A man in his 80s has died after he drove the wrong way down a motorway before colliding head on with another car on the outskirts of Cork.

FORMER British Mitsubishi Evo Challenge winner, Enniskerry driver, Danny Barry won the Germaine’s of Baltinglass Mini Stage Rally for the second time in succession.

Event victory in the Cork "20" International Rally for Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus) and a record equalling fifth Irish Tarmac Championship success were delivered in tandem today.

Gareth MacHale, driving a Ford Focus WRC, dominated today's nine stages of the opening leg of the Cork "20" International Rally, the final and deciding round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

A policeman was taken to hospital today after being hit by a stolen car in Newry.

The Irish crew of Daniel Barry and Martin Brady have moved into the lead of the Pirelli MSA Gravel Rally Championship and have also consolidated the lead in the Mitsubishi Evo Challenge following their fourth place in the Brick and Steel Border Counties Rally in Scotland yesterday.

FOLLOWING last evening’s Super Special in Oslo, Rally Norway begins in earnest today.

A car owned by one of Britain's top rally drivers was stolen in the North today just hours before the start of a championship drive.

Northern Ireland’s, Richard Cathcart (Mitsubishi) was the top Irish driver in the Jedburgh based Brick & Steel Border Counties Rally today, he finished third overall.

A difficult day for both organisers and competitors of the safety First Galway International Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Championship where Tim McNulty/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru) lead at the overnight halt.

A GRIEVING community said a tearful final farewell yesterday to two workmates killed in a car crash last Monday.

DRIVERS of small cars are more likely to die or suffer serious injury than motorists in all other kinds of motorcars, a comprehensive study has found.

A POOR tyre choice cost former World Rally champion Colin McRae a top four spot on the opening day of the Rally of Turkey.

MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi has entered the Rally New Zealand, the penultimate round of the world championship, which takes place next month.

Derek McGarrity and co-driver, Diarmuid Falvey (Subaru WRC) have won the Kelso based Jim Clark International Rally - a counting round of both the Irish and British Rally Championships.

TWO young motorists whom gardaí believe were racing each other cheated death after a high-speed crash on a bridge yesterday.

Mark Higgins heads the Ulster Rally after the first leg by just 12.5seconds from Andrew Nesbitt.

Cork driver Gerard Lucey (Toyota Special), needing to finish ahead of his championship rival David Forde (Toyota Special), did just that and duly annexed the Munster Autocross Championship at the final round of the series at Clonakilty this afternoon.

With just his second outright win of the season, Tipperary’s, David Forde (Toyota Special) maintained his lead in the Jerry Murphy R and R Tyres Munster Autocross Championship at a cold Ballynacorra, Midleton yesterday.

There was a final stage drama on the Mill Park Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Midway through the Mill Park Hotel Donegal Harvest Rally, the penultimate round of the Dunlop National rally championship, Tim NcNulty/Eugene O’Donnell (Subaru WRC) have a commanding lead of a minute and 16 seconds as Niall Maguire/Paul McLaughlin (Subaru) hold the advantage in the chase for the Dunlop Championship.

The battle for supremacy in the Cedars Hotel Wexford Rally went all the way to the final stage and at the finish, the Stephen Murphy/Mickey Joe Morrissey (Subaru WRC) combination emerged with a ten second advantage over the Ford Focus of Donie O'Sullivan/Paul Nagle.

The battle for the Dunlop National Rally Championship is still a three-way tussle between Niall Maguire, Jim Harrison and Patrick Elliott.

At the end of the opening leg, Mark Higgins, driving a Skoda Octavia WRC leads the Gibbs Aquada Manx International Rally, a counting round of both the Irish and British Pirelli sponsored rally championships.

Armagh’s Andrew Nesbitt (Subaru WRC) took his second victory in the Punchestown Rally Experience when he finished almost seven seconds ahead of another former winner, Austin MacHale (Ford Focus WRC).

Niall Maguire and Paul McLaughlin (Subaru WRC) had a narrow two-second victory in the sixth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

Northern Ireland’s Andrew Nesbitt completed a hat-trick of victories in the Jim Clarke Memorial Rally in Scotland today.

Derry driver, Kevin Lynch, co driven by Gordon Noble, took his maiden victory in a round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship at the Waterford based Suirway Forklifts/Eddie Garry Car Sales co-sponsored Raven’s Rock Rally, round five of the series.

Former champion Johnny O'Sullivan and co-driver Pat Cashman take a four point lead over Alan Ring (Subaru Impreza N10) and Barry Coleman (Subaru Impreza WRC) to Waterford for the latest round of the 023 Tiles Southern 4 Rally Championship.

Eugene Donnelly and co-driver, Paul Kiely on board their Kumho backed Toyota Corolla WRC took a dramatic win on the Shell Donegal International Rally, the fourth round of the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Championship.

With Andrew Nesbitt having stretched his lead in the Shell Donegal International Rally on today’s opening stage to 47 seconds, the rally was turned on its head on the next stage, Port Lake.

Andrew Nesbitt was predicted to take the lead of the Shell Donegal International Rally during today's second leg but it didn’t happen as quickly as anticipated.

There is a change at the top of the leader board in the Shell Donegal International Rally, as Andrew Nesbitt/James O’Brien in the McKinstry run Subaru have a one second advantage over the Toyota Corolla WRC of Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely.

In the second day of the Shell Donegal International Rally, Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely (Toyota Corolla WRC) have extended their lead to 23 seconds.

Derry’s Eugene Donnelly and his Sligo co-driver Paul Kiely have set the pace in the opening stages of the Shell Donegal International Rally.

Finnish driver Tapio Laukkanen, in his Subaru Impreza WRC S7, is top seed for the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2004.

Recording a six second victory in the Circuit of Wicklow Forest Rally, Derryman Kevin Lynch and

A dramatic finish to the Sean Conlon Memorial Rally in Mitchelstown resulted in a fine victory for Brian Murphy and co driver Joe Downey (Subaru Impreza), who reeled in early leaders John McCarthy/Dan Maguire (Toyota Corolla WRC) on the penultimate stage.

Surviving two moments today when problems cost him almost two minutes, Donie O’Sullivan and Paul Nagle (Ford Focus WRC) have won the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty.

Heavy rain marred the first three stages of the Ulster Rally as reigning Irish champion Andrew Nesbitt set the pace.

Irish drivers put their knowledge of tarmac conditions to good use to dominate the 33rd Jim Clark Memorial Rally as the event returned to Edinburgh.

Andrew Nesbitt and co-driver James O’Brien have a 58 second advantage over the Subaru

Andrew Nesbitt (Subaru WRC) continues to dominate the Shell Donegal International Rally.

On all but one of today’s six stages Andrew Nesbitt has dominated the time sheets and after he reeled in early leaders, Peadar Hurson and Eamonn Boland, he went on to accumulate an overnight advantage of 28 seconds over the similar Subaru WRC of Derek McGarrity with Eugene Donnelly, also in a Subaru, third – a further second behind.