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.

HAVING led the Rally Islas Canarias, round four of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge up until the eighth stage, the Irish crew of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000), will begins today’s final leg in sixth position. Meeke set the pace from the start, taking a 4.4 second lead over the Skoda of Jan Kopecky.

Dungannon's Kris Meeke and Killarney's Paul Nagle (Peugeot 207 S2000) have moved into a two point lead in the Intercontinental Rally Challenge series after today's victory in the Sata Rally Azores.

With six fastest stage times through today's nine tests, the North/South pairing of Kris Meeke/Paul Nagle in their Peugeot UK 307 S2000 have swept into an impressive lead of 40.2 seconds at the end of the first leg of Sata Rally Azores today.

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.

The Willie Loughman Memorial Forest Rally, the second round of the Petro Systems National Forest Championship was won by Trevor Harding/Andrew Purcell (Subaru WRC).

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

TAKING the lead after the first stage, former national rally champion, Ray Breen, driving a Ford Focus WRC, secured an emphatic victory in the Lismore based Munster Moonraker Rally, round four of the Hankook Tyres Irish Forest Championship.

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.

Reigning Irish Forest Rally champion Stephen Moore, driving his ‘06 specification Ford Focus WRC, finished third in Rallye Sunseeker in Bournemouth today.

Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue will lead a parliamentary delegation to Prague today to mark 60 years of diplomatic relations between Ireland and the Czech Republic.

NINE defeated general election candidates were yesterday appointed to the Seanad in a line-up which produced many unexpected winners and losers.

The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has named his 11 nominees for the Seanad this lunchtime.

THE Taoiseach is expected to announce his 11 nominations to the Seanad, within the next 48 hours, with the Greens and Progressive Democrats each securing two coveted seats.

THE coalition deal worked out between Fianna Fáil and the Greens may extend to the Seanad elections, with both parties seriously considering an electoral pact.

PUTTING money into property has been a no-brainer for the past five or 10 years — but the equally smart people also put their money into plants.

Labour's Tommy Broughan, Terrence Flannagan of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil's Michael Woods have been elected on the fourth count in Dublin North-East.

Just 14 seats now remain to be filled across seven constituencies in the General Election count.

Fianna Fáil's Martin Brady has conceded defeat in the three-seat Dublin North-East constituency.

GOVERNMENT chief whip Tom Kitt yesterday said he would “officially warn” Galway Fianna Fáil Senator Margaret Cox for attempting to vote against the Finance Bill in the Seanad.

The TD for Dublin North East is encouraging NTL customers not to pay their bills because of a charge the company is levying on those who do not pay by direct debit.

The Dáil is to examine a campaign to combat the problem of racism in spor

Gardaí have been urged to crack down on motorists who use mobile phones while driving as soon as new penalty points for the offence come into effect from midnight.

Derry driver Kevin Lynch and co-driver Francis Regan were convincing winners of the Cork Forest Rally which concluded in Mallow this evening.

The decision to provide every primary school in the country with a recording of the national anthem marks a major step towards the compulsory teaching of Amhran na bhFiann, it was claimed today.

FIANNA FÁIL TD Martin Brady yesterday accused drinks giant Diageo, which owns Guinness, of greed over its plan to raise the cost of a pint by four cent on May 1.

Members of the public must not be ripped off by planned increases in the price of the pint, it was claimed today.

A campaign to have the National Anthem taught in all secondary schools moved up a step today.

The Ireland panel for the forthcoming Junior International Rules tour of Australia has been announced, with 15 counties represented.

A SPECIAL missingpersons unit should be set up to trace the thousands of people who vanish each year, a TD has urged.

A special missing persons unit should be set up to trace the thousands of people who vanish each year, it was claimed today.

IN the end the only politician named during the funeral homily of Sean Doherty was Charlie Haughey.

Fianna Fáil TD Martin Brady has called on the drinks industry to freeze the price of alcoholic products in an effort to recover lost business.

EIGHT politicians have flown to the Philippines to attend a global conference this week, costing the taxpayer €31,384.

The spectator who attacked Cavan referee Martin Brady in Casement Park last Sunday has been banned for two years by the Ulster Council.

THE spectator who assaulted referee Martin Brady in Casement Park last Sunday has been suspended for two years by the Ulster Council.

THE Ulster Council of the GAA knows the identity of the supporter who struck Cavan referee Martin Brady at the end of Sunday's club football semi-final between Mayobridge and Carrickmore.

The GAA's Ulster Council is to launch in inquiry after a referee was struck in the face during an Ulster club semi-final yesterday in Belfast.

An Post lost over €46 million in 2003, despite predicting a €1 million profit, and now wants to lay off 1,350 staff.

CHARLES HAUGHEY made a rare public appearance yesterday when he was among the chief mourners at the funeral of his brother, Paraic, in Dublin.

Political Reporter

Schoolchildren have been warned that the game is up for the couch potato generation.

THE widow of former CIÉ chief executive Michael McDonnell is suing Oireachtas members who investigated multi-million euro cost overruns on a rail signalling system.

FIANNA FÁIL backbenchers stepped up pressure on the Taoiseach last night to recall the Dáil to allow them debate the threatened war in Iraq and continued use of Shannon Airport by the US military.