London-based Corkonian Mike O'Brien made a winning return to his native county with victory on the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, a qualifying round of the Petro Systems Irish Forest Championship.

Three years after winning the Dunlop National Rally Championship, Kilkenny’s, Ray Breen (Ford Focus WRC) has won the Hankook Tyres Irish Forestry Championship.

The latest round of the Irish Junior Rally Championship incorporated in today’s Cork Mini Stage Rally at Donoughmore, resulted in a narrow victory for Cork pair, Damien McCarthy/Eamonn Hayes (Honda Civic), who finished just 1.9 seconds ahead of Peter Wilson/John Kilmurray, also in a Honda Civic.

Even though they led from the first of the eight stages, Waterford’s, Andrew Purcell (Subaru WRC) and his co-driver, Mick Courtney had to fend off a determined challenge from reigning national forest champions, Stephen Moore/Tony McHugh (Ford Focus WERC) to win the Sean Conlon Memorial Tipperary Forest Rally.