This year’s World Rally Championship Neste Rally Finland proved to be a seismic success for Irish competitors.

Northern Ireland’s Kris Meeke and Killarney native Paul Nagle  won the event with a record-breaking drive that set a new mark for the fastest FIA World Rally Championship round in history. His 29.1sec victory over Jari-Matti Latvala shattered the Finn’s hopes of a third consecutive success on home ground and established a new speed record. Meeke’s 126.60kph average smashed Latvala’s performance on the same rally 12 months ago by 1.2kph and leading  for almost every kilometre of the four-day gravel encounter in a Citroën DS 3.

To seal a remarkable day for the Abu Dhabi Total team, which is tackling a part-time WRC programme this season, Waterford’s Craig Breen and co-driver Scott Martin scored a maiden podium in third. Breen finished 1min 41.3sec behind Meeke, having claimed his first stage win on Sunday morning.

Breen, a former WRC junior champion, netted this podium in only his fourth event in a headline World Rally Car. Dedicating the podium finish to his former co-driver and friend, Gareth Roberts, who was killed in an accident during the Targa Florio Rally in 2012, the 26-year-old could not hold back the tears as he crossed the finish of the final stage. “It’s the best day of my life,” he said.

Breen’s result is the best ever achieved by a driver from the Republic of Ireland in the World Rally Championship. Previously Billy Coleman held that accolade when he finished fourth on the Tour de Corse in 1985.

Sébastien Ogier retained the championship lead despite failing to score after sliding into a ditch.

The championship switches to tarmac when ADAC Rallye Deutschland is based in Trier on 18 - 21 August.