IT was third time lucky for Bournheath pensioner Richard Cottrill as he clinched the prestigious 114th Anniversary Gordon Bennett Rally in Ireland.

The 65-year-old came first overall in the vintage car rally on June 10, which takes place annually through the countryside of Tullow, County Carlow.

Mr Cottrill, who broke down on his first entry into the race and was ranked as the best-place foreign entrant last time around, said: “It was a magical weekend.

“It was one of those weekends where everything went right.”

Mr Cottrill won the race with his navigator Corinne Nagle, finishing in his restored 1930 Rolls Royce 20/25 with the lowest points score of 62.