Monaghan’s Sam Moffett (Ford Fiesta WRC) produced a start-to-finish victory in the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, to increase his chances of winning all three major Irish rally championships.

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.

The Rathkeale House Hotel Circuit of Munster on Sunday marks the halfway point of the eight round Triton Showers National Rally Championship. However, it also contains several subplots including preparation for the next rounds of the British and Irish Tarmac Championships and also forms part of the Top Part West Coast regional series.

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.

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.

Although victory in the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally wasn’t the ultimate goal for Ballylickey’s Keith Cronin and his Killarney co-driver Mikie Galvin (Ford Fiesta R5), they secured a fine win with a measured and composed drive that provided the perfect preparation for their next outing in the British Rally Championship in three weeks time.

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.

A case of third time lucky and with it the luck of the Irish as Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle took their Citroen C3 WRC to victory in Rally Mexico, round three of the World Rally Championship. 

Having failed to go the full distance in the opening two rounds of the World Rally Championship, the Irish duo of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) seek better fortune on this weekend’s Rally Mexico, the first gravel event of the year. 

Monaghan’s Josh Moffett (Ford Fiesta R5) and co-driver Emmet Sherry led from flagfall to win the Murroe based Lyons of Limerick Forest Rally the penultimate round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Donegal cousins, Declan and Brian Boyle (Fiesta WRC), won the Hyundai Limerick Motor Centre Clare Rally, the penultimate round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

The sibling rivalry between Monaghan’s Sam and Josh Moffett scaled new heights on the Tuffmac Trailers Lakeland Rally, the fifth round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship in Enniskillen.

Antrim’s Desi Henry (Skoda Fabia R5) and his Millstreet co-driver Liam Moynihan netted their second win in this season’s Valvoline National Forest Rally Championship as they cruised to victory in the Mallow based Crafted Furniture & Joinery Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, the fourth round of the series.

In his first full season on-board the FESP liveried Ford Fiesta WRC, Clonmel’s Roy White, the current leader of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship knows there are difficult times ahead as his rivals begin to apply the pressure.

With a clean sweep of the fastest times on all eight stages, the Antrim/Cork combination of Desi Henry/Liam Moynihan (Skoda Fabia R5) won the Abbey Hotel Munster Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney, Co Cork, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally series.

Cork racing ace Matt Griffin opens his competitive season this afternoon in the Hankook 24 Hour of Dubai with the Dragon Racing Team.

Aiming to win the Westlodge Hotel Fastnet Rally for an unprecedented fourth time, Daragh O’Riordan (Ford Fiesta WRC) heads a close-to- capacity entry for what is the final counter in the Tritons Showers National Rally Championship and the PlasticBags.ie Southern 4 series.

Motorsport

Killarney driver Rob Duggan (23) is one of three young aces vying for a top prize in Irish rallying that will be decided on tomorrow’s Bushwhacker Rally in Omagh.

With consistent performances on the opening four rounds of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship, London-based Cork driver Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) makes another trip across the Irish Sea for tomorrow’s TuffMac Trailers Lakeland Rally in Enniskillen. The event also counts towards the Northern Ireland McGrady Insurance and Carryduff Forklift Championship.

There was double delight for Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) as he clinched the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Championship with victory in the Todd’s Leap Ulster Rally in Enniskillen. 

The Moffett sibling rivalry is set to dominate Sunday’s Sepam Tipperary Stonethrowers Rally in Clonmel, following the late entry of the elder brother Sam.

Antrim’s Derek McGarrity has secured his fifth Tour of Sperrins Rally win to extend his lead in the McGrady Insurance Northern Ireland Rally Championship.

Five-time Northern Ireland Rally champion Derek McGarrity S14 Subaru WRC heads the entry for tomorrow’s eight stage tarmac Ryan Bradley Memorial Tour of Sperrins Rally in Maghera, County Derry.

The Moonraker Rally in Ballyvourney and the Rally de Portugal may not have that much in common other than gravel surfaces, but both have a tangible link with former triple British rally champion Keith Cronin.

Moving into the lead on the second stage, the Waterford/Cork pairing of Andrew Purcell/Liam Brennan brought their Kumho shod Mitsubishi EvoIX to victory in the Donegal Forest Rally, the second round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

Top seed and leader of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship Michael O’Brien (Ford Focus WRC) can expect a stern test in tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally, the second round of the campaign.

London-based Churchtown driver Michael O’Brien and fellow north Cork co-driver James O’Brien from Dromtarriffe survived some late drama to win the Carrick on Suir based Willie Loughman Forest Rally, the first round of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

The new Triton Showers National Rally Championship got underway with the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel Rally and victory went to Donegal’s Donagh Kelly (Ford Focus WRC) and his Derry co-driver Kevin Flanagan.

Motorsport: A new season of the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship is marked by a very competitive entry for tomorrow’s Donegal Forest Rally in Pettigoe.

Motorsport: Out of the reckoning for a podium position after sliding off the road on Friday, the Irish crew of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle (Citroen DS3 WRC) recovered to win the Power Stage and finished 10th overall in Rallye Monte Carlo.

With their Citroen DS3 WRC armed with several significant upgrades to the engine, suspension, aerodynamics and gearbox, the Irish crew of Meeke and Paul Nagle expect to be fighting for the leading places on Rallye Monte Carlo that cranks into gear this evening.

Knowing exactly what was required, it was a case of precision rather than pace that helped Cork driver Owen Murphy land his second National Forest title in three years as his fourth place points finish on the Glens of Antrim Rally secured the Valvoline Irish Forest Rally Championship.

On his first forest rally in some three years Donegal’s Donagh Kelly, driving the McGeehan Motorsport Mini WRC, won the Samdec Security Lakeland Forest Rally in Enniskillen.

Even though Donegal’s Declan Boyle secured enough points to land the Clonakilty Black Pudding Irish Tarmac Championship, he will contest the Acesigns Cork 20 International Rally, the final round of the series.

Boosted by their podium finish on Rally Finland, Tyrone’s Kris Meeke pictured and his Killarney co-driver Paul Nagle will push for another big result on the ADAC Rallye Deutschland that begins today in Trier.