The first ever Laois Forestry Rally hosted the penultimate round of the 2026 Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship last Sunday and it proved to be a decisive weekend for many of our crews.

The title fight was tight heading to the event, with Josh Moffett and Andy Hayes level on points with Mark Donnelly and Martin Brady at the top of the standings, while Jordan and Paul Hone were still in with a chance in third but really needing a win to keep their title hopes alive.

Moffett and Donnelly picked up where they had left off after their epic Bushwhacker battle, with Donnelly only six tenths faster on the 11.66km opener. The battle unfortunately came to a premature end on SS2 however, as Donnelly broke a drive shaft on a rough patch of bedrock and was forced to park up his Skoda Fabia at the end of the stage. Moffett was none the wiser heading into SS3 and put in a stunning drive to take a 34.7 second lead over Jordan Hone as they headed for service.

Moffett now only needed to hold position to take the title, something which the Monaghan man has had plenty of experience with this season. He did a masterful job, winning the event by 35.9 seconds and taking the third Forestry title of his career. It was a special moment for Moffett, who has now secured an incredibly impressive treble of national rally championships this season, having already secured the National and Irish Tarmac Championships earlier in the year.

The Hones saw their hopes of victory slip away early in the morning, with Jordan commenting that he was struggling to find confidence with a hard compound tyre on slippy stages. They picked up the pace on the second loop to take a stage win and were much more comfortable as they secured their fourth second place finish of the season. David Condell and Michael Coady had a season best finish of third, surviving a very hairy off-road moment on SS3. Jack Brennan and John McGrath traded in their usual Rally3 Fiesta for a Rally2 model and had a very creditable debut including a third fastest time on SS6. Gary Reidy and Mikey Breen were an excellent fifth.

In the 2WD section, Jack Harris and Aaron O’Regan came to Laois needing a decent points finish to wrap up the title but unfortunately came unstuck on the same rough section as Mark Donnelly, doing significant damage to the engine of their Fiesta Rally4. Ben McFall and Mark McGeehan were the early pacesetters on SS1, and once Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey dropped down the order after picking up a puncture on SS2, had things mostly their own way. The Class 2A pairing of James McShea and Oisin McShane gave them cause to look over their shoulders all day however, as the two rising stars were setting stunning times in their much older Peugeot 208s. McShea came out on top of the battle for second after McShane had a small excursion on the final stage. John Ward and Tommy Hayes were fourth, matching their season best finish, while Hugh McQuaid and Declan Casey recovered to fifth for valuable class points. Harris must now travel to the season finale in Limavady to secure the title as Ben McFall has an outside chance to take it.

The J1000 class returned to the Forestry Championship after sitting out the Northern rounds due to the different regulations. The class continued to prove its popularity with 22 entrants, including a couple of newcomers. Daniel Ormond led the championship after a season of consistent scores and great drives and only needed an eleventh position or better to wrap it up. Second place Matthew Wray knew he would need a win to stand a chance at the title and flew out of the blocks, setting stunning stage times which would have been respectable even in the main 2WD section. Ormond possibly backed off too much in the morning and was only twelfth fastest on the opener, but had recovered to sixth by service which was enough for him to secure the title.

Unfortunately for Ormond, his rally came to an end on SS5 and the championship turned on its head. Matthew Wray now only needed to hold position and with a lead of almost a minute, he could afford to drive through SS6 and secure his victory. The Donegal teenager secured the J1000 Championship, and the second of the Craig Breen Foundation prizes, the first of which Ormond had already secured.

The event also proved decisive in a number of class battles. Despite missing his chance to secure the overall title, Jack Harris secured the Class 2 title thanks to Ross Ryan’s non-finish. Ger Walshe and Mick Cuddihy secured Class 9 and Class 11R respectively after securing their fifth score of the season. Mickey Conlon’s second maximum score of the season means he cannot be caught in Class 14, while Patsy Keenan’s long-haul trips from America have been rewarded with Class 15 silverware. Despite being second to Alan Whelan in Laois, Ali Burrows has now secured the Class 20 title with his consistent results throughout the season.

There are still a handful of classes to be decided on the final round, the Dogleap Rally in Limavady. Francis Kelly’s lead in Class 2A has been extended after Laois, but he could still be caught by Tommy Furlong, James McShea and Oisin McShane depending on certain permutations. Jack Brennan is the only one who can win Class 4 but has to start the Dogleap to wrap the title up. Paul Cullen leads Class 10, but James Sinnott has an outside chance of taking the title, and a similar dynamic exists in Class 12 where Sean Benskin leads and Patrick Kelly chases. Class 11F is still one of the tightest battles in the entire championship. Mickey Joe Browne is now out of contention after retiring in Laois, and Christy Butler now leads Eugene Ward by just three points. Christy and Eugene have been trading times all year and it looks set to be a case of the winner takes it all on the Dogleap. Hugh McQuaid extended his gap in Class 13 on the Dogleap with both Shane McCanney and Mark Stewart not finishing, but McCanney could still potentially catch him with a win on the Dogleap.

The Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship will conclude on the 17th of October with the Limavady-based Dogleap Rally. The Dogleap will cover a compact loop of eight stages offering some real committed, flat-out roads. Entries remain open!

Want to keep up to date with the Trailer Parts & Spares Irish Forest Rally Championship? Check out the Championship Website at www.IRLForestRally.com, the online Sportity Noticeboard at IrishForestChamp, or check out the Championship on Facebook & Instagram.