What awaits Irish Tarmac crews on Galway’s notorious stages
On the eve of Ireland’s opening rally of 2023, I’m pleased to reveal Rally Insight, in partnership with Onthepacenote, will provide stage previews ahead of each Irish Tarmac and National Rally Championship round this year.
Up first, the Galway International Rally throws us into the deep end of Irish rallying. Muck, gutter, and glare will feature across crews’ post-recce notes. The late-winter test combines all the challenges that define rallying in the Emerald Isle.
15 stages and 233 stage kilometres await revamped rally cars that are becoming increasingly impatient to experience their first start-line procedure of 2023.
Day 1 // Saturday // SS1-9 // 129.8 km
Coldwood (13.81 km), SS1/4/7
This is a tough opener.
Crews face a fast start to the 13.81-kilometre stage before it changes to narrower roads. What makes the fast parts difficult is the infamous shiny tarmac that is ready to claim an early victim in dangerous braking zones.
If it is a damp morning, which it likely will be, then Coldwood is going to be an interesting opener to the 2023 Irish Tarmac Championship.
Action awaits.
Skehanagh (15.24 km), SS2/5/8
After a testing start, Galway’s 150 crews will have to up the ante on Skehanagh.
The 15.24-kilometre stage is faster than Coldwood with a mixture of surfaces on offer. Grippy corners contrast with other shiny tarmac areas so whoever can spot the difference will know where exactly to push.
Eden Hill (14.20 km), SS3/6/9
Starting at Brady’s Yard, another famous stage, Eden Hill was used on last year’s Galway International Rally.
This version runs in reverse, though, finishing just outside Loughrea.
The opening section features the famous corner that caught out Garry Jennings in his Subaru Impreza back in 2019. This section can get very muddy.
Crews will encounter Ireland’s famous bumps and jumps through Eden Hill’s high-speed sections.
Day 2 // Sunday // SS10-15 // 102.9 km
Black Road (19.54 km), SS10/12/14
The Molls Gap of Galway, Black Road is Galway’s pillar stone stage.
The 19.54-kilometre stage features a new start and finish area to last year but the infamous pass over the top of the mountain remains the same.
Black Road’s notoriety is justified as one of Ireland’s most challenging stages. Its demands offer a big chance for crews to capitalise and make time on their rivals.
There are sections of broken tarmac through the second half of the stage. It is gravelly and could well have running water coming down from the mountain and across the road.
Sunday’s first stage could well prove decisive in the race to crown Irish Tarmac’s first winner of 2023.
Ballydoogan (14.76 km), SS11/13/15
The fastest stage of the 2023 Galway International Rally. Balldoogan’s first third is slippery and will provide one last test for crews hoping to make Galway’s finish line.
An incredibly narrow lane starts the stage but that is in contrast to the remaining sections. The final 10 kilometres is flat-to-the-mat rallying.
The high-speed sections could be quite the spectacle and times should be extremely close unless someone plays a blinder through the first few difficult corners.
Photos by Gavin Woods
