Backboned by six champions, the Triton Showers National Rally Championship gets underway on Sunday with the TF Royal Hotel/Casey’s and Mulroy’s Londis Mayo Rally that returns to Castlebar for the first time in 11 years.

Craig Breen’s return to the World Rally Championship with Hyundai Motorsport has given the Waterford ace the opportunity to showcase his ability on this weekend’s Rally Sweden, where, just two years ago he secured his best ever result (second) in the WRC.

The event goes ahead after financial support was received privately and from the sport’s governing body Motorsport Ireland as the Galway club faced significant financial losses due to the lack of entries.

The Toyota recall affects some 3.4 million vehicles globally and is being undertaken because the air bags might not inflate in a crash.

Gardaí are looking for help in finding a man missing from Co Wexford.

The Criminal Assets Bureau has seized a range of high-value assets from a cross border group believed to be linked to the Essex smuggling deaths of 39 people.

A man has pleaded guilty to a string of offences including criminal damage to a garda station and dangerous driving in two high-speed pursuits across country roads where he drove as fast as 180km/h.

As his rivals fell by the wayside, Draperstown driver Marty McCormack gave the Volkswagen Polo GTI a winning Irish rallying debut on the CBtoolhire.com Cork “20” International Rally.

Derry ace Callum Devine (Ford Fiesta R5) headlines the CBtoolhire.com Cork “20” International Rally that begins tomorrow and brings the curtain down on the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship season.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes in a Ford Fiesta WRC clinched the Triton Showers National Rally Championship courtesy of their impressive victory in the Galway Summer Rally, the penultimate round of the series.

Having narrowly missed out on winning the Triton National Rally Championship last year Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta WRC) can clinch the title and the Vard Memorial Trophy on Sunday’s penultimate round, the Lady Gregory Hotel Galway Summer Rally in Gort.

A winning margin of 20.4 seconds by Monaghan’s Sam Moffett and co-driver James O’Reilly (Ford Fiesta R5) in the Crafted Fitted Furniture Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, masks a tremendous battle with fellow countyman Barry McKenna and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes (Ford Fiesta R5) that wasn’t resolved until the penultimate stage.

DS7 Crossback trades on its heritage and lives up to the expectations on many levels. but there are downsides. The ride is not the magic carpet experience we once loved and expected to see again, writes Declan Colley

Hundreds of mourners, including stars from the world of boxing paid their respects at the removal of boxing champion Kevin Sheehy in Limerick this evening.

Another heartbreaking tribute left at the scene read: “To Daddy, I couldn’t wait to meet you and for us to be a family. Please mind me and mammy. Love your baby girl xxx.”

A teenager and an older man, who are being questioned by gardaí on suspicion of murdering a Limerick boxer in a hit and run yesterday, have been transferred to garda stations in Limerick following their arrests in the Midlands last night.

A teenager related to a leading Limerick feud family was believed to be in a black Mitsubishi Shogun SUV when it struck and killed Limerick boxer Kevin Sheehy yesterday .

Garda sources said that, as part of several lines of inquiry, they were investigating if Kevin Sheehy, (20), from John Carew Park, Limerick, was specifically targeted.

A late entry, Donegal’s Declan Gallagher (Toyota Starlet) and co-driver Derek Heena had an emphatic win in the Acesigns Laois Heartlands Rally. With the best times on all six stages, they finished a minute and 32.4 seconds ahead of the Ford Escort of fellow Donegal crew Mark Alcorn/John O’Donnell. Oldcastle’s Gary McNamee co-driven by Brian Brady took an impressive third in their Class 16 Honda Civic — 11.2 seconds further behind.

A merger between Fiat and Renault must include guarantees on French jobs and factories and fit with an existing Franco-Japanese car partnership, according to France finance minister Bruno Le Maire.

A meeting of the World Rally Commission in Geneva tomorrow to discuss next season’s Word Rally Championship may increase the possibility of an event returning to the island of Ireland.

With two wins from two rounds, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett is on home territory for Sunday’s Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan Rally, round three of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship as he aims to increase his lead over his main title rivals Declan Boyle and Roy White.

Tyrone’s Cathan McCourt (Ford Fiesta R5) netted his maiden rally victory on the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally, round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta WRC) and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes took a start to finish victory in a round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

Vans and small trucks are a bellwether of economic activity, and sales of them have fallen 13.4%, says Brian Byrne.

Derry’s Marty McCormack (Skoda Fabia R5) heads up the entry for Sunday’s Treaty Plant Hire Limerick Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The board of French carmaker Renault has named two new leaders to replace industry veteran Carlos Ghosn, who resigned after weeks of detention in Japan.

They are a funny crowd, those guys at Mazda.

Carrick on Suir Motor Club’s kindness and generosity shows little sign of abating.

In trying circumstances Donegal’s Declan Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC) captured the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with his eighth place finish on the Ballybofey based Jackson’s Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally.

As the curtain falls on the already decided Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in tomorrow’s McKelvey Asbestos Bushwhacker Rally in Omagh, the outcome of the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship could also draw to a close should series leader Derek McGarrity (Ford Focus WRC) secure a top four finish.

Although Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta WRC) won the Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, he faces an uphill battle to win the series after his main rival Donegal’s Declan Boyle, co-driven by James O’Reilly came home in fifth.

Josh Moffett’s victory in the Enniskillen Trailer Parts & Spares Lakeland Rally that saw him clinch the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, was mired in controversy after he was excluded from the results; but after two appeals and a stewards’ meeting the decision was overturned and he was re-instated as rally winner some five hours later.

A resumption of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship after 11 weeks and the return of the Stonethrowers Rally after a two-year absence dovetail on Sunday in the Clonmel event.

Judges at the Special Criminal Court have said they will not now deliver a verdict in the case of Frederick ‘Freddie’ Thompson, who is accused of the murder of David Douglas, until October.

Belgium’s Thierry Neuville (Hyundai i20 WRC) edged out champion, Sebastien Ogier (Ford Fiesta WRC), on the final stage to win round seven of the World Rally Championship, Rally Italia Sardegna, by just seven-tenths of a second.

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett and his Limerick co-driver Keith Moriarty (Ford Fiesta WRC) claimed the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally yesterday.

Taking the lead three stages from the finish, Donegal’s Manus Kelly/Donall Barrett (Subaru WRC) went on to win the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in a sun drenched Killarney yesterday.

The Four Seasons Hotel Monaghan Rally ended in dramatic fashion as the Donegal/Monaghan pairing of Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley guided their KN Group liveried Ford Focus WRC to a final stage victory to deny long time leaders, the Monaghan/Cork duo of Sam Moffett/Karl Atkinson (Ford Fiesta R5).

Cork driver and four-time British Rally Champion Keith Cronin will campaign the new generation Hyundai i20 R5-N in this year’s British Rally Championship that includes rounds of the World Rally Championship (Wales Rally GB) and the European Rally Championship (Rally Ypres).

Although four crews were within a two-second time frame after the opening stage of the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Forest Rally in Ballyvourney, (round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship), all changed a stage later as Derry’s Marty McCormack and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan powered their Tiger Risk Partners Skoda Fabia R5 into a 28.9 second lead which laid the foundation for overall victory.

The upsurge in Irish Forest rallying continues as over 80 crews line up for tomorrow’s Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney.

Renault and Nissan are in talks to merge, seeking to solidify their two-decade-old alliance as an unprecedented shift toward electric and shared cars transforms the industry.