And they’re off ... downhill daring-do

The hundreds of teams who applied for a place on the starting line at St Patrick’s Hill in Cork were whittled down to 59 hopefuls from 19 counties and one entry from England.

Colour and charisma were among the talents sought by the celebrity judges, including models Glenda Gilson and Amanda Brunker, former Ireland rugby star Mick Galwey and Cork's Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Burke.

From the stage on St Patrick's Bridge, they watched the machines whirl their way down the steep incline, most of them making it to the chequered flag in less than 30 seconds.