Subaru Impreza Gp N) 2h 12m 56s,

5 Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 14m 50s,

6 Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Toyota Corolla WRC) 2h 15m 34s,

7 Kevin Kelleher/Martin Kelleher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 16m 04s,

8 Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 16m 05s,

9 John McGlaughlin/Stephen McAuley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 Gp N) 2h 17m 17s,

10 Guy Woodcock/David Williams (Ford Escort Maxi) 2h 18m 28s.

Group N Production Class:

1 Niall McShea/Marshall Clarke,

2 Damien Tourish/Domhnall McAlaney,

3 Kevin Kelleher/Martin Kelleher.

Class winners:

Philip Conneely/Michelle Crowley (Honda Civic),

Tom Cahill/Des Sherlock (Honda Civic),

Ian Chadwick/Kerry Chadwick (Peugeot 106),

Daragh O'Riordan/Sean McCarthy (Opel Corsa),

Guy Woodcock/David Williams (Ford Escort Maxi),

Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy.

NATIONAL EVENT:

1 Washington James/Anthony O'Conaill (Darrian) 2h 15m 46s,

2 Manus Kelly/Donal Barrett (Ford Escort) 2h 16m 01s,

3 Terence O'Shaughnessy/Eugene McGrath (Toyota Corolla) 2h 17m 05s.