Entries Open for 2026 Cork Forest Rally
Its with great excitement that we are delighted to announce that entries for the 2026 DJD Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, taking place Sunday August 10th, are now open!
Entries for the event are now open, and can be completed exclusively through the Cork Motor Club Website. Click the links below to enter right away.
Regs for the event are available here:
The 2026 Rally will be based out of the Mallow Autograss complex. The event will see competitors tackle more than 80km of the finest Gravel Stages in Ireland on what is sure to be the highlight of the 2025 Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship and Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series.
We are also delighted to have Denis J. Downey Transport on board this year as title sponsors of the 2026 Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally.
Operating since 1929, Denis J. Downey Ltd., is well established in the Irish haulage & warehousing industry.
Their company has seen a lot of changes over the years but by sticking to their core values, while also adapting to changes within the industry, they feel they have the know-how to meet & even excel in clients needs.
Some of their key commitments include:
Ensuring they maintain their excellent health & safety record at all times
Building long-term client relationships
Consistently training & updating all staff
Continuous development of transport equipment & warehousing facilities
Complying with environmental legislations & standards
2025 Event Report
It was drama right to the very last stage as Cathan McCourt & Barry McNulty took victory on the 2025 Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally, returning to the Kanturk finish line with an advantage of just 1.8 seconds in their Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 as the 2025 Irish Forest Rally Championship roared back into life.
On a cloudy morning and with the loss of the second stage, the stage was set for a titanic battle and it played out as anticipated. McCourt & McNulty went fastest on the opening stage, but as they returned to the first Service the advantage had swung to Championship leaders Jason Mitchell & Paddy McCrudden in a similar Skoda.
The second loop was even more dramatic as the two traded tenths of seconds over the high-speed Cork stages, and by the second Service just 0.6 seconds separated the pair. On the penultimate stage McCourt would take the biggest chunk out of his rival, and even a final stage attack from Mitchell was not enough as McCourt took the victory, but it will sill be maximum points for Jason Mitchell & Paddy McCrudden in their quest for the Sligo Pallets Forest Championship title.
Joining the Skoda pair on the podium were Gareth Mimnagh & Barry McCarney in their Ford Fiesta Rally2, again that magical difference of 1.8 seconds proving decisive as they held off the late charge of Vivian Hamill & Andrew Grennan in the battle for third place.
In the 2WD race, early leaders Shane McGirr & Denver Rafferty suffered a mechanical retirement on the middle loop which ended their charge, leaving the door open for David Condell & Eugene Donnelly to take a hugely deserved victory, a nice touch for the pairing as Eugene had been the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally winners the last time the event ran out of Kanturk way back in 2022.
The 2WD podium was a full Ford Escort MK2 affair, with Sam Stewart & Stephen Peoples finally getting a break in their luck this season to come home second, with Hugh McQuaid & Declan Casey rounding out the top three.
In J1000, it was delight at the finish as Kyle Drury & Karl Egan, having been soo close all year, finally got their first victory as they beat the largest field of Junior talent ever seen on an event before. Drury & Egan led from start to finish, and returned to the finish 4.4 seconds ahead of James McShea & Grace O’Brien, with David Travers & Brian Martyn rounding out the top 3.
On a brilliant day of action, the following crews took Class victories;
Class 2 – Ben McFall & Damian McAuley
Class 2A – Oran Nulty & Hugh O’Donnell
Class 4 – Lukasz Czapnik & Piotr Szadkowski
Class 5 – Vivian Hamill & Andrew Grennan
Class 9 – Gerard Walshe & Jack O’Sullivan
Class 10 – Stephen Mackey & Richard O’Shea
Class 11F – George Shinnors & Sean Duggan
Class 11R – Mick Cuddihy & Kevin Barry
Class 12 – Willie Benskin & Angiee Michniewicz
Class 13 – Sam Stewart & Stephen Peoples
Class 14 – David Condell & Eugene Donnelly
Class 15 – Dominic Leonard & Shane Maguire
Class 20 – Pete McCullagh & Alan Dolan
Class 21 – Kyle Drury & Karl Egan
