Cashel's Pat O'Connell was the winner of the opening round of the 2004 Ford Rallyesport Ka Championship at the Tipperary Forestry Rally. It was Pat's first time in the series, and he set fastest times on all the stages to take a decisive victory over Daniel Barry, with Thomas O'Brien 3rd.

Former NI Champion Denis Biggerstaff has, after all, got a run on the Easter Stages event this Saturday. Denis is taking over Kenny McKinstry's entry and will drive the Banbridge man's Subaru for the first time in anger. Kenny's co driver Noel Orr will be on the notes.

Andrew Nesbitt is listed as No.1 seed on this weekend's Circuit of Ireland, but the former winner announced at a Circuit press conference in Belfast's Odyssey Arena last Friday that he was unlikely to make the start. He stated "I'm rallying for fun, the deals haven't come together for this one, but we will be out later in the year and hopefully do another world championship event as well". Always of course there is the possibility that Nesbitt will get a deal together before this weekend.

This year's Carlow Rally is not a round of the Dunlop National series. Clerk of the Course is Joe Connolly and there are plans afoot to make the popular event a bonanza Mark 2 Escort weekend.

A new event on the Irish calendar is the Skibbereen Single Stage on 25th April. The club has laid on an interesting 10-mile stage near Rosscarbery, to be run 3 times, and the event is based in the Celtic Ross Hotel. There are still some entries available, contact Bob Kelly 023 48938.

18 year old Brendan Murphy from Mallow finished 38th overall on the Astra Stages Rally in his Group N Subaru Impreza. He is contesting the Welsh Gravel Championship and scored some useful points, after losing nearly 7 minutes with punctures and a broken drive shaft.

Monaghan's Adrian McElvaney upgraded to the Subaru as used by Tapio Laukkanen to win last year's Ulster Rally. Adrian took time to adjust to the sequential change on last Sunday's Circuit of Kerry but still finished a creditable 7th o/a.

Noel Redmond swapped his Hyundai WRC for the ex Boland Monte Carlo Impreza WRC for the Circuit of Kerry. Noel had a steady run to finish just outside the top 10, and the car was going to Stan Harper on Monday to be converted to right hand drive.