Emma McKinstry, from Banbridge, Co Down, started rally driving three years ago under the watchful eye of her father, a Northern Ireland rally driving champion. Despite having already had one serious accident in her short career, she is passionate about the sport and has already entered for Rally Ireland 2006.

"I think it's a brilliant idea to try to bring the WRC to Ireland, " she said. "It would attract so many people to the country, and focus people's attention on the sport. It would be nice, as well, to have a proper tarmac rally through the north and south."

At present, there are 16 rounds in the WRC, none of which is held in Ireland. This year, organisers from Rally Ireland will try to change that, and qualify for a round to be held here. Top international driver Chris Atkinson has been confirmed as an entry for next month's Rally Ireland event and Ireland's best known racing driver, Eddie Irvine, has backed the bid to qualify for a round of the prestigious WRC from 2007.

"If we succeed, it would be worth around 29m to the country every year, " said Rally Ireland spokesman Gavin McAllister. "Seven hundred and fifty million people watch the WRC internationally, so it would be of enormous benefit from a tourism point of view."

McAllister said it was vital to have perfect organisation to qualify for the event. "It's down to the little things, like whether our press office is up to standard, whether all our documentation is in place, how efficiently we run the races themselves. Everyone is geared up for it now. This is the big bid."

Rally Ireland will take place from 10-12 March in Donegal, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Sligo and Tyrone, and will be formally observed by the sport's governing body, Federation International de L'Automobile (FIA).