 We're discussing Raleigh in the Irish Tarmac Championship is back and the Galway International this weekend is gonna kick things off Kylian Duffy on the personal joins us to look ahead to the event. Kylian good to see you. Good to talk to you Yeah, good to be back coaching good to be talk back talking rallying again Yeah, it's brilliant to be back talking rallying and it's brilliant That Galway the traditional start is kicking things off and the reverted to a two-day event again Kylian So it's going to be a hectic and busy weekend, but it's it's what rallying is all about Yeah, I actually can't remember the last two-day event pre-covert Obviously cork 20 ran last year in the harvest and they were like single day events I can't remember when the last two-day event possibly was cork 20 2019 Since there was a two-day event. So it's great to see it back great See tough challenge and Galway stages lying ahead three stages ran three times on Saturday real greasy stages real dry stone wall Saturday stages then the Sunday stages is the famous Brady's yard and black road And Brady's yard is a bit slippy in places But generally it's very big commitment stage And then the black road is a really really committed stage across across the mountain So it's going to sort everyone out plenty stages for racing. That's nice Even for ourselves doing the Facebook live or even crews just that they have a day of rallying Then they're staying there and then they do another day. So I think it's almost novelty at this stage I mean we're nearly reprogrammed cause of COVID into two stages three times six days in total So it'll be nice to get a you know a decent bit of kilometers under their belt and As a day two and it'll it'll make it interesting for sure Yeah, what's the general feeling on the ground? Killian because you of course know all these drivers and co-drivers very very well and what's the talk pre-gallway? Well, the talk is I suppose anyone I've spoke to that's done the recce has really spoke about stage two in Galway It's extremely tricky. It would have been used in the opposite direction in the Galway summer And also Galway international over the years And every corner looks the exact same a lot of late corners a lot of corners that tighten And just at the end or half tighten at the end nips is what I would call it And so that's going to be that's going to be a bit tricky But again, everyone was saying it is what it is. It's Galway. You can't expect anything else It's slimy. It's slippy particularly on the Saturday and then it's more we'll say more Better grip on the Sunday, but everyone's talking about the Saturday stage and particularly stage number two So I would say that that could be the stage at the top a few surprises Yep And as expected all the big guns are on the entry list all the well-known names are And Irish rallying are there to get back into the seats again Yeah, it's great to see people. I mean Declan Boylock is obviously going in his WRC car I think that's in preparation for the big event there up which yourselves in June. So he's getting ready early Then the r5 battle. I mean, unfortunately Matt Edwards didn't get the budget together He's the current British rally champion would have been great seeing him Coming over because his his speed is stunning But nonetheless, we have a return on Alistair Fisher Who was the last winner of gall international back in 2020? He's in a polo. Everyone that seems to be in a polo seems to go well Count Vine then of course he had a great year last year or a short year We'll call it but he won cork and the harvest along with another event. But it's going to be a good race I mean Alistair Fisher never did a huge amount of rally in In the season anywhere and he seems to be able to just sit into the car and go And so I think I was picking a favorite probably between the two lads I might just give a bit more of an odd to Alistair there. I just think that it's going to be a good race I just feel like Callum had if although he went well last year I think he was playing around suspensions the Ulster and he sort of dropped his head a little bit So I think it's going to take him a few stages to get his confidence back But again Alistair, I've never seen him starting slow or not being on the pace straight away But it's certainly it's not going to be huge margins between them. So it'll make for great racing Of course, I'm only talking about them too. You know, you have Murray and Evans there Is you know, he was fastest back in 2020 on the first stage in Galway. I'm really sure You know, and he can't be discounted. He's more. I won't say slow and steady far from slow A more steady approach, but he's very very consistent Then you look back Josh Moffat, Johnny Greer, Rina, Northern Ireland champion Can McCourt, Donna Kelly, of course, like Donna Okay Again, he hasn't been out in a couple of years because of COVID as well as such I know he's in clearly a starix in his m3 and that but again, it's different Kettlefish in the in the Polo Declan Boiler course Gary Jennings then Daniel Cronin's in a Polo. So It's Mount Watering and then you have Tim McNulty who's a former national tarmac champion is in a right-hand drive or a five fiesta And he hasn't been out in seven or eight years and it's great to see him back And I understand he has a lot of testing done in the event So of all the people on the introduce from what I'm hearing and this is only rumor wasn't what Tim had told me That he could have more kilometers done than anyone else in the field in front of him So, I mean you can't can't discount them but it's it's going to be truly interesting I mean, I think all we always have this mystique about us You know, it's like a new season for any sport or like Formula one or rally in a world championship You can't beat the first round because you're wondering how people will go particularly in new cars And of course then it is very important behind the R5s is the modified field and that's Mount Watering I mean if Kevin Eves Kevin seems to generally Kevin and Gary Kernan seem to be almost slow starters And then but you have Damien tourist Damien always revels in them slippy conditions. He'll go really really well Declan galler was coming on form in Kalarney Asterix as well wouldn't discount him He goes really well in Gaula. James Stafford then is making the trip from Wexford Of all events, I would say this would be his least favorite because the grip with the Darian And you know with the front end of them cars are so light with the engine in the back So, I mean again, I wouldn't discount him But he's gonna I would say struggle a bit for grip and call it Chris Armstrong Damien toner Then of course Jason Black in the starlet so I mean where'd he end? I could go back through the whole entry list and there's going to be racing in all the classes It's just going to be brilliant. There hasn't been many dropouts I was talking to the COC there just before I came on With yourself and there hasn't been really any other notable dropouts other than Matt Edwards and everyone else's You know, I see videos of people testing and getting warmed up and the junior side of things I mean, there's so many the categories and classes to look forward to where it's like we've Rewound and went back to 2005 2006 Where Irish rallying was at its peak in modern times And it seems like that way again And again, I think the push is on to get these right on drive fiesta Not fiesta's right on drive cars or five cars allowed to win international rallies again That's gonna I'm here. There's a good few new cars bought With guys that are going to put them in right on drive and do the rest of the tarmac So hopefully that will have changed for for west cork Yeah, as you were rattling through those names and cars Killian. I was thinking the exact same thing It's a very impressive list and it's been a long time since we had such quality in an international field And you go back to that period where like the top 20 and dunny goes was all WRC cars But you're looking here now at the the seated entry list for Galway The top 25 cars are all the top type car that you can run in the country at at the moment And it hasn't taken that long for these or five cars for the poles and the fiesta's all to filter through and I suppose making a big statement in Irish rallying again Killian It is it just goes to show I mean like The probably the argument forward is that some of these or five cars the earlier versions are probably around the same prices It's a modified escort at this stage. And so I suppose the newer version car Sort of a good idea of the running cost of it So dare I say they're getting more affordable to those that can afford them And and it's just equal racing. I mean no one has a big advantage over the other person So the fastest persons And going to win obviously they come from a factory so there's you're sort of tired with the modifications You can do mostly if you're set up and stuff you'd be changing And but it's like it's going to be super racing. I mean at the end of the first stage I would say even taking stage times for us broadcasting will be busy because you'll be I don't imagine there's going to be massive margins There might be slight gaps as you go back to the field But it's not going to be massive like and again same as the same as the modified So you won't get it better anywhere to be honest like that amount to like you've over 20 or fives as you said they're Fantastic to watch they're going to be pushed to the limit and then you're then You start with them and you've enjoyed them and then all of a sudden the top modified guys that Let's be honest make a hervin and came here Big bring came, you know in a modified car and no one was able to beat these guys Like they're just on a different level of of lunatics like the balls, you know These guys in the modified cars like i'm sure they're going to be racing up with some of the r5 cars as well If not a good few of them And but it's always truly entertaining, you know that because they're obviously not just stuck to the road like the r5 There's a bit more action and particularly in the slippy conditions So so much to look forward to and i'm i would say like any of the rallies that was that last year corp dunagall harvest Like i haven't seen crowds at rallies I can't remember when That i've seen that the dunagall harvest and it was a miserable day It was lashing rain and all you could see was six seven people deep at the stages and it's just Hopefully this is a bit of a sweet spot for rallying that we can you know that is You know promoters and push the people are enjoying it And i think that some people come back to rallying during covid that probably realized You know what i actually miss the social side of it. I miss the competitive side of it People going out watching and stuff to just miss that go out and hear in the sound of the car coming in the distance You know and just seeing what what appears and and what the difference in times are so lots look forward to Yeah, must stand in a field getting soaking wet killin I know and that'll be this weekend. I think I think the weather the weather is due to be bad this weekend So it's gonna i think that'll definitely be the case like i'm just thinking as well This is gallways entry Imagine what donnie gall is going to be like come the third weekend in june That's it. That's it. Like i think we're talking offline before we come on Will anyone appear in one of these new generation cars in dunny gall? Do you know what would be interesting to see like how many world cars is a declin boilers sort of Put us colors to the mass now. He's coming in the world car So he is obviously probably going to do the national championship I would imagine and he'd be getting revved up for for dunny gall and let's not forget when craig green was here The declin was leading after day one and there is a man that was on the podium and montey now I'm not saying declin boil if he went to montey last week he'd be on the podium And obviously craig goes well really well everywhere But the local talent on the local roads here being local and as all the irish roads These guys are as as good as it gets like and there's no big difference between them and anyone else That'll be driving down the road So the spectacle they're putting on for spectators and the sheer volume of cars and variety is just Is super and I think it'll be a great great event And as you say it'll be it'll be hype up till june for dunny gall everything about dunny gall So yeah, it's going to be great. And I think dunny gall is back to three or three days And and I think in McGee as well on the case with the organising there So it's got hopefully fingers crossed. It's a great year Yeah, not a rallying stick place between now and then listen killing is always it's good to talk to you So it is enjoy enjoy the rallying at the weekend. Hope you don't get too wet No, I'll be thinking you're watching there. You'll be if it's only when I meet you at the end of the stages in Dunny Gall in June look after yourself. Yeah, okay. Take care. Thanks. Thanks. Bye. Bye. Bye