AS the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship juggernaut rolls into Clonakilty this weekend, the big question is who can stop the express train that is Derry's Callum Devine in his Skoda Fabia RS Rally2?

He has won all six events of the series he has contested since he won the Cork '20' Rally in 2024, the year that Ballylickey's Keith Cronin clinched his second Irish Tarmac Rally Championship title.

Victory in this season's opener in Galway was the perfect start for the Derry ace's title defence. He aims to continue his dominant performance and secure top spot in Clonakilty, the only round of the championship he hasn't won.

It won't be easy on a rally where fourth (2023) is his best result to date, although he led the rally in 2022 until gearbox failure thwarted his bid.

So, who are the likely challengers? On current form, it has to be Kilkenny's Eddie Doherty, a driver that wielded the camán in his minor hurling career with the Cats and whose grandfather hails from Kilmurry.

Doherty is no stranger to West Cork and made his R5 debut in a Skoda on the 2023 Fastnet Rally, finishing fourth. His progression since is impressive. Last year he clinched the Triton Showers National Rally Championship on the penultimate round in Clare.

The acquisition of a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 for the 2026 season – where he is concentrating on the ITRC – has ramped up his challenge. It's evidenced by second-place finishes in Galway and the recent Mayo Rally. Although he's still learning the car, he should be very much on the pace in Clonakilty where he was third overall last year.

Monaghan's Josh Moffett is the only driver in the top ten to have won the West Cork – three years ago in a Hyundai i20 R5. He is also on a learning curve since his debut in a Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 that has yielded third in Galway and fourth in Mayo. His knowledge of the West Cork terrain could be key.

Fastnet Rally winner Michael Boyle from Donegal, in the latest Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, could be the dangerman. Although he failed to finish in Galway and Mayo, he has shown he has the pace and will be determined to erase those disappointments.

Mayo winner David Kelly, another Donegal driver, is one of seven drivers in the top ten to steer a Skoda in Clonakilty. The others are Tyrone's Cathan McCourt, Donegal's Declan Boyle and his son Matthew, with Longford's Shane Quinn has the only Ford Fiesta Rally2 in the top ten.

Ballylickey's Daniel Cronin, co-driven by Ladysbridge Padraig O'Donovan, is seeded at nine in his new Toyota GR Yaris Rally2. A debut outing in Mayo two weeks ago was curtailed as he decided it was too risky to continue in the tough and difficult conditions.

'We have changed a few things since the Mayo Rally and we probably won't have the type of bad weather we had there,’ Cronin said.

‘It's more getting used to the car really. I struggle to adapt to a new car but I hope my pace will be a lot better at the weekend and I'm hoping to be up in the top five.’

Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy (Citroen C3 Rally2), seeded No. 12, and David Guest (Ford Fiesta Rally2), at No. 15, are the other West Cork drivers in the top 20. McCarthy, who also cut short his Mayo outing with this West Cork foremost in his mind, will be co-driven by Rosscarbery's Eric Calnan – eighth overall last year was his best result in the Rally2 era.

‘It will be tough but I would like to finish better than last year (eighth),’ McCarthy said.

‘The performance is what's important, especially on the first few stages so as to build confidence.

‘There should be a good atmosphere with the Friday night stage starting in the town. I've never managed to finish the top West Cork driver – I've been second to Keith (Cronin) many times. Finishing the best Clonakilty driver is also important.’

Guest's fifth place in 2022 is his highest finish thus far. He will be co-driven by Bandon's Stephen Quin.

‘It's a tall order to repeat my fifth place from a few years ago, there is a strong top ten for sure and I certainly hope to be in that second tier battling with Cal (McCarthy) and Paul Barrett and a few more,’ Guest said.

‘The stages are superb. Rossmore, Ring, Ardfield, Sam's Cross, they are all great stages.’

Elsewhere, the local entry also includes Dunmanway's Conor McCarthy and Kilcrohane's Jer O'Donovan, both in Ford Fiesta Rally2 cars, albeit Class 24 for the former and the RC2 category for the latter.

Dunmanway's Jason McSweeney (Ford Escort Cosworth) is the top seed in the Historic section where Ballincollig's Brian Duggan co-drives for Killorglin's Fergus O'Meara (BMW M3). Ardfield's Gary Lombard calls the pacenotes for Junior category top seed Ladysbridge driver Darragh Walsh (Honda Civic).