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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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Killarney Valley Classic & Vintage Club to host open coffee morning

Killarney Valley Classic & Vintage Club (KVCVC) will hold an open coffee morning on Sunday, March 30, from 10am to 12pm at the Vintage Shed, Upper Lewis Road. The event […]

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Killarney Valley Classic & Vintage Club (KVCVC) will hold an open coffee morning on Sunday, March 30, from 10am to 12pm at the Vintage Shed, Upper Lewis Road.

The event aims to welcome new members.
“Everyone is welcome. Come look around, chat, see some of our upcoming projects. It might be something that is right up your street,” said club chairman Tom Leslie.
The club also participated in the St Patrick’s Day parade.
The KVCVC is also offering a special March promotion on merchandise. Regatta jackets are now available for €55, a €5 discount. For further details, contact Tim on 087 4551887.

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West Cork Rally next up for Cronin and Galvin

Killarney and District Motor Club members Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have confirmed their entry for the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Rally […]

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Killarney and District Motor Club members Keith Cronin and Mikie Galvin have confirmed their entry for the Quality Hotel West Cork Rally, the opening round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

This follows their second-place finish on the East Riding Rally in Yorkshire, the British championship opener over the weekend.

Cronin and Galvin, driving a Citroën C3 Rally 2 finished 23.8 seconds behind winners William Creighton and Liam Regan, and 9.2 seconds ahead of James Williams and Ross Whittock. Damp and challenging conditions made the event a tough one.
“Going into this rally, my hope was for a podium finish, so this is a good result to get the year under way, after the first couple of rounds went so badly for us in 2024,” said Cronin.
“I think we struggled a bit at the start today, it’s still not 100% clicking, but I think with a bit more fine tuning we’ll get there. In general I’m very happy with the way things worked out. There’s a lot to learn with a new car and new tyres.”

The West Cork Rally on St. Patrick’s weekend will now kick off the 2025 Irish Tarmac Championship, following the Galway Rally’s postponement. Cronin and Galvin, the reigning Tarmac champions, won the West Cork event last year and will be aiming for a repeat victory.

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