Motorsport Ireland has said yesterday's fatal crash during the Sligo Stages rally, in which two people died, was a "very difficult and dark day" for the sport.
Two separate investigations have been launched into the deaths of 35-year-old Gene McDonald, from Co Cavan, and 46-year-old Daire Maguire, from Co Fermanagh, who both died after their car hit a wall during the rally.
The rally was halted following the incident at Carrowcushcly in Ballymote at around 3pm yesterday.
The men's bodies were brought to Sligo University Hospital where post-mortem examinations were due to take place.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Motorsport Ireland sporting manager Art McCarrick, said it was a "difficult and dark day", and appealed to members of the public to refrain from circulating videos or images of the incident.
He said they believe "there may be one or two" videos circulating, and urged that "they are removed or reported if they are seen on social media and forwarded to both ourselves and the gardaí".
Mr McCarrick said the incident happened on the sixth stage of the event.
He said both men were "experienced competitors".
"The driver had over 15 years' experience and the co-driver had over 20 years' experience and both regular competitors in the border, midland and west region and well respected.
"It was the second running of that bit of road. It was used earlier in the day as stage three and just before 3pm, the car left the road and it collided with a wall and unfortunately the driver and the co-driver succumbed to their injuries."
Mr McCarrick said safety and competitor safety are front and centre of what they do, but unfortunately fatal accidents can happen in any sport and "tragically it was our sport yesterday".
Immediately after it happened, Mr McCarrick said, a serious incident protocol was activated, and the event was halted as a result.
He said they do not know at this point if road conditions were a factor, and matters such as that will form part of the investigations which Motorsport Ireland and An Garda Síochána have launched.
County Cavan Motor Club 'deeply shocked'
The Chairperson of the County Cavan Motor Club has said that the club, local community and motor sport fraternity is "deeply shocked" by the deaths.
Jim Reilly said that Gene McDonald had been involved with the club for many years.
"Gene was a member of the club for the last 17 or 18 years. He was a man that was originally from outside Cootehill," he said.
Mr Reilly described Gene McDonald as a family man, a businessman and a quiet man, who liked his motor sport.
He said that Gene McDonald competed in events whenever he could.
"He was a very experienced rally driver, and his co-driver, Daire Maguire, was also a very experienced navigator."
While Mr Maguire was from Fermanagh, Jim Reilly said he would have been well known in the Cavan area and well respected in the County Cavan Motor Club.
"They're both friends of ours, I know them very well. We are totally shocked, as are the communities in Lisnaske, Co Fermanagh, Cootehill and Carrickmacross where Gene has connections as well," he said.
The club extended its condolences to the family and friends of the two men, and also paid tribute to the rally crew who arrived on the scene and assisted the men before the arrival of emergency services.
