It’s been a topsy-turvy few days for the Prestone British Rally Championship organisers.

There are events that will always buck the trend in Irish rallying and this weekend’s Quality Hotel West Cork Rally, the opening rounds of the Irish Tarmac Championship and the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 Rally Championship is a prime example.

One of the most scenic locations in the country, Achill Island, provides the backdrop for the opening round of the Triton Showers Rally Championship on Sunday.

After overcoming the loss of the Galway International Rally, organisers of the Irish Tarmac Championship (the TROA) have now been forced to terminate their contract with its title sponsor Dance To Tipperary.

The departure of Citroen Racing World Rally Championship team principal Yves Matton has increased speculation as to the future of the French outfit in the WRC. 

The World Rally Championship was launched at the Autosport Show at the NEC in Birmingham yesterday, with a strong interest from the Emerald Isle.

Despite the increasing popularity of rallysprints organised throughout the country by the Rallysport Association, the chief executive of Motorsport Ireland, Alex Sinclair, admitted they have no plans to counteract a development which is causing concern amongst MI affiliated clubs.

Organisers of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (TROA) has secured a new sponsor for their series that is to be underpinned by Dance To Tipperary.

Motorsport Ireland (MI) chief executive Alex Sinclair has described this week’s meeting with rally competitors in Athlone as “something positive” as officials seek solutions to a number of problems facing the sport.

Dubliner Derek Tohill (Fiesta), title sponsor of the Parts for Cars Irish Rallycross Championship, continued his dominance of the series with an emphatic display in the second round of the series at Mondello Park yesterday.

Former National and Irish Tarmac champion Donagh Kelly will sample a Fiesta R5 in competitive mode for the first time tomorrow at the Grizedale Rally in the forests of Cumbria.

Although it is almost a quarter of a century since Peadar Hurson won the National Rally Championship on board an Opel Ascona 400, the Warrenpoint driver remains a potent threat in Irish rallying.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly made history in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally by becoming the first driver to win the event three years in succession.

Dubliner Robert Barrable, better known for his rallying forays, will compete in this season’s British GT Championship where he will team up Northern Ireland’s Wilson Thompson in a Team HARD-prepared Ginetta G55 GT4.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus) and his Monaghan co-driver Conor Foley took a commanding victory in the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally, the opening round of the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship.

Dubliner Willie Coyne (Vauxhall Nova) emulated brother Noel by clinching the McLoughlin’s Industrial Flooring Irish Rallycross Championship at Mondello Park yesterday.

People in the Clonakilty area of West Cork were plunged into mourning yesterday following the death of a worker at the Clona Dairies plant in the town.

Despite having rolled their Citroen DS3 WRC seven times in yesterday’s shakedown stage, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3R3) made it to the start of last evening’s Super Special in the Lotos 72nd Rally Poland, round seven of the World Rally Championship.

The in-form Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) can take a major step towards annexing the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship on this weekend’s Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. 

Craig Breen makes no secret of his desire to win the Discover Northern Ireland Circuit of Ireland Rally, which cranks into action this morning, doubling as round three of the European Rally Championship and also the third round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship.

Motorsport: Back to back victories in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally are rare achievements.

Andrew Purcell (Mitsubishi) is likely to be the barometer of the pace on Sunday’s Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship.

Although not exactly threadbare, Declan Boyle’s title aspirations in the Dunlop National Rally Championship hinge on securing maximum points from all three remaining rounds.

Although Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (pictured) is officially listed to drive his usual Mitsubishi EvoIX at Sunday’s Sligo Rally, the 22-year-old will make his debut in the Ford Fiesta WRC his brother Sam drove to victory in the Rally of the Lakes last May.

A decision on the inclusion of the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally as a counting round of the Irish Tarmac Championship is still awaited.

Irish and Welsh contests are nothing new in the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally and Denis Cronin and Daragh O’Riordan will have Welsh ace Melvyn Evans as their most formidable opponent when the 13-stage event starts in Clonakilty tomorrow.

A re-invigorated West Cork Rally is in the pipeline after organisers issued a call for fresh support and new ideas for the event.

These are busy times for Cork racing ace Matt Griffin.

Organisers are stepping up their promotion of the Willie Loughman Memorial Forestry Rally.

As the Irish rallying season begins to wind down with just three events remaining, including the popular Banna Rally and the Killarney Historic Rally, some rules are set to be clarified for the 2013 season.

Cork driver, Damien McCarthy (26) is the latest nominee for the Billy Coleman Award that carries a top prize worth €50,000.

Irish drivers, Robert Barrable and Keith Cronin had contrastingfortunes in their respective outings in the Barum Czech Rally Zlin (Czech Republic) and Rallye Terre de Lozere (France).

Twenty-two-year-old Limerick Institute of Technology student, Kevin O’Connor has been selected as the March/April nominee for the Motorsport Ireland Billy Coleman Young Rally Driver of the Year award.

For many, the Irish Tarmac Championship (ITC) is at a crossroads; for more, it’s going down a cul de sac and others, it’s on a journey to nowhere.

Knowing that every second counts, Midleton’s Daragh O’Riordan is favourite to win the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally this weekend.

THE conflict between Motorsport Ireland and Kart Ireland continues, with the latter claiming one of the five karting venues have nailed their colours to the mast of the governing body by agreeing to host three events – two championships races and the C Plate races – organised by the Irish Karting Club (IKC).

TIME may be running out for Tim McNulty’s rivals to thwart his bid for the Dunlop National Rally Championship title.

PRESENTLY enjoying a fine debut season in his Skoda Fabia S2000, Dubliner Robert Barrable has received an official invitation to compete in the Barum Rally (August 26-28) in the Czech Republic, round seven of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series.

THE most anticipated round of the World Rally Championship, the Rally Italy in Sardinia, has enormous Irish interest with the competition debut of the Mini John Cooper Works WRC.

A LATE entry from Armagh’s Darren Gass (Subaru WRC) has added extra spice to Sunday’s Carlton Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally in Tralee, the second round of the Top Part West Coast Championship.

TOMORROW’S second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, the Willie Loughman Carrick-on-Suir Rally features the participants that served up a cracking tussle on the opening round in Mitchelstown a few weeks ago.

WITH the advent of a new title sponsor, Valvoline, organisers of the National Forest Rally Championship are hoping for a resurgence of the series as it gets underway next month.

SEVERAL championships unfold over the weekend against a backdrop of well-subscribed entries. The Dunlop National Rally Championship curtain-raiser, the Abbey Court Hotel Nenagh Rally that also counts towards the Top Part West Coast Championship and the Dunlop Junior Championship, has attracted over 150 crews.