Gearing up

A renaissance is taking place in the world of Irish rallying. Previously considered an amateur sport in this country, young Irish faces such as Chris Meek and Gareth McHale are emerging from the dust to fly the flag at world-class level.

Professional rallying is big business, with drivers’ salaries rivalling those of Premiership footballers.

The current World Rally Champion, Sebastien Loeb, earns about €6 million a year.

Rallying has always been a popular ...