The popularity of Sunday’s Germaine’s of Baltinglass Hotel Rally is reflected by an entry of 130 competitors that will be led away by top seed and favourite Kilkenny’s Enda O’Brien (Ford Escort).

The Waterford-based Raven’s Rock Rally, round four of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, was stopped after six of the day’s nine stages after popular Dungarvan driver, Paul Mulcahy was killed when his Toyota Starlet collided with a stone fence on the fourth stage near Kilmacthomas.

There was a dramatic finish to the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty, with Carrigaline’s Brian O’Mahony and Mayo co-driver John Higgins (Subaru WRC) coming through to take the honours.

Three years ago Cork driver Keith Cronin set a target to win the British Rally Championship.

Already shaping up to be a good contest between the Subaru S11 quartet of Dunlop regulars Kevin Barrett and Niall Maguire and newcomers, Thomas Fitzmaurice and Brian O’Mahony, the Dunlop National Rally Championship continues on Sunday with the Claremorris based McWilliam Park Hotel/Fleet Transport Magazine Mayo Rally.

THE Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (MINI WRC) begins today’s second leg of Rally GB, the final round of the World Rally Championship, in fifth place following a solid run through yesterday’s opening three stages.

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.

ALTHOUGH three drivers have won the National Rally Championship and the Irish Tarmac Championship (ITC) at different times, no driver has ever won the two championships in the same season.

WHAT appeared to be a cracking entry for Sunday’s Kilkenny-based Suirway Farm Machinery Raven’s Rock Rally, the fifth round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, has been decimated by a series of withdrawals.

ALTHOUGH Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) and Alastair Fisher (Ford Fiesta S2000) each shared three fastest times over yesterday’s six stages of the opening leg of the Topaz Donegal International Rally, the former will take a 28.6 second lead in to today’s second leg of the Letterkenny-based rally, the fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

WITH little room for error, Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC) and co-driver, Paul Kiely were pushed all through the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally before claiming their fourth successive victory in the Dunlop National Rally Championship.

HAVING dominated the Dunlop National Rally Championship so far, it remains to be seen if any of Tim McNulty’s title rivals have the ability to stop him as he goes in search of another victory at Sunday’s Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally.

IT’S a case of experience against youth for the top two seeds in this weekend’s Donnelly Group/UTV Drive Circuit of Ireland Rally.

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.

IN his first full season in Irish rallying’s Group N showroom category, Monaghan’s Shane Maguire has already learned some salutary lessons.

ALTHOUGH Gareth MacHale (Ford Focus WRC) leads the Citroen Irish Tarmac Championship and is the best placed of four drivers to win the title, he is also the driver under most pressure ahead of this weekend’s final round, the Cork ‘20’ International Rally.

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.

Inheriting the lead on today's third stage of the final leg of the Dick Bailey Wexford Rally, last year's winner PJ McGrath (Subaru) went on to net back-to-back victories.

At the end of today's six stages of the Dick Bailey Wexford Rally, Dubliner, Michael Barrable, in his Ford Focus WRC leads the Subaru of last year's winner, P.J. McGrath by one minute.

The local crew of Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Toyota Corolla WRC) have finally won the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty.

Organisers of the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty have been dealt a double blow this evening with the withdrawal of two of the top ten seeds.

The local crew of Liam McCarthy/Kieran Murphy (Toyota Corolla WRC) won the Fastnet Rally for a third time following their 55-second victory on the West Cork Hotel sponsored and Skibbereen based seven stage rally today.

Without ever being under any real pressure, Donie O’Sullivan/Paul Nagle, driving a McKinstry prepared Subaru WRC, won the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty by a comfortable margin.

Former winner, Donie O’Sullivan and his co-driver, Paul Nagle in a McKinstry hired Subaru WRC, hold a 14-second lead over the Mitsubishi of Colm Murphy/Ger Loughrey at the end of the opening leg of the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty.

The Ordnance Survey Killarney International Rally of the Lakes, the third round of the Global Group Irish Tarmac Championship, has been won by Dungannon’s, Kris Meeke and his Swedish co-driver, Jonas Andersson.

The Swords/Athlone combination of Michael Barrable and Dermot O'Gorman won the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally by 10.7 seconds today in their Ford Focus WRC.

Changing weather conditions brought good fortune for Ballylickey’s Denis Cronin and his co-driver, Helen O’Sullivan (Subaru WRC).

Throughout today’s eight stages of the first leg of the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally in Clonakilty, local drivers, Liam McCarthy and Denis Cronin have been locked in combat and at the overnight halt, Dunmanway driver, McCarthy is just three tenths of a second ahead of Ballylickey’s Cronin, both in Subaru WRC’s.

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.

Garnering 27 seconds from stages four, five and six, Niall Maguire and co-driver, Paul McLaughlin, in a Subaru WRC, now lead the Hillgrove Hotel Monaghan Rally, the second round of the Dunlop National Rally Championship, by 41 seconds.

A dramatic finish to the Glandore based Marine Hotel Fastnet Rally saw Michael Barrable (Subaru WRC) emerge victorious.

Having won the other major rallies in Co Cork, the Cork '20' and the Fastnet Rally, Kenny McKinstry today added to that impresive list with a well merited win in the Quality Hotels West Cork Rally.

Cork driver, Michael Keohane, made a dramatic return to the British Formula 3 championship at Thruxton today to claim second place behind race winner, Heikki Kovalainen.