BALLYLICKEY’S Daniel Cronin returns to rally action on Sunday at the Nenagh-based Birr Rally.

From a disappointing outing on the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally two weeks ago, Cronin will be aiming to return to the form he showed on last year's Fastnet Rally as he continues to acclimatise to his new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2.

It's not easy to adapt to a new car especially where information on set-up is an ongoing process. It's an understandable situation but one that needs patience and time. However, Cronin is in a positive mood ahead of Sunday's nine-stage encounter.

‘Look, West Cork was tough for me and there’s no point in hiding it. To be fair to Tom (Gahan, who runs Tom Gahan Motorsport), he's going through everything, double checking to rule out various possibilities.'

In Clonakilty, Cronin finished seven and a half minutes adrift of rally winner Josh Moffett (Toyota GR Yaris Rally2).

‘I could tell you where I lost a minute of that, but I couldn't tell you where the other six and a half minutes were.'

He still plans to continue with the Triton series.

On Sunday's nine-stage rally that returns to the Nenagh region following an eight-year hiatus, Cronin, who is seeded at eight, knows that performance and confidence go hand in hand.

Indeed, he has only to look at Josh Moffett and how he built on his fine start in Clonakilty and kicked on with great success. Moffett, who is also run by TGM, took time to adapt to his Toyota with outings in the Galway Rally and the Mayo Rally, something that offers Cronin and his Ladysbridge co-driver Padraig O'Donovan encouragement.

The event hosts, the Birr and District Motor Club, have a capacity entry for their rally, the second round of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship.

West Cork Rally winner Josh Moffett headlines the entry where the top two from the Mayo Rally (the opening Triton round), Donegal's David Kelly and reigning national champion Eddie Doherty, are not competing.

Fastnet rally winner, Donegal's Michael Boyle (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) isn't enjoying the best of luck this season; he's failed to finish in Galway, Mayo and Clonakilty. That too is an illustration of how fickle rallying can be at times. As he sets off behind Moffett in Nenagh, he will be hoping for a change in fortunes.

The top ten is a mix of Toyotas, Skodas and Fiestas with Donegal's Declan Boyle (No. 3), Matthew Boyle (No. 5) and Kevin Eves (No. 9) all in the Czech machines, the latter making his debut after a few seasons steering a Ford Fiesta Rally2.

Derry's Desi Henry (No. 4) is using the event as a shakedown for next week's Circuit of Ireland. Tyrone's Jason Dickson (No. 7) and Longford's Shane Quinn (No. 8), who crashed out of the West Cork, are also in the Blue Oval mode of transport. Maynooth's Paul Barrett completes the top ten in what is the only Citroen C3 Rally2 car in the aforementioned group.

Ballylickey's Robert Cronin is also making the journey to Nenagh where he steers an Opel Corsa Rally4 as one of several drivers contesting the all-new Stellantis Rally Cup Ireland, promoted by Race & Rally and supported by Michelin Motorsport. Other marquees include the Peugeot 208 Rally4 and Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally4 – each event has €3,000 (parts vouchers) on offer with the overall winners set to receive a funded drive in the Hungarian Zemplén Rally and an exclusive test in the Lancia Ypsilon HF Rally2.

Although Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy finished the recent and very successful Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally under Super Rally, he was upbeat about his performance. He was the only local driver in the top ten on the opening night, then on the second pass of Kilbrittain his Citroen stopped with an electrical problem. He proffered his thoughts on the rally.

‘The commitment level has gone way up and most of the drivers ahead of us (with his Rosscarbery co-driver Eric Calnan) would have done nearly every rally available in Ireland. Yeah, they have huge seat time. It's a completely different level.’

McCarthy's next outing is the Manx national rally in early May. Last year they held sixth on the final day until a mechanical issue forced their retirement.