Irish Notes 16th February 2005.

Donegal Motor Club has announced renewed sponsorship from Shell for their 17th - 19th June Shell Donegal International. Arthur McMahon, MD of Donegal Oil confirmed their commitment to Shell's 22nd year association with the rally. Declan McCay is again Clerk of the Course.

Carrigtwohill agricultural engineer John McCarthy has converted his Corolla WRC to RHD and intends to contest this season's McCauley's Trailers Forestry Championship The series starts with the Carrick on Suir Wm Loughmann on 6th March. McCarthy appeared to be on course 2 years ago to take the title when he won four rounds in his Subaru, but the title slipped through his fingers.

Glenn Allen has committed to contesting both the NI Championship and the Southern Forestry series. Glenn will drive Eugene Donnelly's Corolla WRC on the opening NI round at Kirkistown this Saturday and his Escort WRC in Carrick on Suir.

Stephen Moore has quickly built himself a reputation as one of the fastest GpN drivers through the Southern forests and he has acquired the ex Niall McShea Impreza N10 for a full assault on the McCauley Trailers series this year.

Eurocables are again backing this Saturday's NI Championship 8 stage opener at Kirkistown and the pretty startling entry list sports many new driver/car combinations including Kieran Shaw in a Mitsubishi WRC and young Michael Curran in an Impreza WRC.

Antrim's Martin Elliott has taken delivery of former Production World Champion Karamjit Singh's GpN Proton Pert and re-badged the car back to it's original Mitsubishi livery. Martin has had an intensive test in the car and intends to contest the NI Championship, starting with Kirkistown. His interesting 4 wheel drive Corsa, originally built by Sydney Meeke, has gone to Charlie Beatty.

Long time competitor Martin Laverty is just one of the Irish crews making the trip to the Kall Kwik rally in Yorkshire this weekend in his 1400 cc Peugeot 206.

Billy Coleman Award runner up Peter Wilson (Honda Civic) from Meath won his class on the Galway International and was fastest in class on every stage, and now plans to contest the 26th - 28th March Circuit of Ireland.

Energia, NI's leading independent electricity supply company, are to sponsor the NI Navigation Championship for the next 2 years. Philip and Alan Dorman are the current champions.

Enniskillen Motor Club is running a stage rally co-drivers course this Sunday, 9.30 to 4.30 at  the Killyhevlin Hotel. There is a token fee of £15. Which includes coffee and lunch. Gordon Noble is one of the main speakers.

The 2005 Top Part West Coast Championship opens with the February 27th 'Laois Stages Rally', better known as the Birr Multi Stages. The Championship will have 6 rounds, best four to count.  The other five rounds are Circuit of Kerry, Munster, Galway Summer, Clare and Kerry Mini Stages.

The IRCA has been forced to postpone the popular marshal's day at Mondello originally scheduled for this Sunday, because of track resurfacing work.

Regards, Brian Patterson.