Ireland has become the latest candidate to apply to join the World Rally Championship.
Plans for a Rally Ireland from 2007 were today outlined by organisations from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, who hope to make the event the biggest sporting spectacle on the island.
A pilot event will run in October this year to showcase the potential of Rally Ireland, with the route crossing the north south border several times.
Ireland faces strong competition from other countries keen to join the world championship calendar, with Norway leading the chase for an expansion slot next season.
But Sports Minister John O'Donoghue believes the combined Irish bid has the ability to put on a world-class event.
He said: "Following an extensive feasibility study, we are very confident of Ireland's professional and infrastructural capacity to secure a round of the World Rally Championship, despite strong competition from countries such as Norway, Jordan, Portugal, Poland, South Africa and the Czech Republic."
Organisers hope a World Championship Rally Ireland would attract around 200,000 spectators and enable the event to share in world rallying's annual 770 million television viewers.
