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Local rivalries add spice to Rally of the Lakes

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Callum Devine and Muckross co-driver Noel O’Sullivan are chasing a fourth successive win on this weekend’s Assess Ireland rally of the Lakes.

Their principal opposition will come from reigning Irish Tarmac rally champion Keith Cronin and co-driver Mikie Galvin.
Cronin acknowledges the difficulty of the rally.
He said "Callum and Noel started the year late, but they already have a maximum score from the Circuit, and they always go well in Killarney, they've won the last three. If they were to repeat those results again this season it would be very difficult to hold them back from winning the championship. We'll have to give it our best to stay in the mix." Cronin also recognises the challenge from Meirion Evans and local co-driver Ger Conway in their Toyota Yaris Rally2.
Twelve months ago, Cronin and Galvin took the lead on stage two, and built up a sizable advantage of over half a minute through the next few tests.
It seemed that they were on an unassailable path to victory, but that outcome was undone by a puncture on Ardgroom. They eventually took fastest time on ten of the event's fourteen stages, but that was not enough to undo the damage, and the win went to Devine and O'Sullivan, marking their third Rally of the Lakes success in a row.
Cronin and Galvin went on to win the Tarmac Championship, but only after tie-break ruke separated them from Devine and O'Sullivan, who finished the year on the same points total.
Devine and O'Sullivan will lead the Rally of the Lakes field away from the Killarney start as the No. 1 seeds in their Skoda Fabia RS. They will be followed by Cronin and Galvin in their Citroën,
The rally also features local talent in the modified category, with Killarney aces Colin O’Donoghue and Robert Duggan the top two seeds.
Event Schedule:
The Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes begins with the Ceremonial Start in Killarney town centre on Friday evening.
The competitive action starts early on Saturday, with the first of nine stages at 8:13 am. Saturday’s route consists of three loops of three stages: Headford, Lisbabe, and Red Bog, located east and north of Killarney.
Sunday features the iconic Molls Gap stage at 10:50 am, followed by Beallaghbeama and Shanara, with this loop repeated in the afternoon. The Finish Ramp celebrations will take place at Rally Headquarters, the Gleneagle Hotel, at 5:15 pm on Sunday.

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Minister Niall Collins visits KCYS Youth Diversion Project

Kerry Community Youth Service (KCYS) was pleased to welcome Minister Niall Collins to its Youth Diversion Project in Kilarney last week. The visit gave the Minister an opportunity to meet […]

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Kerry Community Youth Service (KCYS) was pleased to welcome Minister Niall Collins to its Youth Diversion Project in Kilarney last week.

The visit gave the Minister an opportunity to meet staff and hear directly about the work of the Kerry Youth Diversion Project, including early intervention, family support, court accompaniment and wider youth justice practice across the county.
KCYS supports young people across a broad continuum of services in Kerry, from preventative and developmental youth work through to highly targeted interventions for young people and families facing significant challenge and complexity. The Youth Diversion Project forms an important part of that wider continuum of support.
Speaking following the visit, Seamus Whitty, CEO of KCYS, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Minister Collins to Kerry and to have the opportunity to give him a sense of the breadth and depth of the work being carried by the Youth Diversion Project here.
The Youth Diversion Project in Kerry is a strong and well-developed intervention, grounded in practice, informed by evidence, and marked by innovation in how it supports young people and families. It is part of a broader continuum of supports provided by KCYS, and it depends on strong collaboration across teams, services and community partners to make a real difference in people’s lives.
It is also important to acknowledge the Department’s continued commitment to youth justice. The policy direction in this area has been a progressive one, and that has created space for work of this kind to develop and respond to need in a meaningful way.”
The visit highlighted the scale and complexity of the work being carried by the KCYS team, and the importance of sustained investment in youth work responses for young people and families.

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Cllr O’Callaghan highlights deep-rooted bond between town and rally

Representing the Killarney Municipal District at Sunday’s Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes launch, Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan praised the enduring partnership between the Rally of the Lakes and the […]

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Representing the Killarney Municipal District at Sunday’s Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes launch, Cllr Niall ‘Botty’ O’Callaghan praised the enduring partnership between the Rally of the Lakes and the local community.

For the O’Callaghan family, the event is deeply personal; they own and operate the Failte Hotel on College Street, a landmark business that has grown alongside the rally for decades.
Cllr O’Callaghan noted that the history of the Failte Hotel is inextricably linked with the rally’s heritage, serving as a hub for competitors and fans since the early days of the event.
He said that the rally has become a vital part of the fabric of Killarney life, providing a massive economic and social boost to the town. “The rally has been part of the hotel’s history as much as the hotel has been part of the rally’s history,” he told the gathered crowd, expressing his pride in seeing the tradition continue.
He welcomed the organisers and sponsors to Gleneagle, wishing the event continued success as it remains a cornerstone of the Killarney sporting calendar.

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