Tourish looking forward to Donegal Forestry Rally

BY MATTHEW WILSON

DAMIEN Tourish will be hoping to end the 2025 Irish Forestry Championship on a positive note as he prepares for his maiden drive in the Donegal Forestry Rally.

Following a six year absence from the Calendar, rallying is returning to the forests of South Donegal this Saturday.

The event was meant to kick-off the 2025 Irish Forestry Championship back in January however, it was cancelled due to the damage of Storm Eowyn and it will now conclude the campaign.

Tourish has never participated in the event before although having watched videos of the stages in recent times, he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m looking forward to it now. I suppose it’s the home rally for the forest so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

“It is great to see it back on the calendar, It’s good to get it back in Donegal. The stages look good, I watched the DVD there and they look to be good stages.”

“I haven’t done that rally before but they’re challenging enough stages so I’m looking forward to it now.”

Tourish will be accompanied by co-driver Kevin Duggan in the Ford Mark II Escort that he bought back in March.

Having participated in mostly tarmac stages in the past, Tourish has made the switch to gravel tracks this term to keep things interesting.

With the change in car and surface this year, there are still things that the Cloghan man is adjusting to and learning but he’s expecting a good battle this weekend.

“We bought that historic car that we’re out in and we did a few rallies down the country and we’ve actually done two in Scotland so I’m getting into it.”

“It’ll be interesting. Marty McCormick is coming to do this rally as a test for the RAC and Sam Stewart is going very fast at the minute so it’ll be a good battle.”

“There’s little bits and pieces that you’re learning in it (the new car). I didn’t do a whole lot of gravel rallies, it was mostly tarmac that I did so the whole thing is a new challenge to me.”

The first Donegal Forestry Rally since 2019 has attracted a superb entry list.

A whole host of drivers are coming to the county this Saturday eyeing up silverware with it being the last round of the Championship and Tourish thinks it will be a great spectacle.

“There is yeah and it’s the last round of the Championship as well so there will be a lot of classes maybe to be decided.”

“There’s a good entry and a great top entry in for it and it should be a good rally to watch.”

With this event being close to home for Tourish, it’s certainly one that will mean more to him and be one that you would relish coming across the finishing ramp first in.

The Donegal man expressed that a bit of extra pressure comes with it being a home event but insists that they are going to go out and enjoy the experience.

“These are the ones that you want to win, it’s your home rally. I suppose there’ll be a bit more pressure that way but we’ll go out, enjoy it and see what way it goes.”

“There’s a few boys there that won’t be going easy so if you’re up and around there then you won’t be far away.”

“It would be nice now if you could manage to win it but it won’t be simple. We’ll give it a go anyway and we’ll enjoy it one way or another.”