Barrable hoping for Circuit of Ireland success

Dubliner Robert Barrable is aiming for glory in this year's Circuit of Ireland rally which is set to begin this weekend.

Billed as the second oldest rally in the world, the 16-stage race kicks off this Friday in Belfast City centre, taking in the Titanic Quarter and two days of special stages in Down, Tyrone before finishing Armagh city on Saturday.

Barrable, in a Skoda Fabia S2000, will also appear alongside some of the best drivers in international rallying which also acts as the third round of the global Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).

"In Ireland it's classed as our home event." said Barrable, a former Billy Coleman Award winner and British and Irish Citroen Racing Trophy Champion, who has just inked a deal with Skoda Ireland is to sponsor the Robert Barrable Rally Team this season.

"It's not going to be easy, the pressure is on"

Originally known as the Ulster Motor Rally, the event was first organised in 1931. In the early days, it was run from multiple starting points, similar to the Monte Carlo Rally.

During those years, the event was the longest tarmac rally in the world, and attracted many world-famous names to Irish shores.

Colin McRae, Hannu Mikkola and Henri Toivonen are some of the names that have graced the 'Circuit' stages.