Driven couple to test their mettle with 1,000-mile rally

The roads in some parts of rural Cork might be a bit bumpy but they’re nothing compared to what a married couple will have to endure when they take part in a 1,000-mile rally in North Africa.

James and Karen O’Sullivan from Carrignavar have been picked to drive in the Conti4x4trophy, run by Continental Tyres, which takes in the Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert next month.

The couple, who are both engineers aged 36, will be one of 14 teams driving Hummers across spectacular scenery, navigating through shifting sand dunes and narrow rocky gorges.