This car has been seized by Gardaí after speeding at 194km/hr
GARDAÍ have condemned motorists detected speeding in Letterkenny in the early hours of this morning as “unrepresentative” of the Donegal International Rally.
Officers report that the “vast vast majority” of fans – both locals and visitors – have been well-behaved, good-humoured and are ‘Keeping the Race in the Rally’.
But a small number of “fans” have been arrested during a massive Garda operation.
A Garda spokesman said two motorists were arrested this morning. Their cars were also seized.
One driver was doing 194 km/hr – almost twice the national speed limit.
Another driver was stopped doing 173 km/hr (see pic below).
The incidents have been condemned by the Donegal Motor Club – and by real rally fans who have been respecting local residents on the rally route.
The Garda operation isn’t just in Co Donegal. Colleagues in other counties have also been monitoring fans travelling to the county.
Gardaí seized a car in Co Galway – the fan was travelling from Kerry to Donegal.
The PSNI have also seized a number of vehicles.
The behaviour is in stark contrast to rally fans from all over Ireland and Britain who spent their first night at the official rally campsite at St Eunan’s GAA club in Letterkenny.
Hundreds of fans spent the night camping at O’Donnell Park with the club reporting ‘excellent behaviour’ of those fans.
There has been a similar reaction from tourism providers who say this could be the rally’s biggest weekend in years.
Restaurants, bars and hotels say there is a ‘great atmosphere’ as Day 2 gets underway.
The camp site at St Eunan’s GAA club at 4.30am. Pic John Haran
