Pictures: Michelle Cooper Galvin
The Killarney Historic Rally will take place on November 29 and 30 and organisers say it will be the biggest for many years.
Clerk of the Course, Anthony O’Connor, said those involved are excited to welcome competitors from all over the world to Killarney.
“The popularity of this event continues to grow and we’re expecting a strong field of entries,” he said.
The Killarney Towers Hotel returns as the main sponsor, while the KC Print continues its long-standing support of the event. Other key sponsors include Ahern/s Motor Group, Castrol, Traynor’, and Keane’s Centra.
This year’s rally will feature eight stages, including the iconic Moll’s Gap, Beallaghbeama, Caragh Lake and Kilcummin. These stages will be run in both daylight and darkness, offering a thrilling challenge for competitors and spectators alike.
“Saturday morning starts with Moll’s Gap followed by Ballaughbeama and the classic Carragh Lake stage.
After service at Liebherr Container Cranes in Killarney, the earlier loop will be repeated and then it’s into service again, before heading out to take on Kilcummin in daylight.
There is a holding area in Farranfore before heading out to complete the final stage of Kilcummin in darkness.
The two-day event will begin with a ceremonial start on Friday, November 29. The top three crews from each class will arrive back in Killarney for the finish ramp at 7.00pm outside the Killarney Plaza Hotel and Spa.
Gemma Ring, managing director of the O’Donoghue Ring Collection of Hotels said: “The rally showcases Killarney and picturesque surrounds to all who attend.With the festive season just around the corner, the rally followers create a great atmosphere around the town over the weekend.”
The town centre ceremonial start on Friday, November 29 will be the first opportunity for fans to engage with double World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä. The Flying Finn is on his first visit to Kerry and will drive Jason Black’s Toyota Starlet in the modified category.
All eyes will be on defending Modified Rally champion Rob Duggan. Will it be the local hero or the world champion who will come out on top in that battle?
But this rally is all about the Historic element and close to 80 genuine historic rally cars are set to take to the start line on Saturday morning. This is a record for the event and another step closer to Killarney and District Motor Club’s ambitions of hosting a full field of historic rally cars.
Leading the field away will be defending champion Jonny Greer in his Ford Sierra Cosworth who will be aiming for three-in-a-row.
His rivals include local driver Alan Ring who will compete in his Subaru Legacy and he would dearly love to win the rally that his family business is sponsoring.
Other contenders include former winners like Mark Falvey and Denis Moynihan their Ford Escort Mk1S and recently crowned Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Champion Neil Williams in his Ford Escort Mark2.
There is a fleet of BMW M3 E 30s in the rally which is going to make a spectacular sight on the classic stages around Carragh Lake and Moll’s Gap. These will be driven by Donagh Kelly who just pipped his fellow county man John O’Donnell in the recent Kerry Winter Rally for historic rally honours.
Donagh’s son Eamonn has put a late deal together to run a BMW as opposed to the advertised Ford Escort Mk2. Other examples will be driven by local man Paul Ahern who is also one of the associate sponsors of the rally.
Michael Cullen returns in his example and a Kerry man Fergus O’Meara will debut his newly acquired E30.
Other interesting include World Rally Championship co-driver Liam Regan who takes to the steering wheel for his annual visit to Killarney in his Skoda Estelle 130.
Atlanta-based Donegal man Seamus Burke returns in his BDA-powered Ford Escort and Joe White flies in from San Fransisco to drive an Austin Mini.
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