Spent a few kernel recompiles trying to figure this out, and then it was Google and the Linux Kernel Archive to the rescue
Anyone having a problem with PCMCIA services, cardmgr, and insmod errors with this vague error:
RequestIRQ: Unsupported Mode
Should set
CONFIG_ISA=y
In the kernel .config file.
Reading the unsupported mode error led me to believe it was something like this, but I had to recompile a few times before I could get my pcmcia net card working right.
Just thought I'd pass this along

Apparantly pcmcia requires ISA support, too, at least on my Toshiba 2675DVD.
Now to do some work on APM...
--Shade