Car 101 Glenn Allen/Damien Connolly (2nd)

“Very troubled, all in all. The first stage on Saturday morning, an intercooler pipe cracked. Then we had glazed brakes on the next stage so the boys in service fixed the intercooler pipe but didn’t have enough time to get the brakes sorted. We had to run with glazed brakes until the next service, but after that, we had a good run and when Sean got a puncture, we held the overnight lead. Then we went out on Sunday morning with the wrong tyres and the car started to miss going into the third stage. We were plagued with things not working out right but what can you do!”

Car 102 Sean Devine/Damien Duffin (1st)

“We had a good weekend! We won most of the stages on Saturday but we had a puncture five miles towards the end of the last stage, so we lost 45 seconds. It was the front left wheel so we struggled to get to the end of the stage. We had to fight back on Sunday but Glenn really put it up to us. After the first three stages on Sunday we were leading, but we had to fight over the next three to stay there!”

Car 103 Connor McCloskey/Francis Regan (3rd)

“We picked the car up on Tuesday night and spent a lot of time getting things sorted out. I only covered 13 miles in the car when testing on Wednesday before we were chased off a road. So there were a lot of sleepless nights before the rally! There’s a massive difference between the Subaru and the Focus – there’s more power in the Subaru but it also needs a different driving style. It was a long two days but I learnt a lot out of it, so roll on the Sperrins!”

Car 104 George Robinson/Francis Kenny (Retired)

“The turbo let go on the seventh stage. It was disappointing because it was the first time I had that car on the closed roads and the first time Francis Kenny was sitting with me. Everything was just beginning to click together and we were getting the speed up but that’s rallying!”

Car 107 Neil McCance/Sean Ferris (4th)

“We had an absolutely textbook straight forward run! It was my first time on tarmac with the car and we had no problems at all. Organisers should be congratulated on the stages – they were brilliant. The big jumps caught us out a couple of times and I wondered where we were going to end up, but with new suspension settings on the car she handled them brilliantly."

"I was disappointed a few other Group N men didn’t stay in the rally because it would have been a good race. It meant that the guys in front of us on Sunday were too far away for us to catch, and the guys behind us weren’t going to cause us any problems unless we made a mistake. So we kept our heads down and minded our own business. It’s not normal for us to get around without some sort of incident – very boring!”

Car 108 John Walker/Desi Wilson (Retired)

“We just came out of the third stage and she stopped. I think it might be the fuel pump, not too sure yet. Very disappointing, we just wanted to get around and get some points.”

Car 109 Cathal Rogers/Eoighan Rogers (Retired)

“The clutch went before the rally started but we managed to get it changed. Then the car started missing a bit on the first stage, and on the second it was really bad. We changed different bits but it didn’t help – now we think it was the fuel pump. It’s disappointing because even though she was struggling, we were still beating most of the Group N boys. And the stages would have suited me because they’re good driving stages, but that’s the way it works!”

Car 110 Alan Carmichael/Ivor Lamont (8th)

“We went through a hedge during the first day! There was a wee mossy, jumpy bit of road into a 5 left, and she just skipped off the road. It ruined the next three or four stages for us because we put the intercooler through the radiator and had no boost. We didn’t have a lamp pod on the car either because the bonnet was bent!”

Car 112 James Kennedy/John Rowan (17th)

“We parked her in a hedge for a couple of minutes during the first day, and then the alternator packed up as we entered the dark stages. We had to drive with no lights but then we borrowed a battery from someone. We had a brilliant day on Sunday but we had lost too much time on the Saturday to make any impression on the two-wheel-drive leaders.”

Car 113 Fintan McGrady/Conal McCartan (13th)

“We led the class all weekend until we got a puncture three stages from the finish. We lost a minute and a half, but managed to get it all back by the finish line bar nine seconds! It was a great event and the stages were good!”

Car 117 David Armstrong/Duncan McFarlane (9th)

“We had a problem with the gearbox all weekend – I had to hold her in gear and she kept jumping out of second, fourth and sixth gears! It’s only a minor problem that will be easily fixed but it meant I had to steer with one hand all weekend! I’m very happy with the result, I haven’t been out for a while so I was a bit rusty!”

Car 121 Enda McNulty/Declan Campbell (Retired)

“It was a nightmare from late on Friday night. Coming back from scrutiny, the turbo blew up. We put another one in but it was down on pressure and it turned out to be a faulty actuator. So we did about three and a half stages with that, and then we caught rock on the left hand side of the road and broke a steering rack. After such a long week preparing for the rally, demoralising is the word to use.”

Car 127 Trevor Ferguson/Patrick Gallagher (14th)

“Not too bad, we got to the finish anyway! We had a trouble free run, now I’m looking forward to the Sperrins.”

Car 146 Robert Erwin/Chris Ragg (22nd)

“We had a really good weekend, great fun! I’ve never competed in a two-day event before and it was a proper rally. I was very slow on the first day as I didn’t have much confidence, but we had a good race on the Sunday. Going into the last stage, we were three seconds behind the class leader, but then he had a gearbox problem so we won the class!”

Car 148 Mark Greer/Brian Todd (30th)

“We broke the clutch cable during Saturday’s fifth stage, so we fixed that during the road section but then we were late into the following stage. Then the alternator broke on Sunday, and we were late into service and late out of it as well. So we picked up quite a few road penalties!”

Car 151 Jack Maguire/Paul Maguire (16th)

“The weather was good and the stages were class!”

Car 166 Brian Black/Ian Crozier (21st)

“We were caught sleeping on the first two stages which is the usual for me! But fair play to Oran Donnelly, he was going really well. We chased hard but couldn’t quite catch him. And when our gear level broke two stages from the finish, we settled for second. The organisers did very well too, they didn’t lose any stages so fair play to the UAC.”

Car 167 Oran Donnelly/Paul Hughes (18th)

No major problems, it was just one of those weekends that everything worked in our favour. We did a really good recce and changed the gearing in the car which seemed to make a difference!”

Car 169 Clive Kilpatrick/Richard Hunniford (26th)

“Good weekend, finished third in class and 26th overall so I’m happy enough. It was a well organised event and the stages were very good.”

Car 179 John Devlin/Gavin Devlin (31st)

“We lost five minutes when a bolt sheared in the steering arm at the start of Saturday’s final stage. But we got it sorted and had a good rally. It was well run and I really enjoyed it!”

Car 184 Peter O’Kane/Malachy McToal (27th)

“The stages were great, definitely hard work but very enjoyable. I’m just glad it wasn’t wet!”

Car 200 Sonya Mac/Safron Thomas (36th)

“We were pretty nervous this year after having a bad smash in 2007 and just wanted to finish in one piece. The only damage done was a broken exhaust and my extremely sore tailbone after the Legananny Dolmen stage on Sunday that seemed to be nine miles of crests and jumps!”