Rally Ireland in 2025?

[RallyCiaran]

Sure with the road miles they do these days no matter where the base is they could end up with stages in any part of the country.

 

[cormac81]

Hoping Waterford gets it, my mate lives in the city.

 

[DC.]

So it’s being shared between all 3 venues on a yearly basis.

 

[RallyCiaran]

Feels like a wee bit of a cop out to pick all three rather than focusing on developing one site and improving each year.
But good to see things taking a step closer.

 

[FM155]

Listened to Donagh Kelly speak and his view was that rotating the venue is good for sustainability of the event going forward, giving stages, residents and local organisers a break so they are ready for it to return in a couple of years. All sounds sensible tbh, also stops gurning from the areas that didn't get it and encourages working together to get a regular WRC spot on the calendar.

 

[Graham]

Wouldn’t surprise me if JP McManus helps the Limerick bid.

Either which way it’s fantastic to see it coming back.

Looks like all three will get it, pending a 15,000,000 Euro backing from the government for the three years.

 

[RallyCiaran]

Looks like all three will get it, pending a 15,000,000 Euro backing from the government for the three years.

No wonder they couldn't make WRC Northern Ireland work a few years ago if it needed 15 million. No chance of our lot handing over that amount of cash to motorsport.

 

[Artoir]

Looks like all three will get it, pending a 15,000,000 Euro backing from the government for the three years.

It seems to have decent support at a government level in ROI so fingers crossed. Any indications on when they’ll decide yet?

 

[Graham]

No wonder they couldn't make WRC Northern Ireland work a few years ago if it needed 15 million. No chance of our lot handing over that amount of cash to motorsport.

It's around £3m GBP, roughly per event that the promoter gets. The money was there for it, and Stormont are not to blame for it not coming to NI.

It seems to have decent support at a government level in ROI so fingers crossed. Any indications on when they’ll decide yet?

I'd imagine the money will need to be promised to the promoter by Autumn for inclusion next season.

 

[Gambit]

Looks like all three will get it, pending a 15,000,000 Euro backing from the government for the three years.

with an estimated 300m return over those 3 years 'they say' - makes it sound very appealing business case!

 

[RallyCiaran]

Last time Rally Ireland was on it was almost too expensive to go to. The price of hotels and restaurants went crazy.
Scared away a lot of foreign visitors.
Hope it's more sensible this time.

 

[Graham]

with an estimated 300m return over those 3 years 'they say' - makes it sound very appealing business case!

We all know a very broken calculator works out these figures. But don't tell those who might feed us the sport on the island lol.

 

[gpaevo]

Last time Rally Ireland was on it was almost too expensive to go to. The price of hotels and restaurants went crazy.
Scared away a lot of foreign visitors.
Hope it's more sensible this time.

They'll always rip the hole out of it.

Last time I stayed in Kesh and drove over to the stages everyday.

 

[DC.]

Airbnb’s will hopefully make it more affordable this time around. I remember sleeping in a Ford Focus last time.

I know the WRC isn’t in the best of health at the moment but will be nice to have the world’s best on our stages.

 

[Graham]

Airbnb’s will hopefully make it more affordable this time around. I remember sleeping in a Ford Focus last time.

I know the WRC isn’t in the best of health at the moment but will be nice to have the world’s best on our stages.

I'd say Hotel Superb de Skoda will be booked for myself lol

 

[RallyCiaran]

Biggest shame of the whole thing is that we had 2 top drivers from the island of Ireland in the WRC in recent years and currently we have none.
Imagine the buzz if Meeke and Breen had been in with an opportunity to win the thing.

Don't think we will have any Rally1 drivers for 2025 but maybe the later years.

 

[Graham]

Biggest shame of the whole thing is that we had 2 top drivers from the island of Ireland in the WRC in recent years and currently we have none.
Imagine the buzz if Meeke and Breen had been in with an opportunity to win the thing.

Don't think we will have any Rally1 drivers for 2025 but maybe the later years.

Without doubt!

Though I can see KM getting handed a Rally 1 for it from Toyota.

The best driver on the Island, Jon Armstrong, needs a Rally 2 seat for a year or two, he definitely has the talent for Rally 1 success,

 

[RallyCiaran]

Without doubt!

Though I can see KM getting handed a Rally 1 for it from Toyota.

The best driver on the Island, Jon Armstrong, needs a Rally 2 seat for a year or two, he definitely has the talent for Rally 1 success,

Yea Jon is excellent. If I had money he is the one I would back.
Pity he doesn't get any of the Motorsport Ireland/John Coyne funding.

 

[FM155]

He has some pace, just needs to turn it into a championship win of some sort.

 

[RallyCiaran]

He has some pace, just needs to turn it into a championship win of some sort.

Well Armstrong did win the Rally3 class in the European Rally Championship in 2023. Wasn't great depth of competition but he did drive well.

Saw this today, there could be potential for a few more locals to be in the running if they change to Rally2+ for 2025.

 

[Statler]

Hamilton's Folly, with a nice young French lass in an Audi Quattro S2.
Ahh the memories of Group B, a 5 day International rally, sleeping rough and running stages all over the Island.
Good days

 

[FM155]

Top hairpin, 1985 COI, amazing sounds!

Later that day at Ballynoe

 

[gpaevo]

WRC Rally Ireland Bid Under Threat - The Motorsport Hub

A World Rally Championship return to Ireland, possibly as soon as next year, is still in a state of flux with some stakeholders becoming somewhat frustrated by the lack of information. Motorsport Ireland’s bid to host three rounds of the WRC (2025-2027) is predicated on the success of a funding...

themotorsporthubni.com

 

[Jethro]

Hamilton's Folly, with a nice young French lass in an Audi Quattro S2.
Ahh the memories of Group B, a 5 day International rally, sleeping rough and running stages all over the Island.
Good days

Oh yes, Hamiltons Folly in the good days and then the health and safety brigade fcked it up for everyone and made them stand 2 fields away

 

[FM155]

We went to the "COI" there last week to look at the first stage and got chased away from a hairpin where we were on the inside behind a fence with a row of concrete posts. Granted, there was a slight kink on the entry but they were on the offside away from the posts. Not going to start giving manners to a marshal so we went down the field and got to a place that was ok-ish.