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Rally legends to gather for Circuit of Kerry’s 50th Anniversary

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A Who is Who of Circuit of Kerry Rally drivers and organisers are expected at the 50th-anniversary reunion in the Rose Hotel on March 8.

Since 1975, the rally has seen six local winners.
John Crone, the first Kerry Motor Club co-driver to win (1989), navigating for Mike Pattison, will return from Cobh.
A well-known photographer, some of Crone's work from Kerry rallies in the 70s and 80s will be displayed.
Killarney’s Donie O’Sullivan, who with Paul Nagle won in 2004, will attend. Later that year the Ford Focus WRC crew competed on Rallye Catalunya in Spain and that rally propelled Nagle to a career in the World Rally Championship,
Thomas Fitzmaurice and Fionn Foley, winners in 2012, and the latest local victor, Alan Ring (2015), will also be present.
Cork’s Ger Buckley, the most successful driver in the rally's history (1976, 77, 79, 80 and 81). Although Ger is not yet confirmed, members of the Buckley family will be there to represent the Banteer man.
Buckley’s last win in 1981 was at the wheel of a Vauxhall Chevette HSR, a car that has its own Circuit of Kerry history. It was subsequently owned by Demi Fitzgerald, who won the rally in the same car in 1982 and 1983. The fully restored Chevette, in Buckley’s iconic colours, will be on display.
1996 winners Stephen Murphy and MJ Morrisey will also attend.
Morrisey’s connection goes back to the second-ever Circuit of Kerry in 1976 when his name was on the entry list. He is the current Masters World Rally Champion, having clinched that official FIA title alongside Eamonn Boland last year.
Original organisers, including Clerk of the Course Mike Marshall and Deputy Clerk Rae Kelliher, are confirmed.
The reunion is part of the 50th-anniversary celebrations, kicking off with a launch event at the Rose Hotel on March 8 at 6 pm. The 2025 Rose Hotel Circuit of Kerry Rally takes place on March 30.
extra special, marking the 50th anniversary of the rally's start back in 1975.
There is an open invitation to everyone involved with the Circuit of Kerry since 1975 – past competitors, organisers, marshals, fans, and anyone with a connection to the event to attend the launch and reunion on March 8 at the Rose Hotel from 6 pm to 9 pm.
The evening will begin with a formal launch where clerk of the course Jonathan O’Shea and his organising team will announce further details of the rally.
This will be followed by an informal reunion in Dott’s Bat in the hotel later that evening.
A display of Circuit of Kerry memorabilia, including official programmes and other items of interest, will be on show, and the club encourages attendees to bring along any memorabilia they might have to share.
The 2025 route will revisit the classic Camp Mountain stage, a key part of the original 1975 rally.
The Circuit of Kerry is part of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship, the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, and the Moriarty’s Central Car Sales Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship. The rally will also host the new Dacia Sandero Rally Cup.
Following the success of the Kerry Winter Rally in November, the North Campus of the Munster Technological University will host the rally’s service park.

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Two Rally Legends added to Rally Masters line-up

Killarney Rally Masters has confirmed two more high-profile additions for its event at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, September 27. Irish rally icon Andrew Nesbitt and Swedish star Kalle Grundel have […]

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Killarney Rally Masters has confirmed two more high-profile additions for its event at Killarney Racecourse on Saturday, September 27.

Irish rally icon Andrew Nesbitt and Swedish star Kalle Grundel have been added to the list of competitors.
Nesbitt will drive his famous Mitsubishi Lancer WRC, the car he used to win the 2006 Donegal International Rally. The Killarney event will be the last chance for Irish fans to see the car before it heads to San Marino for Rally Legend the following weekend. Nesbitt is a two-time winner of the Rally of the Lakes.
In a remarkable story, Grundel will be reunited with a man involved in a frightening incident from the 1986 Circuit of Ireland Rally. Nearly 40 years ago, Grundel’s Ford RS200 struck a young spectator who ran onto the road. The man, now grown, will meet Grundel for the first time at the Killarney event. An RS200 will also be part of the reunion.
The one-day showcase will feature 50 cars from the Group B, Group A, and early WRC eras. Other confirmed drivers include Billy Coleman and Patrick Snijers in BMW M3s, and World Rally Championship driver Josh McErlean in a Ford Focus WRC.
Organised by Killarney and District Motor Club, with support from Motorsport Ireland and Kingfisher Insurance the event will raise funds for the Jack and Jill Foundation and Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice.
Tickets are already selling fast and organisers expect a sell-out well in advance of rally day.

Rally Masters Ireland
Date: Saturday, 27 September 2025
Venue: Killarney Racecourse
Gates Open: 10.00am
Tickets: Adult €25, Family (2 adults + 2 children) €60, Under 18s €10, Under 10s free (with adult, must be pre-booked)
Tickets available now via Eventbrite: – subject to a booking fee
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rally-masters-killarney-tickets-1561967971249

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Cannonball Supercar run route to Brehon confirmed

The Killarney stage of the 2025 Cannonball Run has been confirmed with more than 200 supercars and hypercars set to arrive in the town on Friday, September 12. After leaving […]

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The Killarney stage of the 2025 Cannonball Run has been confirmed with more than 200 supercars and hypercars set to arrive in the town on Friday, September 12.

After leaving the Cork city lunch halt the cars will roll into Killarney at around 5:45pm, finishing the opening day at The Brehon Hotel.
Spectators will be able to view the cars at the car parks of The Brehon and The Gleneagle Hotel, with the line-up expected to include Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin and Maserati models, along with headline cars such as a Koenigsegg Regera, a McLaren Senna, and a Ford GT Heritage Series in Gulf Oil livery.
On Saturday, September 13, the convoy departs Killarney at 10am and will head for Circle K Ballysimon, Limerick, where it is due to stop for fuel at 11:30am before continuing north towards Sligo.

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