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

After a dramatic opening on the final leg of the Easter Rally in Antrim, when the Subaru WRC of overnight leaders Derek McGarrity/Paddy Robinson failed to start after transmission troubles, Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and his Wexford co-driver Andy Hayes took the spoils and consolidated their lead in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

With his sixth victory of the season Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (27) clinched the Triton Showers National Rally Championship with a comfortable victory in the FAAC Simply Automatic/Sligo Park Hotel Rally.

Triple British rally champion Keith Cronin from Ballylickey, with co-driver Killarney’s Mikie Galvin, are back into contention for this season’s Prestone MSA British Rally Championship (BRC) as they annexed top points in the Ypres Rally in Belgium, the first overseas round in the 59-year history of the BRC.

Taking the lead on the third stage, Donegal cousins Declan and Brian Boyle (Ford Fiesta WRC) won the Hotel Kilmore Cavan Rally finishing 32.1 seconds ahead of the Subaru WRC of Fermanagh’s Garry Jennings and his Letterkenny co-driver Rory Kennedy. 

There are certain similarities between Kris Meeke and Keith Cronin - both of whom need a strong result in their respective outings in this weekend’s rounds of the World Rally Championship and the British Rally Championship.

Not surprisingly, Derry’s Marty McCormack and his Mallow co-driver David Moynihan in their Tiger Risk liveried Skoda Fabia R5 ran out comfortable winners of the Donegal Forest Rally, round three of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is likely to have a new leader after tomorrow’s Abbey Hotel Donegal Forest Rally, the third round of the campaign as series leader and former champion Josh Moffett has withdrawn his entry due to business commitments.

There was late drama in the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, where Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (Fiesta R5) and his Bandon co-driver Karl Atkinson took victory after long-time leaders, Roy White and co-driver James O’Brien, clattered their Fiesta WRC against a chicane bale on SS 13 and limped to the stage finish before retiring.

This weekend is likely to be a defining moment in the annals of the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes in Killarney. A glance through the list of previous winners reveal that drivers of World Rally Cars have triumphed since the Millennium, but that thread is tenuous as the new breed of R5 cars is set to bring the sequence to an end.

Rallying across the three Irish championships is a rare feat but one Monaghan’s Sam Moffett is accomplishing.

Donegal’s Donagh Kelly bids for a fourth successive victory at the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally this weekend - a feat that has never been achieved in the 40-year history of the Clonakilty event.

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.

The top Irish competitors had disappointing outings over the weekend both in the World Rally Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Having set the fastest time on the qualifying stage for the SATA Rallye Acores, round four of the European Rally Championship, Craig Breen and co-driver Scott Martin on board their Peugeot Rally Academy 208 T16 brought that form through last evening’s opening three stages to lead the event.

CORK IFC FINAL:

These are busy times for Cork racing ace Matt Griffin.

The Irish crew of Eamonn Boland/Mickey Joe Morrissey (Subaru) had an untroubled run through the penultimate leg of the Monte Carlo Rally where world champion, Sebastien Loeb (Citroen) seems set for yet another victory.

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.

Competitors in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the British Rally Championship will traverse the same stages under their respective banners of the Ulster Rally and Rally Northern Ireland this afternoon.

THE triple title challenge for the Dunlop National Rally Championship involving Kerry’s Thomas Fitzmaurice, Monaghan’s Niall Maguire and Cork’s Brian O’Mahony enters a key phase on Sunday at the Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally.

Although not included in the original seeded lists for tomorrow’s Sligo Rally or Sunday’s Sean Conlon Memorial Forest Rally in Mitchelstown, the in-form Garry Jennings is likely to contest both events, although in different cars.

Having punched in the third fastest time on yesterday’s opening stage of the Tour de Corse, round four of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, Craig Breen suffered disappointment when his Sainteloc-run Peugeot 207 S2000 broke a driveshaft on the second stage as he lost touch with the leaders.

Whatever their individual qualities, the combination of stages in the Killarney area and those within the Beara Peninsula are probably unequalled within Europe.

DUNLOP National Rally champion, Tim McNulty will receive the Vard Memorial Trophy at the National Rally Championship awards ceremony at the Clayton Hotel, Galway tomorrow night.

THE Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship could be decided in tomorrow’s Omagh-based Bushwhacker Rally, the penultimate round of both the Irish series and the Hankook Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

SECOND place doesn’t sit that comfortably with Tim McNulty (Subaru WRC), yet, for more than two thirds of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally, it was a position he held.

TEAMS will tackle six stages in Co Antrim this afternoon in their respective opening legs of the Todds Leap Ulster Rally and the Todds Leap International Rally Northern Ireland, part of the Irish Tarmac Rally and Dulux Trade British Rally championships.

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.

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.

TWO of Ireland’s most talented drivers, Waterford’s, Craig Breen and Fermanagh’s, Alastair Fisher compete in the WRC Academy series that begins this weekend alongside Rally Portugal, the third round of the World Rally championship.

THE DONEGAL Mini Stage Rally in Glenties fell victim to the weather conditions despite the heroic work of the organisers who salted the roads over which the event was to traverse.

FOUR legends of Irish rallying will rekindle its halcyon days on Sunday’s Halloween Historic Rally in Carrick-on-Suir.

BATTLING through wet and difficult conditions, reigning British Rally Champion, Keith Cronin, took an important and memorable victory in Rally Isle of Man, the fourth round of the Dulux Trade British Rally Championship.

FROM a season where little went wrong, culminating with victory in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge for Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle, the current defence of their crown is proving almost the total opposite.

Reigning Dunlop National Rally champions, Patrick Elliott/Paul Goodman (Subaru WRC) returned to winning ways on today's Sligo Rally, the sixth round of the series.

Although they dropped time on today's opening stage, Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) have extended their advantage through the second leg of the Letterkenny based Topaz Donegal International Rally, that consisted of eight stages.

Derry's Eugene Donnelly and his co-driver, Paddy Toner, in a Skoda Fabia WRC, have won the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland.

IrishTarmac Championship leader, Eugene Donnelly in his Skoda Fabia WRC leads the Jim Clark Memorial Rally in Scotland after the conclusion of last night's six stages.

Tim McNulty and co-driver, David Moynihan in their Subaru WRC have taken a thrilling victory in the 30th anniversary Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney.

Today's seven stages of the Ordnance Survey Ireland Rally of the Lakes in Killarney saw very little between the top contenders as they battle for supremacy in this, the third round of the Irish Tarmac Championship.

THE Dr Harty Cup campaign began in dramatic fashion at New Inn yesterday where an injury-time point by Niall Arthur earned St Flannan’s a draw in a rousing contest.