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Rally Ireland (Sligo) - 15-16 Oct 05Posted: October 19, 2005 10:43 PM - 32388 Hits
Posted: October 19, 2005 10:43 PM
Full Results and Stagetimes
Wilson wins First Rally Ireland ENGLAND'S MATTHEW WILSON HAS CLEAR WIN IN RALLY IRELAND PILOT EVENT A RESOUNDING SUCCESS England's Matthew Wilson, piloting a Ford Focus WRC and partnered by Michael Orr from Bangor, Co. Down, had a clear victory in Rally Ireland 2005, the pilot event held over two days in Sligo, Leitrim and Fermanagh. Jointly sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events Company, the aim of Rally Ireland is to ensure that Ireland is included as a round of the World Rally Championship on an annual basis from 2007. Sean O'Connor, Co-Promoter of Rally Ireland, said: "This pilot event exceeded our expectations and we are very happy overall. The feedback from our international visitors has been most positive." Ronan Morgan, fellow Co-Promoter of Rally Ireland, said "We have achieved a great deal in a short period of time. While we are not complacent, we know we have a very solid foundation to work on in our bid to have Ireland included in the World Rally Championship." Tom Nolan, Clerk of the Course said: "Our systems worked very well, any incidents that arose were dealt with promptly and successfully." The event was attended in Enniskillen by the Rt. Hon. Peter Hain, MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Wales, and Mr. Pat The Cope Gallagher, TD, Minister for the Marine, Communications and Natural Resources. The margin of Matthew Wilson's victory ahead of second placed Eamonn Boland of Wexford (also driving a Ford Focus WRC) was four minutes, 55.2 seconds. Dublin's Gareth MacHale secured third place in his Toyota Corolla WRC. Swedish visitor, Daniel Carlsson, finished in fourth place on the overall leaderboard, and won the Group N Production category in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7, despite picking up a 30 second penalty for a jump start on stage ten. The World Rally Championship regular was fulsome of his praise of the event. "There is no reason why Ireland should not be in the World Championship," he said. Belgium's Freddy Loix finished fifth in the diminutive, two-wheel drive Suzuki Ignis Super 1600, an excellent result considering that he was giving away a significant traction advantage to the four wheel drive WRC's and Group N cars. Freddie Loix/Robin Buysmans (Suzuki Ignis S1600) Photo: www.roydempster.com The remaining positions in the top ten were taken by Sean Devine, Roy White, George Tracey, Gordon Coleman and John McLaughlin. Jaan Molder of Estonia finished eleventh. WORLD OF DISAPPOINTMENT FOR JENNINGS Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy set some stunning times on this weekend's Rally Ireland but retired on day one while seventh overall and second in Group N. The brand new rally had been put together in around six months with collaboration between Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events tourism bodies. The plan to make the event a round of the World Rally Championship by 2007 began in fine style in front of Sligo town hall on Friday night where the 2005 Irish Tarmac Group N Champion Autocar Logistics team was raring to go. “Its great to be here,” said Garry, “and support Ireland’s bid for a round of the World Rally Championship. The Group N entries are all high class and we’re going to have to push hard for a good result.” On Saturday morning at 8am Garry and Rory lined up at the start of the first stage determined to keep the front runners in sight. With just a fine mist of rain in the air they needn't have worried since the clocks stopped 10:48.6 minutes later and they found themselves second in their class and in 7th place overall. "Stage one was very greasy," commented Rory, "but we made the right choice of Kumho tyre and apart from a couple of understeer moments, it was fine." By the start of stage two the roads had begun to dry slightly, but there was still no margin for error and Garry was fighting the car round the hairpins. "I'm having to pull the handbrake to here," said Garry at service, indicating the straight up position,” and we lost the front brakes towards the end of the second stage, but the times are good." The overall results showed his assessment to be somewhat of an understatement, as the crew was now 4.1 seconds clear of fellow Group N runner Aaron MacHale and just 9.3 seconds down on 5th place. "We had a big moment on SS2," added Rory, "one of the notes was a bit optimistic and we went down both ditches before sorting it out." The Autocar Logistics car was checked over and the brakes bled by the KG Motorsport mechanics, Garry keeping his sponsors happy by instructing the lads to, "Give it a wash if you've time", before leaving the service area at Enniskillen for a repeat of stages one and two. The first of the pair of stages went without a hitch, although Daniel Carlsson had a big push, leapfrogging his Group N Mitsubishi to fifth place, but stage four proved a different story. Shortly after the start Garry went to change gear and something was obviously not right. As the car approached the three mile point the problem was evident from the outside too. Six seconds down and now visibly struggling for gears the crew pushed on, eventually coming to a halt after sticking in fourth gear. Back at service the despondent pair looked on as the mechanics searched for the source of the problem, tracing it to a broken pin in the selection mechanism. "We're obviously gutted," said Garry, “The pin that broke costs about 20 pence and if we’d got to service it was a ten minute fix.” He shrugged, “We were building confidence on each of the stages and I was really looking forward to the gravel on Sunday.” He continued, "The organisers have allowed us to run as course car 00 in front of the rally but it won't be the same. At least the locals who have come out to support us will still get to see us in action." The crowds turned out in force on Sunday in the forests between the host town Sligo and Enniskillen and there was a definite buzz as the car passed. But the results eventually showed the leading Group N runner, Carlsson, in fourth place overall, a position that could have easily been occupied by Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy. The event itself was a real success with spectators and crews alike praising the organisation. “The whole event was well put together,” said Garry at the finish, “and I hope the FIA makes the right decision. The support for motorsport in Ireland is fantastic and people from all over the world will see what a beautiful country this is.” The Autocar Logistics team would like to thank KG Motorsport, Kumho Tyres, Trunk Flooring, all at Jennings Fuels and Lubricants, The Auto Part Centre, Sydare Eggs and The Mallard Bar for their continuing support. Results 1 Matthew Wilson/Michael Orr (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 01m 07s, 2 Eamonn Boland/Francis Regan (Ford Focus WRC) 2h 06m 02.2s, 3 Gareth McHale/Paul Nagle (Toyota Corolla WRC) 2h 07m 11.3s, 4 Daniel Carlsson/Mattias Andersson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) GpN 2h 08m 23.4s, 5 Freddie Loix/Robin Buysmans (Suzuki Ignis S1600) 2h 10m 42.3s, 6 Sean Devine/Killian Duffy (Subaru Impreza WRC) 2h 11m 43.2s, 7 Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) GpN 2h 12m 16.9s, 8 George Tracey/Jane O’Connor (Peugeot 206 WRC) 2h 14m 40.6s, 9 Gordon Coleman/James Gallagher (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6) GpN 2h 15m 02.2s, 10 John McGlaughlin/David McElroy (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) GpN 2h 15m 25.3s. Class winners: Kenneth McHale/Derek McCarthy (Toyota Yaris), Paddy Walker/Jonathan McKenna (Honda Civic), Daniel Carlsson/Mattias Andersson, Peter Devaney/Jackie Donaldson (Nissan Micra), Freddie Loix/Robin Buysmans, Sean Devine/Killian Duffy.
Rally Ireland Offical Website - www.rallyireland.org
Motorsport Photography by Anthony Hunter RMS - www.reallymeansounds.com Ábhus An Seo (Neil McDaid - USA) Roy Dempster Photos crspics.com - Counihan Rallysport Pictures Eymard Brennan Photography James Burkee Photography - www.jamesburkee.com Sperrins Photography - John O'Neill NG Motorsport Images
 Group N Winners: Daniel Carlsson/Mattias Andersson (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7) PRE EVENT NEWS
12/10/05 JENNINGS GOES WORLD CLASS Garry Jennings and Rory Kennedy will contest the Sligo based Rally Ireland this weekend on a high from their recent victory in the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Group N Championship, The pair reflects the cross border feel of the wannabe World Rally Championship event, with Garry hailing from County Fermanagh and Rory from County Donegal. The event could be considered as local to both but Garry will enjoy particular community support as the event’s base on Saturday and Sunday will be just a handful of miles from his home near Enniskillen. This rally has an ambitious yet achievable target of inclusion in the World Rally Championship by 2007, a goal undertaken by Rally Ireland Management Ltd. The 2005 event is seen as a pilot, with FIA observers scrutinising this and the 2006 rally, with Ireland’s acceptance to the WRC fold planned just a year later. The Autocar Logistics team is ready for the challenge and is delighted to be part of Ireland’s bid for World Rally recognition. “I think I speak for everyone involved with the team,” said Garry, “in wishing the event every success. I’m proud to be part of the community that will host the service area, after all it is the hub of activity on a rally and I know there will be lots of local support.” “We’re delighted to be seeded at number eleven and with 39 in our class, it will be a fantastic battle for the category win.” added Rory. “The additional support we’ve had from Autocar Logistics and continuing support from Kumho Tyres has made adding this event to our 2005 calendar possible and we want to do our best.” With no championship constraints they will be let off the leash in the Mitsubishi Evo 8 for the first time and the crew would like to mix it with car number one. Coming straight from driving the works Peugeot 307 on Rally Japan, Swede Daniel Carlsson will lead the field away in an almost identical Group N Mitsubishi, but Garry is realistic about the challenge. “I’ve had a look at his results and he won the South Swedish rally a couple of years ago in an Evo 7 as well as the mall matter of him being a works WRC driver. But he will be a good yardstick and we won’t let him go without a fight.” The 2005 event is made up of 235kms comprising asphalt stages on Saturday and gravel stages on Sunday. The inaugural Rally Ireland has a ceremonial start at 9pm on Friday in Sligo City centre, with the first stage starting on the outskirts at 8.30am on Saturday. Pairs of stages are separated by service at St Angelo Airport just north of Enniskillen and the cars return to Sligo after stage six for the overnight halt back at Sligo. On Sunday morning the teams have an hour and fifty minutes to prepare the cars for the change of surface with the stages starting at around 10am. Three stages are repeated with a service at the halfway point and after stage twelve, a chance to clean off the mud before the celebrations in Sligo at around 4.30pm. Around eighty crews will contest the new event and its success will depend on the many months of preparation by the organisers and of course the spectacle provided by some of the Ireland’s and the world’s top drivers. 12/10/05 RALLY IRELAND ANNOUNCES 2005 EVENT SCHEDULE Rally Ireland is pleased to announce today (Monday, 10th October 2005) the 2005 event schedule, which will take competitors through some of the most spectacular scenery in the North West of the country on Saturday, 15th and Sunday, 16th October. The Ceremonial Start of the rally will be started by the Mayor of Sligo, Rosaleen O’Grady, and the Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, Stephen Huggett, in Sligo City at 9.00pm on Friday, 14th October. The rally will begin at 8.00am on Saturday, 15th October, just south of Colgagh Lough outside Sligo City. Leg 1 The first leg of the rally will comprise six stages on tarmac in counties Sligo and Leitrim. The 20km first stage (Isle of Innishfree Easterly) will take competitors around Lough Gill and finish in Cartron Forest. Isle of Innishfree will be run in a westerly direction as the last stage (sixth stage) on Saturday, as the cars return to Sligo for the night. The 25km second (and fourth) stage (Lough Melvin 1 & 2) starts just west of Manorhamilton and will take drivers around Dough Mountain, along the Owenbeg and Ballagh rivers, past Rossinver and up to the shores of Lough Melvin. The 22km third (and fifth) stage (Glenboy 1 & 2) will start at Glenfarne and bring drivers through East Barrs, Glenboy and on to just north of Killarga. Leg 2 On Sunday, 16th October, starting in Enniskillen Airport at 8.00am, the second leg will also comprise six stages and will take place on gravel in county Fermanagh forests. The 15km seventh (and tenth) stage (Lough Navar 1 & 2) will take place in Navar Forest beside Lower Lough Erne. The 25km ninth (and twelfth) stage (Ballintempo 1 & 2) will start in Carrigan Forest and take drivers through Ballintempo Forest to Tullynacor on Upper Macrean Lough. The twelfth stage (Ballintempo 2) will also take place over 25km in the Carrigan and Ballintempo forests. The short eighth and eleventh stages will be run in the Conagher forest, but there is no access for spectators or media. Andrew Nesbitt & James O'Brien have withdrawn from the rally. Others not starting include Willie Fannin & Eddie Garry. 29/09/05 79 ENTRIES FOR RALLY IRELAND 2005 BEST OF LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL TALENT TO COMPETE IN PILOT EVENT FOR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP BID Rally Ireland is pleased to announce that 75 entries in 8 classes have entered Rally Ireland 2005, the pilot event for Ireland’s bid to secure a round in the World Rally Championship (WRC). Rally Ireland 2005 will take place in Sligo, Leitrim and Fermanagh on 14th - 16th October. Ronan Morgan, co-promoter of Rally Ireland said, “We are delighted by the high standard of entries for Rally Ireland 2005. Having world class competitors such as Swedish star Daniel Carlsson and Belgian Freddy Loix competing with a host of home-grown talent will make this a very exciting and challenging event.” “We are very confident of Ireland’s professional and infrastructural capacity to secure a round of the WRC for Ireland, despite strong competition from other countries. Ireland has a long history of rallying and now has the highest number of rally competitions per capita in the world. Should Ireland be successful in its bid this will be the largest annual sporting event in Ireland, attracting 200,000 spectators and 770 million TV viewers in 61 countries,” Mr Morgan concluded. Along with top international drivers Freddy Loix and Daniel Carlsson, two 18‑year olds will also be competing - Matt Wilson, son of Malcolm Wilson of the Ford Motorsport Team, and Estonian Jaan Molder. This is the fourth time Wilson will compete in Ireland, having already competed twice in the Donegal International Rally and once in the Ulster Rally earlier this year. Molder, who is in his first year of racing, finished 27th overall and 9th in Group N in the recent Wales Rally GB. Irish talent will include three members of the McHale family, five times tarmc champion, Austin, and his two sons Gareth and Aaron, as well as recently crowned Northern Ireland Rally champion, Kevin Lynch. Former Irish tarmac champion Andrew Nesbitt will also compete. Rally Ireland is also pleased to announce the only female entrant to the event, Northern Ireland’s top female driver, 22-year old Emma McKinstry. At only 22 years of age, Emma finished 18th overall and 5th in Group N in the EuroCables Championship this year. This is the best ever result for a female in a Northern Ireland Championship. She has been rallying for 4 years. Rally Ireland is a joint initiative of Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC). This year’s pilot event will be followed by an FIA observed event in the first half of 2006 which will allow the FIA to consider Ireland’s bid for the WRC from 2007. Final Entry List Seed DRIVER:/CO-DRIVER (CAR) [CLASS] 1 Daniel Carlsson/Mattias Andersson (Subaru Impreza WRX) [N4] 2 Freddie Loix/Robin Buysmans (Suzuki Ignis S1600) [A6] 3 Andrew Nesbitt/James O’Brien (Subaru Impreza WRC) [A8] 4 Kevin Lynch/TBA (Subaru Impreza WRC) [A8] 5 Austin McHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus WRC) [A8] 6 Eamon Boland/Francis Regan (Ford Focus WRC) [A8] 7 Mathew Wilson/Scott Martin (Ford Focus WRC) [A8] 8 Gareth McHale/Paul Nagle (Toyota Corolla WRC) [A8] 9 Glen Allen/Damian Connolly (Toyota Corolla WRC) [A8] 10 Sean Devine/Killian Duffy (Subaru Impreza N10) [N4] 11 Gary Jennings/Rory Kennedy (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 12 Seamus Leonard/Gerry McVeigh (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8.5) [N4] 14 Shaun Gallagher /Charlie McGinty (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [] 15 George Tracey/Joan O' Connor (Peugeot 206 WRC) [A8] 16 Roy White/Stephen McAuley (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 9) [N4] 17 Willie Fannin/M. Courtney (Subaru Impreza N9) [N4] 18 John McLaughlin/David McElroy (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7) [N4] 19 Terry McGonigle/Sean Harris (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [] 20 Seamus Donnelly/Damian Duffin (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 21 Stephen Moore/Martin Hanna (Subaru Impreza N10) [N4] 22 Trevor J Harding/John Carroll (Subaru Impreza WRX) [A8] 23 Aaron McHale/Gerard McMonagle. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8.5) [N4] 24 Jaan Molder/Vunn Tunn (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 25 Noel McCarrick/Eugene O’Donnell. (Subaru Impreza WRC) [A8] 26 Glen Wilson/Paddy Robinson (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 27 Paddy White/Martin Brady (Subaru Impreza) [] 28 Kevin O’Donoghue/TBA (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [] 29 Gavin Harris/Shaun Lafferty (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 30 Phil Morgan/James Philips (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7) [N4] 31 Brian Lawlor/Peter Kavanagh. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7) [N3] 32 Peter McCullagh/Greg McCarthy. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO) [N4] 33 Frank Kelly/Liam Brennan (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 5) [] 34 Paul Ward/Peter Ward (Subaru Impreza WRX) [N4] 35 G Quinn/M. Brady. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 36 Conor McCluskey /C. Henderson (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 37 Donagh Kelly/Adrian Deasy. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [] 38 E Donaghy/C. Donaghy. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 39 Conor Byrne/N. Byrne (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 7) [N4] 40 Enda Nolan/Michael Lyster (EVO7) [N4] 41 Pat Price/TBA (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 42 John O’Leary/Brian Duggan (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 43 BPDoherty/Ml O’Kane. (Skoda Fabia ) [A8] 44 Seamus Devine/Cahal Lagan (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 8) [N4] 45 Gordan Coleman/ (Mitsubishi EVO 8) [N4] 46 Michael Murray/T. Doyle (Subaru Impreza WRX) [A8] 47 Eddie Garry/Andrew Purcell (Subaru Impreza WRC) [A8] 48 Mark Nangle/Sean Flanagan (Subaru Impreza WRX) [N4] 49 Gary Cooney/J. Kilmurray (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [] 50 Martin Downey/Noel Downey (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [] 51 Brian O’Mahony/TBA (TBA) [] 52 AMcElhinney/M. McMenamin. (Peugeot 206 XSI) [] 53 Eamon McElvaney/A. Keena (Peugeot) [A6] 54 Darren Gass/ (Saxo S1600) [A6] 55 Philip Johnston/Graeme Stewart () [N4] 56 Daniel Barry/Mark Bowens (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N3] 57 John Buttimer/Declan Buttimer (Subaru ) [N4] 58 Emma McKinstry/E. O’Kane (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [A6] 59 S Feely/J.McGrath. (Mitsubishi Lancer EVO 6) [N4] 60 John Mulholland/Eamon Gorman (Skoda Fabia) [A8] 61 Owen Murphy/Paul Williams (Evo 6) [] 62 B Connolly/Alister Wynn (Saxo ) [A6] 63 Colin Flanagan/Nigel Richardson (Puma) [] 64 B Horan/ (Subaru) [N4] 65 Sean Flanagan/Brian Miller. (Subaru ) [N4] 66 Andrew Mullen/E. Doherty (Ford Puma) [A5] 67 J Barry/K. Carroll (Civic) [N1] 68 C O’Reilly/G. O’Reilly (Ford Focus) [A7] 69 Seamus Gorman/Liam Gorman () [] 70 B McAree/V. McAree (Peugeot 206) [A6] 71 Jonathan McDaid/Simon Lasson (Peugeot 106) [] 72 Darah Rafferty/Mark Keane (Civic) [A6] 73 Peter Devaney/J. Donaldson (Nissan Micra) [A5] 74 Colm McBride/Barry McNulty (Peugeot) [A6] 75 William Mavitty/ (Peugeot 206 xsi) [A6] 76 Paddy Walker/R McLaughlin. (Civic) [N2] 77 Trevor Graham/Niall McCallice (Peugeot) [A6] 78 Andrew Stewart/Tony Gallagher (Suzuki Swift ) [A5] 79 Daniel Toland/ (Suzuki) [] 80 Damian Tourish/Do.McAlaney. (Civic) [] 81 Kenneth McHale/Derek McCarthy (Toyota Yaris) [N1] Further details on Rally Ireland: 20/09/05 Leading WRC photographers praise Rally Ireland stages and setting Free competition for Rally Fans Two of the worlds leading WRC Photographers have just completed a tour of the Rally Ireland route to develop a media guide of the event for attending media. The Italian duo toured all the special stages in Fermanagh, Sligo and Leitrim over two days. 
“Rally Ireland is in a stunning part of the world. A great setting for a rally,” said Germano Gritti, founder of Race & Motion Gritti, along with his partner Anna Canata were on their first visit to Ireland and were the first members of the press to view the route. Gritti and Canata are top WRC photographers, and have been involved in the WRC and motorsport for a number of years. They were impressed with the stages from both a photographic and rallying perspective. “I wouldn’t get in a car with Loeb on those stages,” joked Gritti in reference to the high speed nature of the route, but added, “stage 1 is beautiful and so many of the stages have great character. The rally is in a wonderful area, and I want to spend more time in the north-west of Ireland in the very near future.” Competition Gritti, who publishes the much sought after Race Emotions WRC photography book on an annual basis, is giving away 5 copies to Rally fans in Ireland. Simply click onto and go to the competition section for your chance to win this unique book. Closing date is September 30th. Best of luck! Newsletter for Motor club members Rally Ireland is pleased to bring you the first edition of Club News which is designed to keep members of the motor clubs informed about our plans. The motor club members will play an integral part in our bid to secure WRC status for Ireland. So your help is vital for this. Marshals Required To ensure the safe running of the event, Marshals are required. Persons wish to support Rally Ireland can contact Rosemary Walsh, Chief Marshall on +353 87 248 2713 or Drew Wilson on +44 7899 665932 David Williams Memorial Trophy to be awarded at Rally Ireland The spirit of the rally award in Rally Ireland will be titled the ‘David Williams Memorial Trophy’. The late journalist had a long affinity with the sport in Ireland and his family have fully endorsed this award. Rally Ireland is a new WRC candidate event. ‘’David made a massive contribution to the popularity of rallying in Ireland and around the World,‘’ said Rally Ireland promoters Sean O’Connor and Ronan Morgan. They added, ‘’he also loved coming here and we hope that this award will give him a permanent place in Irish Rallying.” David competed in a number of Irish over the years. The late journalist was a former editor of Motorsport News and founder of worldrallynews.com. The overall winner of the Rally will be presented with a miniature of the ‘Hands across the Divide‘ statue from Derry. This has been chosen to reflect the North –South nature of the event and the long term closeness within the rallying community on the island of Ireland. Rally Ireland will be run on mixed surfaces and the pilot event will run between Sligo and Enniskillen on October 14th–16th. Next year an FIA observed rally will be held. Rally Ireland is jointly promoted by former co-driver and Wales Rally GB Project Director, Ronan Morgan and long time Marlboro WRC representative Sean O’Connor. Further details on Rally Ireland: Loix to drive Suzuki 1600 in Ireland Opportunity for young Irish talent to prove their speed Belgian ace Freddy Loix has confirmed that he will compete in Rally Ireland. The 33 year old will drive a JM Engineering Suzuki Ignis 1600 in the 235km long three day WRC pilot event from October 14-16. The target of Rally Ireland is to secure WRC status in 2007. “I am very happy to be doing my first real rally in Ireland as I have heard some many good things about rallying in Ireland and your WRC plans” said the Belgian driver. Loix who has been a factory driver with Toyota, Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Peugeot has a wealth of WRC experience. He has previously competed at the Rally Experience event at Punchestown, Co. Meath and has visited Ireland on a number of occasions in the past. “This is a great chance for young Irish drivers to test their skills against Freddy as this will be a real benchmark of their talent‘’ said Rally Ireland promoter Sean O’Connor, who has enjoyed a long term friendship with the Belgian driver. 07/09/05 DUBLIN LAUNCH - Wednesday 7th September 05 IRELAND TO BID FOR WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP LARGEST ANNUAL SPORTING EVENT FOR ISLAND OF IRELAND POTENTIAL 770+ MILLION TV VIEWERS Daniel Carlsson to compete Rally Ireland (a joint initiative of Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC)) today, Wednesday, 7th September, launched its bid to host a round of the prestigious World Rally Championship in Ireland from 2007. The event will be the biggest cross-border sporting event in Ireland. The World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of the worlds most popular forms of motorsport with more than 11 million annual live spectators and an annual TV audience of more than 770 million. Half-year viewership figures for the WRC, published last week by International Sportsworld Communications (ISC), owners of the TV rights to the WRC, show a 14% increase in the number of TV viewers, against a backdrop of declining global TV audiences. A three-day pilot event, Rally Ireland 2005, will take place in the North West from 14th to 16th October as part of Irelands bid. The 235 km route of Rally Ireland 2005 will cross the North/South border on a number of occasions. For the first time in this country, the event will take place on a mixed surface (tarmac and gravel) to demonstrate Irelands capacity to run an event on either surface. The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John ODonoghue, TD, speaking at the launch said: Following an extensive feasibility study, we are very confident of Irelands professional and infrastructural capacity to secure a round of the WRC, despite strong competition from countries such as Norway, Jordan, Portugal, Poland, South Africa and the Czech Republic. Ireland has a long history of rallying and now has the highest number of rally competitors per capita in the world. Rally Ireland believes that Ireland would be the ideal location for the WRC with a professional event team, a low cost and accessible location, visually attractive countryside and the historical and current popularity of the sport in Ireland. Shaun Quinn, Chief Executive, Fáilte Ireland said: Our joint bid, if successful, will provide a unique opportunity to enhance the profile of Ireland as a holiday destination and showcase our wonderful scenery and great rallying terrain to a worldwide audience. We have already had considerable success in attracting high profile motor sports events to Ireland, and I am confident that the concerted professional campaign to bring a round of the World Rally Championship to Ireland will also be crowned with success. Seán OConnor, Co-Promoter of Rally Ireland said: Rally Ireland 2005 will be broadcast in 61 countries this year. Foreign interest is high and we are pleased to confirm that Swedish WRC star, Daniel Carlsson, a current Peugeot works driver, and winner of Rally Portugal earlier this year will take part. Should our WRC bid be successful the event would be the single largest annual sporting event on the island attracting 200,000 spectators and 770 million TV viewers. Rally Ireland has commissioned a copy of Maurice Harrons Hands Across the Divide bronze statue to present to the winner of this years pilot event in Enniskillen / Sligo on 15th and 16th October. Harron, a local art teacher created the striking work in 1992. The fine statue is designed to symbolise and explore issues of cultural belonging, heritage, race and social exclusion. Sean OConnor continued: This statue captures for us the spirit and essence of what this event is about integration, friendship and co-operation. The ultimate outcome of that cohesion will, we hope, ensure that a round of the World Rally Championship, and all the attendant benefits that it will bring to both sides of the border, will take place in Ireland in 2007 as a co-operative cross border project. Rally Ireland 2005 will be followed by Rally Ireland 2006, which will involve the observation of the sports governing body, Federation International de lAutomobile (FIA). This will allow the FIA to consider Irelands bid for the WRC from 2007. Daniel Carlsson who is signed to Peugeot WRC Team is to compete on Rally Ireland. Photo: www.roydempster.com 06/09/05 Rally Ireland Entries beginning to pour in. Ronan Morgan, Rally Ireland promoter has reported a strong interest from Irish and international rally crews for the inaugural October 14-16 event. Regulations and entry forms can be obtained from www.rallyireland.org or from Cynthia Fuery on +353 74 9123063 ‘’I think the mixed surface has captured the imagination of rally drivers, who are eager to test themselves over both surfaces in the same event,” said Morgan. Leg 1 will be on tarmac and leg 2 will be on gravel. The entry fee for Rally Ireland is €600. Rally HQ will be the Clarion Hotel Sligo, and the service park will be St Angelo Airport, Enniskillen. Regulations and further details on: 02/09/05 Ulster / Belgian duo to handle competitor’s liaison on Rally Ireland Rally Ireland has announced an experienced two man team to handle competitor’s relations for the October 15-16 pilot event. Antrim-based, Don Wilmont will take charge of domestic entries while Belgian Alain Penasse will take charge of the visiting teams. Wilmont is well known on the Irish rally scene. A former co-driver, Wilmont is currently a co-ordinator on the Pirelli Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Penasse is a former assistant team manager for Opel and Toyota WRC teams. He has also worked with both Mitsubishi and Peugeot in recent years on sponsorship management. He is fluent in English, French, German, Dutch and Estonian. ‘’We need both skills sets, Don knows all the Irish drivers and Alain all the WRC drivers, I am delighted to welcome them both onto the Rally Ireland team ‘’ said Rally Ireland promoter Ronan Morgan. Rally Ireland is a new cross-border event jointly funded by Fáilte Ireland and NIEC. The target of Rally Ireland is to secure WRC status in 2007. The Rally will be based this year in Sligo City with the Service Park located in Enniskillen. 21/08/05 Regulations available 10/08/05 RALLY IRELAND DELEGATION CONTINUE WRC EDUCATION The Rally Ireland delegation, returning from the Neste Rally Finland on Monday, reported very positive feedback from the trip. “We got a very warm reception from all the key players to Rally Ireland,” said Tom Nolan, Clerk of the Course. The delegation met with Rally Finland organisers, as well as a number of top WRC team management personnel. “However, we must deliver a WRC-level event to secure a Championship place.”  Pictured from left to right: Tom Nolan, Clerk of the Course, Marcus Gronholm, two time World Champion, Ivan Fuery, Rally Manager, Robert McDaid, Chief Timekeeper and Cynthia Fuery, Rally Secretary A total of four made up the Irish Delegation which forms part of the organising team for the inaugural Rally Ireland event taking place on October 15th and 16th in the North West. The target for this North-South event is to secure a World Rally Championship place for Ireland in 2007. 10/08/05 Sligo businessmen help Rally Ireland From the Sligo Weekender Newspaper Three prominent Sligo business figures have been added to the team hoping to bring a round of the World Rally Championship to Ireland. Motor trader Martin Reilly, buisnessman Tommy Mullen, who has sponsored many young rally drivers, and Sligo Chamber of Commerce CEO Marc McSharry will form a sub committee to help Rally Ireland organise its inaugural event later this year. Rally Ireland will take place over two days, October 15 and 16 and feature a raft of local, national and international drivers. Sligo will be the host city for the rally in October. It will be the logistical headquarters for the event and will welcome hundreds of rally crews and thousands of spectators over the weekend. The rally stages themselves will be held in Sligo, Leitrim and Donegal this year, although this is likely to expand to stages across the border in 2006. The entire Rally Ireland project is being managed by a 12-man committee which includes Sligomen Joe Corcoran and Robert Lyttle. Rally Ireland come to Stormont Photo: www.roydempster.com 03/08/05 The website for Rally Ireland has been launched: 26/07/05 Rally Ireland seek to learn from the Finns A Rally Ireland delegation will travel to the Neste Rally Finland on a WRC fact-finding mission this August 5th ' 8th. The delegation will include Clerk of the Course, Tom Nolan, Rally Manager, Ivan Fuery, Chief Timekeeper, Robert McDaid and management team member, Stephen Finlay. Rally Finland has long been viewed as one of the best organised rounds of the WRC. The Irish delegation will meet their Finnish counterparts in addition to the leading teams and drivers during the visit. As Rally Ireland will introduce WRC level timing systems for the first time in Ireland the Irish group will also get an on site briefing from ISCT, who provide the service on all WRC rounds. 'We are hoping to secure WRC status for Rally Ireland in three years and this means that we need to be at WRC status from the start,' said promoter Sean O'Connor, 'the Finnish trip will help accelerate the learning curve for our team.' Rally Ireland, a mixed surface event is scheduled to take place on October 15th ' 16th. The host city will be Sligo and the service park will be based at Enniskillen airport. The cross border event is licensed by Motorsport Ireland and supported by both Governments through the Northern Ireland Events Company and Failte Ireland. 05/07/05 Remarks by John O'Donoghue T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism at the launch of the World Rally Championship Bid in Stormont on Monday, 4th July 2005 at 5pm "I am very pleased to be here this evening at the launch of this joint initiative to host a round of the FIA World Rally Championships. The Irish Government attaches great importance to North/South Co-operation as an essential component of the Good Friday Agreement. Despite recent challenges in the Peace process, this co-operation is continuing to work extremely well to the benefit of all the people on the island and we will work in partnership with the British Government to ensure that this continues to be the case. In addition to ongoing formal co-operation through the North South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland, we continue to promote and support all-island activity in other areas, including sport. It is for this reason that I am delighted to be associated with the sporting and other organisations on both sides of the border who are engaged in this partnership bid to secure a round of the World Rally Championships in Ireland. The event is being supported by Fáilte Ireland through its International Sports Tourism Initiative which was established to attract major international sporting events with tourism potential to Ireland. Rallying is one of the most popular sports in the world and the North West is truly the home of rallying on this island. Rally Ireland is set to be a wonderful event in the sporting calendar and a springboard in helping to secure a round of the prestigious World Rally Championship for Ireland in 2007. The Irish Government recognises the value of staging major international sporting events in Ireland and in particular, the commercial, economic and social advantages they bring from a tourism perspective. We now have a growing reputation for hosting major international sporting events and I am certain that the joint bid for this event, if successful, will provide a unique opportunity to enhance the profile of the island of Ireland as a holiday destination and to showcase our wonderful scenery and great rallying terrain to a worldwide audience. I know that support for the bid is being pursued with great energy and enthusiasm by sporting and tourism interests, both North and South, and I will continue to give my full support to the effort. Hain supports bid to bring international rallying to Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Peter Hain MP, today highlighted how motor sport can help to promote Northern Ireland as a venue for international sporting events. Mr Hain was speaking at Parliament Buildings, Stormont, where the Northern Ireland Events Company was launching its bid, a joint initiative with Failte Ireland, to stage a round of the World Rally Championships in the north west border counties in 2007. Mr Hain who has been a keen motor sports fan since childhood and who is responsible for driving forward the bid, emphasised that promoting a positive image of Northern Ireland to a world wide audience was one of the Government’s key aims, he said: “Our involvement in this Championship would not only help to build on Northern Ireland’s reputation as a major sporting venue but also provide a wonderful opportunity to showcase our many attractions. “Northern Ireland has much to offer the visitor. Major events such as this help to promote sport and tourism and, at the same time, make a significant contribution to the local economy.” He added: “For many years, Northern Ireland has had a reputation for producing top performers on both two wheels and four. Many of them have become household names at home and abroad and their fame has helped to enhance our image on the international stage. “I have no doubt that their achievements have also helped to attract competitors from all around the world to take part in local events and the possibility of sharing in a round of the prestigious World Rally Championship is a mouth watering prospect. “This bold initiative, by the Northern Ireland Events Company and Failte Ireland is an excellent example of how North South cooperation can add value and bring real benefits to the whole island of Ireland.” The Secretary of State was joined at the event by the Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John O’Donoghue TD.
Northern Ireland office Quotes form leading Drivers re Rally Ireland Paddy Hopkirk – The only Irishman to win a round of the WRC: “We have a great heritage in motorsport and this stood to us during our presentation of Rally Ireland to FIA President Max Mosley last month.” Niall McShea – 2004 Production WRC Cup winner: “I have competed in most WRC rounds over the past few years and I am confident that Rally Ireland will be among the best events in the series” Kris Meeke – Leading challenger for the 2005 Junior WRC title: “Hosting a WRC round would be the best thing to happen to Irish motorsport and present our young talented drivers with improved experience and exposure.’’ Austin McHale – Multiple Irish Champion and current leader of the British Rally Championship: “The real winners of securing a WRC round will be the public, rallying is a fantastic free public spectacle for young and old alike.” 
FIA President receives (left) Irish Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue and (right) Chairman of the Northern Ireland Events Company, Mervyn Elder. 04/07/05 IRELAND WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP BID LAUNCHED A joint Irish North/South initiative to secure a round of the prestigious World Rally Championship (WRC), titled Rally Ireland was launched in Ireland today. The bid is backed by Fáilte Ireland (Ireland’s tourist board) and the Northern Ireland Events Company. A 235km long pilot event in the North West region is planned for October 14-16 this year. Sligo will be the host city for Rally Ireland with the Service Park based at Enniskillen airport. This year’s pilot event will see three special stages run in Northern Ireland and three special stages run in the Republic of Ireland. Of note is that the event will be a ‘mixed surface’ event with Saturdays stages run on tarmac surfaces and Sundays on gravel. This is the first time a mixed surface event has been run in this country and has been introduced to demonstrate Ireland’s capacity to run an event on either surface. The target date for WRC status has been set for 2007. This will require the observation of next years Rally Ireland by observers from the FIA, the sports governing bodies. This event is planned before June 2006 to allow the FIA sufficient time to consider the Irish bid. An Irish delegation has already met with the President of the FIA, Max Mosley to outline the case for Rally Ireland. The delegation jointly led by John O’Donoghue T.D, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and Mervyn Elder, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Events Company visited Mosley in France. It is planned to invite Mosley to Ireland later this year to review progress on the project. Motorsport Ireland, the sports governing body of motorsport in Ireland have appointed two experienced promoters to front the Irish bid in Ronan Morgan and Sean O’Connor. Former Co-driver Morgan was up to recently the Project Director of Wales Rally, GB, the UK round of the WRC, while his colleague Sean O’Connor has worked for the largest sponsor in the WRC since 1991. Previously the Irish duo secured World Championship status for the UAE Desert Challenge. The Timetable for the 2005 Rally Ireland is: Friday 14th October Festive start Sligo City Saturday 15th October 3 Tarmac stages run twice Service Park – Enniskillen Airport Sunday 16th October 3 Gravel stages run twice. Service Park – Enniskillen Airport. Finish Sligo City MSA gives go ahead to Rally Ireland WRC Bid The Motor Sports Association, the governing of motorsport in the UK has given the go ahead to the Irish Bid for a a round of the World Rally Championship The Statement read: “The Board of the MSA unanimously agreed to permit some of the event's stages to be held within the MSA’s territory in Northern Ireland. However, the Board was adamant to ensure at all times the continued success of the UK’s round of the FIA World Rally Championship, Wales Rally GB, to which it remains fully committed. 22/04/05 STATEMENT FROM MOTORSPORT IRELAND The Motor Sport Commission, the ruling council of Motorsport Ireland, met on Thursday 21 April to discuss the announcement by John ODonoghue, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism on 13 April of funding for an Irish bid for a round of the FIA World Rally Championship. The outcome of the meeting was very positive, with all present welcoming the allocation of funding. However, as a number of important stakeholders have yet to confirm their involvement, no further announcement will be made until the end of May, when further details will be released. 14/04/05 John O'Donoghue T.D., Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, on Wednesday, 13th April, 2005 announced sponsorship of €652,640 for Rally Ireland 2005. This 2-day event, which is being held on the 15th and 16th October is part of a 3 year strategy to bid for a round of the World Rally Championships in 2007. The Rally will take place in Donegal and Fermanagh with the accommodation base located in Sligo and the Rally service centre located at St. Angelo Airport, Enniskillen. This funding is being allocated under the International Sports Tourism Initiative, which is administered by Fáilte Ireland and is subject to the usual standard conditions. Announcing the funding, Minister O'Donoghue said: " I am delighted to announce this significant level of sponsorship to Rally Ireland 2005. Fáilte Ireland's policy of investing in the marketing opportunities provided by major sports events such as Rally Ireland, enables us to harvest some of the great potential presented and develop the profile of Ireland as a major centre for tourism, and sports tourism in particular." Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O' Donoghue T.D. will be having a meeting in May with Max Mosley, President of the FIA in Paris to further discuss the event.
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