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LinksRally Ireland WRC 2009 -- Page 2 of 2 (Older News)
Posted: January 27, 2009 11:59 AM - 5416 Hits
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RALLY IRELAND (WRC) - 29 Jan - 1 Feb 09
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Posted: January 27, 2009 11:59 AM
Excitement grows as Rally Ireland Ceremonial Start is launched in Enniskillen
The excitement was building today as the launch of the Rally Ireland Ceremonial Start took place in Enniskillen. The Ceremonial Start was launched by Thomas O’Reilly, Chairman of Fermanagh District Council, John Naylor, Event Director of Rally Ireland and Gordon Noble, Rally Ireland Clerk of the Course.
With only 21 days to go to what will be the biggest sports event in Ireland in 2009, all eyes were on Enniskillen as they will have the honour of starting the rally on the evening of the 29th January. Rally cars will depart the Ceremonial Start at Enniskillen Castle every two minutes having been interviewed for the spectators as they officially begin Rally Ireland 2009.
Thomas O’Reilly, Chairman of the Fermanagh District Council; “Fermanagh is very excited and honoured to be at the heart of Rally Ireland 2009. To have the eyes of the world on Enniskillen on the 29th January will be a proud moment for me and everyone in the county. This event will bring a huge boost to the area and will generate great excitement and we are sure we will put on a show that Ireland and the world will enjoy.”
John Naylor, Rally Ireland Event Director;
“For Rally Ireland the Ceremonial Start is a vital part of the whole experience. It gives the spectators a chance to see their heroes up close and the drivers get to interact with their fans. We will have the world’s best drivers on one of the most testing events the WRC has to offer and it is going to be a spectacular show. This will be Ireland’s biggest sporting event and we hope from the start right through to the end this will be something that everyone who is here in the North West will remember for a long time.”
The official Rally Ireland Chaplains, Fr. Brian D’Arcy and Rev. Arthur Barrett were also in attendance to bless the Ceremonial Start ahead of the Rally in three weeks time.
The Ceremonial Start in Enniskillen will give spectators a chance to see the world’s best rally drivers up close at the start ramp with the event also being relayed live on a large TV screen in the Buttermarket.
From the Castle the cars will make their way to the Town Hall where they will park for 10 minutes for spectators to see the World Championship’s best cars first hand. The cars will then drive on to the Buttermarket and on to specially designed ramp for those at the big screen in the town to see their rally heroes.
There will be entertainment provided before and after the event for all the family to enjoy. Eddie Jordan will also be in Enniskillen along with his band the Robbers who will play live for the crowds after the Start with 10,000 people expected to be in attendance on the evening to see the World’s best drivers. There will also be a host of local entertainment before the Ceremonial Start.
The Northern Ireland Fire Service will be carrying out a road traffic accident simulation in the car park across from the Castle as part of a sustained bid by Rally Ireland to increase awareness of the importance of road safety.
Rally Ireland 2009 will travel through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland, including Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon.
In 2009 and for the first time in fifty years, Ireland is bestowed with the honour of replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship. In 2007 Rally Ireland attracted 250,000 spectators, generated €48million in economic benefit to the region and was viewed in over 180 countries by in excess of 62million people. The 2009 World Rally Championship will reach a global TV audience of over 800million.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). The 2009 World Rally Championship will be run in 12 rounds across the world and will reach a global TV audience of over 800million. For more information on Rally Ireland 2009 log on to
Fr. Brian D’Arcy and Rev. Arthur Barrett appointed Chaplains to Rally Ireland
Rally Ireland have appointed Fr. Brian D’Arcy and Rev. Arthur Barrett to be official Chaplains for the 2009 event. Fr. Brian D’Arcy, who is the Rector of St. Gabriel’s Retreat at The Graan, is well known in sporting and entertainment circles in Ireland, and as a native of Enniskillen is delighted to be associated with Rally Ireland. His fellow local, Rev. Arthur Barrett, Rector of Rossorry Church of Ireland Parish in Enniskillen, was Chaplain to Rally Ireland in 2007.
The role of the Chaplains will be to provide pastoral care and spiritual counsel, if and when required during the event. “Rallying and religion are not mutually exclusive”, says Rev. Arthur. “I have always had a deep interest and involvement in both, and we will certainly be praying for everyone’s safety and well-being during the weekend of the event.”
“We hope that the many people who will come to this beautiful part of our country for this enormous sporting occasion, will behave responsibly, and will treat the environment, and other people, with respect at all times”, said Fr. Brian.
John Naylor, Event Director of Rally Ireland is delighted to have both Chaplains involved in Rally Ireland. “To have Fr. D’Arcy and Rev. Barrett involved is a great boost to the event and to everyone who will be involved from competitors to organisers and of course the spectators and fans. We all hope to have an excellent event and there is no doubt Fr. D’Arcy and Rev. Barrett will add a lot to this as Ireland’s biggest sports event in 2009.”
Rally Ireland 2009 will travel through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland, including Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon.
In 2009 and for the first time in fifty years, Ireland is bestowed with the honour of replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship. In 2007 Rally Ireland attracted 250,000 spectators, generated €48million in economic benefit to the region and was viewed in over 180 countries by in excess of 62million people. The 2009 World Rally Championship will reach a global TV audience of over 800million.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). The 2009 World Rally Championship will be run in 12 rounds across the world and will reach a global TV audience of over 800million. For more information on Rally Ireland 2009 log on to
Entry list for Rally Ireland 2009 finalised
The entry list for Rally Ireland 2009 has been finalised and a total of 43 crews will battle it out through 350kms and 19 stages of the Northwest from 29th January to the 1st February. In addition a total of 21 World Rally Championship (WRC) cars will compete in the first round of the 2009 World Rally Championship.
For the sixth year in a row Citroens Sebastien Loeb will be defending the driver’s title, while he and his team mate Daniel Sordo will be looking to defend the manufacturer’s title. Also battling out across the seven counties in the North West will be the Ford duo of Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala and away from the manufacturer teams, Henning Solberg, Umo Aava and Matthew Wilson will run under the Stobart banner, Khalid Al Qassimi continues in a third BP Ford Focus WRC and Chris Atkinson and Sebastian Ogier will compete in the Citreon C4 WRC. Once again the McHale family, Austin, Gareth and Aaron, in their Ford Focus will compete in a round of the WRC as will Michael Barrable and Ray Breen. Welshman Gareth Jones will do duel in his Subaru Impreza as will Stephen Murphy, Tim McNulty and Eamonn Boland.
Outside the WRC class 43 additional competitors have also entered Rally Ireland 2009. These include 2007 junior WRC rookie of the year Shaun Gallagher in a Mitsubishi Evo 9, Donegal’s Toni Kelly in a Honda Civic Type R and Germanys’ Aaron Bukhart in a Suzuki Swift S1600. Commenting on the applications to Rally Ireland 2009, Event Director John Naylor stated ‘We are less than three weeks away to the biggest sporting event to hit Ireland in 2009 and despite the challenging economic environment we all find ourselves in we are heartened by the number of the applications that we have received. Spectators will have an opportunity to see the world’s best rally drivers, up and coming talent and our own Irish legends and favorites all facing the same demanding test of the roads across the Northwest.’
The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has bestowed Ireland with the honor of marking the start of the 2009 WRC season. It is the first time in almost 30 years that the beginning of the World Rally Championship (WRC) has been held outside of Monte Carlo, the traditional starting point for each WRC season. Rally Ireland 2009 will take place between the 29th January and the 1st February with 19 stages taking place through seven counties in the North West; Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon. Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). The 2009 World Rally Championship will be run in 12 rounds across the world and will reach a global TV audience of over 800million.
See Amended Entry List above
Rally Ireland Regional Briefings - Jan 09
Regional Rally Ireland briefing sessions will take place in January.
This will be of special interest to all those doing sector marshals, safety marshals, media marshals, communications, stage safety officers and course cars for Rally Ireland 2009. Rally Ireland is the first round of the 2009 World Rally Championship.
Date Location Venue Time
05-Jan-09 Sligo Sligo Park Hotel 21:00
06-Jan-08 Carlow Seven Oaks 20:30
11-Jan-09 Omagh Silverbirch Hotel 15:00
12-Jan-09 Monaghan Carrick Court Hotel, Carrickmacross 20:30
12-Jan-08 Rooskey Shannon Key West Hotel 20:00
13-Jan-09 Nenagh Abbey Court Hotel 20:30
Atkinson enters in C4, McShea in Proton S2000
Citroen have announced that they will be joined in Rally Ireland by Australia's Chris Atkinson who will drive a Citroën C4 WRC as part of their M2 Team
They add that their association with the Australian will not stop there.
Niall McShea has entered Rally Ireland in a Proton S2000 hire deal from S-tec.
Rally Ireland and Pirelli prepare for Snow
With just over six weeks to go until Ireland’s biggest sporting event in 2009, Rally Ireland have announced that Pirelli will be bringing their Monte Carlo Snow tyre option to the event for all competitors as an option instead of tarmac tyres.
To deal with expected weather conditions during the event, which takes place from the 29th of January to the 1st of February, Pirelli are bringing three additional 40 foot trucks with the Snow tyre option.
This will be an added incentive for those who were looking to enter Rally Ireland for 2009, with the entries for the event open until the 23rd of December.
Gordon Noble, Clerk of the Course, said, “Many competitors at Wales Rally GB struggled fro grip on the icy roads so it is great that we have this option in place for all entrants in Rally Ireland ’09. The conditions, as in 2007, will be testing for all the drivers but at all times safety must be to the fore and with these provisions in place we will get to see the best of what the world’s top drivers have to offer.”
Rally Ireland receives prestigious international peace and sport award
In Monaco on the the 4th of December Rally Ireland received a prestigious international peace and sport award from the Organisation pour la Paix et le Sport. This Organisation for Peace and Sport, under the high patronage of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, presented awards for projects and symbolic moments in sport that successfully created links between divided or opposed communities. Last night Rally Ireland 2007 was selected as the inaugural winner of the international sports event of the year that best contributed to the promotion of peace through sport.
In front of an audience of over three hundred personalities from sport, politics, business and civil life assembled for the International Peace and Sport Forum, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco and Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of the international organisation presented the award to Event Director of Rally Ireland, John Naylor and Ronnie Trouton, President of the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs. Commenting at the presentation of the award Joel Bouzou, President of the organisation stated ‘Rally Ireland 2007 displayed a powerful message of reconciliation between two communities. Rally Ireland in 2007 enabled a bridge to be built between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. As both regions submitted a joint bid to the International Automobile Federation, the event led to a joint organizing committee being set up, heightened cooperation between the two authorities, uniting hundreds of volunteers and above all, reinforced social cohesion on both sides of the border. For the millions of spectators, Rally Ireland showed an image of a peaceful island after decades of conflict.’
Commenting on being selected for the award, John Naylor, Event Director of Rally Ireland stated ‘We are honored to accept this award. However we must pay tribute to both Governments in the North and South of Ireland for their foresight in making Rally Ireland possible. Equally we must remember the Trojan work of the thousands of volunteers both North and South. Rally Ireland is simply a special event that captures the enthusiasm, energy and passion of all communities on this island and with next year’s event soon to occur we again hope to provide truly memorable moments both nationally and internationally’
Many athletes were present during the Gala Evening including Olympic legends Sergey Bubka and Hicham El Guerrouj, the famous 800-metre runner, Wilson Kipketer (World Champion in 1995, 1997, 1999; world record holder in 1997 and 2000) and cyclist Bradley McGee (Olympic Champion, World Champion, world recordholder, winner of 17 stages in the Tour de France and Tour of Italy)
From the 29th January to the 1st February Rally Ireland will take place across the Northwest of Ireland. Through 19 stages the world best rally drivers will battle it out in the first round of the World Rally Championship 2009. Rally Ireland 2009 will travel through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland, including Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). Commenting on the award, Brian Smart, Director of Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Events Northern Ireland stated ‘Rally Ireland 2007 was a truly superb event to be involved in. To witness both comminutes come together to create a remarkable spectacle that was seen across the world was a stunning achievement. We are honored to be part of the team accepting this award’ A spokesperson for Failte Ireland stated ‘Through our International Sports Tourism Initiative, we have been delighted to support the World Rally Championships, in 2007 and next year , as it has been an important boost to tourism on the Island of Ireland. We are delighted that the Championship is also now being recognised for its contribution to peace. Rally Ireland is one of the key projects to have featured in our Sports Tourism Initiative. It is through events such as the Rally that we can showcase Ireland as a destination to a world audience".
Prize-winners of the ‘Peace and Sport Awards 2008’ were chosen by a commission of Peace and Sport members. A jury composed of well-known personalities will choose winners for the 2009 Awards.
Irish Lottery winner is dream first entrant for the World Rally Championship
A lucky Carlow man is soon to realise his dream of competing in the World Rally Championship following his Lottery win this summer. Ken Treacy from Carlow was part of a 16 person syndicate in Dan Morrisey Concrete who won over €18million in August and now plans to live his dream of rallying against his heroes.
This win has now given Ken the chance to take part in Rally Ireland in January, which is the first round of the World Rally Championship for 2009. Ken has been rallying for over ten years with his co-driver Martin Comerford and they will enter their Volkswagon Polo into the rally that is taking place throughout the North West of Ireland early in the New Year.
With the entries for Rally Ireland 2009 officially opening yesterday (Sunday) Ken was the first person entered for what will be Ireland’s biggest sports event in 2009. For the past two Rally Ireland events Ken has been a marshal, both in 2006 and 2007. However in 2009 he will be out on the roads competing against the world’s best such as Sebastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen.
For Ken this is a dream come true. “I have been honoured to be involved with Rally Ireland for the past two years and a chance to see to the best drivers in the World Rally Championship here in Ireland is something I never thought I would see. Now to have the chance to race against them is more than I could have ever dreamed of and I am just so excited about taking part next month,” Ken said.
Rally Ireland 2009 takes place from the 29th January to the 1st February travelling through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland. It is expected that in excess of 250,000 people will attend the event which is replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship in 2009.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). The 2009 World Rally Championship will be run in 12 rounds across the world and will reach a global TV audience of over 800million.
For more information on Rally Ireland 2009 log on to
Rally Ireland begin their marshal recruitment drive
The Rally Ireland marshal recruitment drive was officially launched today. With less than nine weeks before the World Rally Championship 2009 season begins more than 3000 marshals and volunteers will be enrolled to Rally Ireland. The event takes place January 29th – February 1st 2009.
Speaking at the launch, Event Director, John Naylor said:
“The marshals and volunteers of Rally Ireland are vital to the success of our event. Their time and effort led Rally Ireland 2007 being ranked as one of the best rallies in the Championship. For 2009 we want to raise our game again to be the best.”
Chief marshal, Paul Goodman and his team have already been busy contacting all motor clubs in their area:
“If people want to marshal at Rally Ireland 2009 they have two options.
Firstly, if they are a member of a motor club they should contact the marshal coordinator in their club.
Or secondly, if they are not a member of a motor club, they should contact their regional coordinators who will direct them to their nearest motor club.
“We have had a lot of interest in marshalling at Rally Ireland but there is still a need for more people.”
Anyone who marshals at the WRC’s opening event in January will receive a copy of the event programme, a Rally Ireland beanie hat and free entry to the Service Park. All contact details are available on the Marshal page on the Rally Ireland website
Timekeepers are put through their paces for Rally Ireland 2009
The timekeeper training for Rally Ireland 2009, the first round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) in January, took place today in Derry with over 40 people being trained in how to run Ireland’s biggest sports event in 2009.
The timekeeping is one of the most important elements of Rally Ireland and as such the training was given by Mark Henderson from International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC), the global promoters of the WRC.
Henderson guided all the timekeepers through use of the ISC equipment for car tracking and timing during the event and also how to deal with any timing problems over the course of the three days of the Championship.
The first section of the day dealt with the arrival and start controls for the timing of the cars, while the second half of the day looked at the stop controls and flying finishes where the world’s top rally drivers will be battling for every hundredth of a second to be cut off their timing.
With some of the winning margins being a case of seconds and even less a lot of pressure rests on the decisions and training of the timekeepers.
Assistant Clerk of the Course for Timings and Communications for Rally Ireland is Robert McDaid and he knows how integral a part the timekeeping team will play.
“These guys have a lot of experience from timekeeping in the Rally Ireland pilot events and in 2007 so they know what they are doing. There is a huge amount of pressure on them because when the winning and losing margins are so small, even hundreths of a second in some cases then this is might not just cost a team points but a lot of money too! We have a great team here and once the World Rally Championship hits these shores we will be setting a high standard for the 2009 season,” McDaid said.
Rally Ireland 2009 takes place from the 29th January to the 1st February travelling through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland. It is expected that in excess of 250,000 people will attend the event which is replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship in 2009.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL).
For more information on Rally Ireland 2009 log on
Officials are briefed as Rally Ireland momentum builds
Over 3,000 volunteers to help run Rally Ireland 2009
On Saturday 15th of November, the key personnel from Rally Ireland met in Sligo for the Officials Briefing Day in Sligo IT as the build up to Rally Ireland in January begins to gain momentum.
Following the recent launch of Rally Ireland 2009 in Sligo the Officials Briefing Day gave those in attendance the chance to be fully briefed on their fellow colleagues’ role within the event and set out the guidelines and procedures that will be in place come the 29th of January.
These procedures span a range of areas of expertise including marshalling, safety and rescue, communications, timekeeping, setting up and running stages and the recruitment of marshals to run the rally. It is expected that over 2,700 marshals will be used during rally Ireland and they will come from all corners of the country. In 2007, marshals from the UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland and the United States all responded to the recruitment call.
At Rally Ireland 2009 there will be approximately 3,500 volunteers helping to run what will be Ireland’s biggest sports event in next year. These volunteers are the un-sung heroes of the event and John Naylor, Event Director for Rally Ireland, outlined the huge role that these people play in the event. “Today we have many of the top level officials here to be briefed on their roles and they are all volunteers. But they will go back to their clubs and areas and recruit maybe 200-300 people to volunteer with them. These people are the heart and soul of the event and they do it simply for the love of rallying and helping Ireland put on a great show for the world. We couldn’t put the event on without them.”
The Training Manager for Rally Ireland 2009 is Rosemary Walsh. A Sligo native, she was Chief Marshal in 2007 when Rally Ireland first became a round of the World Rally Championship and realises how important the Briefing Day is and those people involved.
“These days are vital to the success of Rally Ireland. To run a successful team it is important that everyone knows each others role and how the whole event comes together. Aside from this we need a huge amount of people to make this event work and with the help of these people here today we will be able to recruit these people and look to make Rally Ireland bigger and better than 2007.”
Rally Ireland 2009 takes place from the 29th January to the 1st February travelling through seven counties in the north and south of Ireland. It is expected that in excess of 250,000 people will attend the event which is replacing Monte Carlo as the first round of the World Rally Championship in 2009.
Rally Ireland 2009 is launched in Sligo
Rally Ireland 2009 was launched today in Sligo by Dr. Jimmy Devins, T.D., Minister of State for Science and Innovation, Brian Smart, Director of Department Culture, Arts and Leisure Events Unit, Shane Filan from Westlife and World Rally Championship driver and Donegal native Shaun Gallagher.
The sport’s governing body, the FIA, has bestowed Ireland with the honor of marking the start of the 2009 WRC season. It is the first time in almost 30 years that the beginning of the World Rally Championship (WRC) has been held outside of Monte Carlo, the traditional starting point for each WRC season.
Rally Ireland 2009 will take place between the 29th January and the 1st February with 18 stages taking place through seven counties in the North West; Cavan, Leitrim, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo, Donegal and Roscommon.
At the launch Dr. Jimmy Devins, T.D., Minister for State for Science and Innovation, who is a native of Sligo, hailed the event’s return to the North West; “2007’s Rally Ireland was seen by more than 62 million people in over 180 countries worldwide. The potential for the North West to position itself, as a major tourist destination through this level of coverage is very significant. Rally Ireland 2007 was a huge success due to the organsiers, the local community here and the thousands of fans who witnessed this tremendous sport. I have every confidence that Rally Ireland 2009 will be another major success.”
Chairman of Failte Ireland North West, Mr Paschal Mooney said;
“We are delighted to host the World Rally Championships in January 2009 and to have rally headquarters here in Sligo City. We can assure all visitors that they will have the experience of their lives and we hope they will share the joys and memories of their visit here with their loved ones when they go home. The North West has largely been untouched by mass tourism and her beauty spots remain intact. In recent years, we have seen major investment in tourism products and the range of accommodation and facilities available to the visitor is second to none,” concluded Mr Mooney.
“Rally Ireland 2007 was a huge success in showcasing Northern Ireland internationally. Once again we are delighted to be involved in what is a world class event in a thrilling sport, that will give spectators North and South of the border the opportunity to see the worlds best drivers first hand,” said Brian Smart, Director of Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure Events Northern Ireland.
John Naylor, Event Director for Rally Ireland;
“The success of Rally Ireland 2007 was recognized by the WRC when we were given the honour of hosting the opening round of the 2009 Championship. Across the region festivals are been organsed and this event will once again provide fans with the opportunity to see the world’s top rally drivers battling the testing stages in the North West and all for free.”
January 29th marks the ceremonial start of Rally Ireland 2009, which takes place in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh. The Rally proper will begin the following morning with the first stage taking place in Cavan. Rally Ireland will then run through six more counties before finishing with the last stage in Donegal Town on Sunday. The final stage will be broadcast to a live global TV audience. The ServicePark will be based in Sligo IT, while Rally HQ will be in the Clarion Hotel in Sligo town.
In 2007 Rally Ireland attracted 250,000 spectators, generated €48million in economic benefit to the region and was viewed in over 180 countries by in excess of 62million people. Rally Ireland was given international acclaim by the WRC who declared the event as the second best round of the World Rally Championship in 2007.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction with the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL). The 2009 World Rally Championship will be run in 12 rounds across the world and will reach a global TV audience of over 800million. For more information on Rally Ireland 2009 log on to
Launch Photos
NEW EVENT DIRECTOR FOR RALLY IRELAND
Motorsport Ireland are delighted to announce that John Naylor, from Carnew, Co Wicklow, has agreed to take up the position of Event Director of Rally Ireland, which takes place from 29th January to 1st February 2009.
John formally takes up his position today (Monday 29th September 2008) and will be based in Rally Ireland’s office in Sandyford, Dublin.
With a long background in motorsport, both as competitor and official, 45 year old Naylor is well qualified to lead a fantastic team of organisers in directing the biggest sporting event in Ireland to a successful outcome that will ensure this country’s position as a counting round of the FIA World Rally Championship into the future.
Welcoming the appointment, Alex Sinclair, Chief Executive of Motorsport Ireland, said “This is just the boost that the event needed, especially as John has such a close rapport with all of the volunteers who make this event possible”.
Rally Ireland is sponsored by Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and is organised by Motorsport Ireland with the assistance of the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs.
O’Connor and Morgan stand down
Rally Ireland co-founders Sean O’Connor and Ronan Morgan will stand down from the promotion and management of Ireland’s prestigious World Rally Championship (WRC) round at the end of this month.
”This has been a massively demanding, but rewarding experience for us over the past four years which saw the project evolve from a feasibility study in 2004 to become one of the best rounds of the World Championship by 2007,” they explained, “the event now has a very strong foundation and it is up to the new CEO, Alex Sinclair, and his vastly experienced colleagues in Motorsport Ireland to take it to the next level. We have every confidence in their capacity to deliver.”
O’Connor and Morgan paid special tribute to six key public servants who made an outstanding contribution to the winning of a World Rally Championship (WRC) round for Ireland: Peter Hain MP, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Senator Marc Marc Mc Sharry, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan T.D., Ian Paisley Jnr, MLA and Edgar Jardine, Deputy Permanent Secretary of DCAL.
“We would also like to thank our 2007 sponsors, Fáilte Ireland and DCAL, for helping create a truly outstanding world-class event that generated the highest level of TV coverage in the whole series,” they added. “However it was the 4,000 volunteers from Motorsport Ireland and the ANICC, along with a quarter of a million fans that made Rally Ireland unique.”
The two Dubliners, who have more than 60 years WRC experience between them, started the North-South event in 2004 at the request for the both Governments. On completion of a feasibility study, a pilot WRC event was organised in October 2005, followed by an official WRC candidate rally in 2006. Despite massive competition from a range of larger countries, the bid proved successful and Rally Ireland made its debut last November. Starting in Belfast and finishing in Sligo, it was widely acclaimed as one of the best events of the 2007 WRC.
“It was a pleasure and a privilege to grow Rally Ireland from just a dream to a world-class success and we want to say thanks to the thousands of people who helped that happen. Now that we have achieved that dream, it’s time to move on to the next challenge and hand over to the sports’ governing bodies who have the necessary expertise to build on that success.”
Rally Ireland will be the first round of the 2009 World Rally Championship series starting on January 29th and finishing on February 1. The 2007 event, the largest sporting event held in Ireland that year was watched by TV viewers in more than 180 countries and delivered € 46 million in economic benefit.
World Rally Team Ireland Welcomes Rally Ireland's Launch.
Tommy Mullen, Chief Executive Officer of World Rally Team Ireland has today (Saturday, 30 August 2008) welcomed the announcement from Rally Ireland of the publication of Rally Guide one for the opening round of the 2009 World Rally Championship in January.
Tommy Mullen said: "Rally Ireland was a massive success in 2007. Being rated the number two event in the world after the first year in operation is an achievement the whole Rally Ireland Team should be proud of. The Super Special Stage on Sunday in Donegal Town for the 2009 event will be a great experience and one I am looking forward to myself."
Mullen went on to add: "With Shaun Gallagher second in the Junior World Rally Championship and Rally Ireland second in the overall rating for WRC events, Ireland is really making its presence felt on the World Rally stage. World Rally Team Ireland has travelled the world this year and Rally Ireland is one of the best events in the world. "
World Championship Plans announced by Rally Ireland
Rally Guide 1 Available
Rally Ireland has announced details of the route for next January’s World Rally Championship opening round. Details are contained in Rally Guide 1 which is available on www.rallyireland.org
Shakedown, where the teams test their cars, will be held near Sligo on Thursday January 29th followed by the official start at Fermanagh Town Hall at 7.30 pm that evening. With a total of 19 special stages and a route covering 1407 km, the event will visit counties Sligo, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan, Tyrone, Fermanagh and Donegal. The Service Park will again be based at the 52 acre site of the Institute of Technology, Sligo which the teams will visit twice daily for repairs and service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The following areas will feature on the event:
- Cavan: A new stage runs twice on Friday that will offer good spectating near the village of Glangevlin.
- Roscommon: A special stage in Arigna coupled with a new passage control in Boyle on Friday. This visit by the cars to the town will be supported by a festival organised by the local community and Roscommon County Council.
- Leitrim: Will again feature the popular stages of Glenboy and Aughnasheelan with the Lough Gill stage starting in the county and most of the Arigna stage also being run in Leitrim.
- Tyrone/Omagh District: Sloughan Glen and Ballinmallard will run on Saturday and will be run twice.
- Tyrone/Dungannon District: Murley and Fardross run on Friday, for the first time in the dark, providing a unique spectacle for both the drivers and fans
- Fermanagh: Tempo and part of the Ballinmallard stage run on Saturday, in addition to the ceremonial start on Thursday.
- Donegal: On Sunday morning the popular Donegal Bay stage will be run in the opposite direction to the 2007 event with a new street stage in Donegal town starting at lunch time on Sunday February 1. This stage will be broadcast live on TV around the world
- Sligo: Rally HQ, Service Park, Shakedown stage and Official Finish
The January event, which has replaced the traditional Monte Carlo Rally in the 2009 World Rally Championship, is seen as a major endorsement by the sport of Rally Ireland following its debut in the World Championship last November. This event attracted 250,000 spectators, €48 million in economic benefit and was seen in more than 180 countries by 62.8 million TV viewers and was given international acclaim for the level of organisation by the 4000 volunteers involved.
Rally Ireland is run by Motorsport Ireland in conjunction the Association of Northern Ireland Car Clubs (ANICC) with sponsorship from Failte Ireland and the Department of Culture Arts and Leasure (DCAL). In all twelve rounds will feature in the 2009 World Champions which attracts a TV audience of more than 800 million viewers.
Rally Guide 1 available on the Rally Website:
O’Kennedy joins Rally Ireland board
Rally Ireland has today announced the appointment of Former minister Michael O’Kennedy to the board of directors of Rally Ireland. The former minister for finance will be joined on the board by the President and Vice-President of Motorsport Ireland, John Naylor and Joe Corcoran.
The board has also nominated two new Northern Ireland directors, Ronnie Trouton, MBE and Austin Frazer, who between them, have more than 80 years motor sport experience.
Rally Ireland founders Sean O’Connor and Ronan Morgan will continue to manage the World Rally Championship round on a day-to-day basis, which takes place next January.
Rally Irelanda appoint new Event Secretary
Rally Ireland has announced the appointment of the Event Secretary for next January’s event. Dave Popham will undertake the role from July 1st.
Dublin-based Popham has extensive experience in Irish motorsport and has been a member of the Aer Lingus Motor Club (ALMC) for almost 30 years. In that time, he has undertaken both administrative and sporting roles.
The former banker will assist Clerk of the Course, Gordon Noble, throughout the year in preparation for next January’s event. This will include communications with more than 3000 volunteers who will give up their time for Rally Ireland 2009.
Speaking about the appointment, Noble was full of praise for Popham: “I am delighted to see Dave undertake the role of Event Secretary. He has vast rallying experience and I believe he will be an excellent addition to Rally Ireland team.”
The next Rally Ireland takes place from January 29th – February 1st 2009. This unique cross-border event, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Sport NI, will travel through eight counties.
In 2007, Rally Ireland attracted more than 250,000 spectators, generated more than €48 million for the economy and was broadcast on TV in more than 180 countries worldwide.
EIGHT COUNTIES TO HOST RALLY IN 2009
Rally Ireland today announced the footprint of their World Rally Championship (WRC) event which takes place at the end of January 2009. Following their success in November 2007, the event has been given the privilege to launch the WRC season, replacing the famous Monte Carlo rally.
While next year’s event will again visit a total of eight counties, including Donegal, Sligo, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Roscommon, Cavan and Antrim, organisers have sought to bring the rally to locations that the event has not visited before.
The Rally Ireland organising committee, who have been working since the start of the year, will present the finalised route to the world sport governing body, the FIA, for approval at the end of June.
Further Marshal Meetings
Cavan - Kilmore Hotel on Monday 19th May at 8pm.
Carlow - Seven Oaks Hotel on Tuesday 27th May at 8pm.
Cork - Commons Hotel on Wednesday 28th May at 8pm.
More Details:
Rally Ireland appoint Assistant Clerks of the Course
Rally Ireland has announced the appointment of three of the Assistant Clerks of the Course (ACOC) for next January’s World Championship event.
Donegal native Robert Lyttle will take charge in the development and management of the route and stages. Sligo’s Joe Corcoran will once again take charge of the Sligo area as well as the safety of the rally, while Derry man Robert McDaid has been appointed to manage all timekeeping and communications for the event.
This team of ACOCs has been put in place to assist Clerk of the Course, Gordon Noble, in the preparation of the opening round of the 2009 WRC. Other appointments are expected in the coming months.
This unique cross-border event, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Sport NI, travelled through eight counties. The four day event attracted more than 250,000 spectators in 2007 and generated more than €48 million for the economy. The next Rally Ireland takes place from January 29th – February 1st 2009.
Rally Ireland No.1 TV event in 2007 World Rally Championship
Rally Ireland was the most watched World Rally Championship (WRC) event in 2007 according to global TV figures just released. 62 million viewers in over 180 countries watched the WRC's inaugural visit to the island of Ireland, which was well above the average of 51 million viewers per rally.
The event's figures assisted the WRC global annual viewing figures to increase from 807 million in 2006 to 816 million in 2007.
Chief Executive of the WRC TV rights holders, ISC, Simon Long, was full of praise for the event: “Rally Ireland was a tremendous addition to the WRC Calendar and clearly demonstrated the value of introducing new locations to the Championship. With 62 million viewers tuning in to watch from all over the world, Rally Ireland was undoubtedly a major success – both at home and abroad.
“From a TV perspective, the jewels in the crown of Rally Ireland were the spectacular two live stages in Stormont Castle, Belfast and Mullaghmore, Sligo. This proved the value of a close collaboration between ISC, the host broadcaster, RTE, and the Promoter of Rally Ireland. It also set the benchmark for other WRC Events to follow.”
Rally Ireland Deputy Chairman, Trevor Ringland was delighted with the results: “The value of all these viewers cannot be underestimated and I believe everyone should be proud of what Rally Ireland achieved in its first year in the World Championship.”
This unique cross-border event, sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Sport NI, travelled through eight counties. The four day event attracted more than 250,000 spectators in 2007 and generated more than €48 million for the economy. The next Rally Ireland takes place from January 29th – February 1st 2009.
Noble takes the wheel at Rally Ireland / IRELAND SECURES WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND TIME!
- Noble takes the wheel at Rally Ireland
- Value of Rally Ireland volunteers worth €726,000
- Ireland 2nd in World Rally Champoinship 2007
- IRELAND SECURES WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND TIME!
10/03/08
Noble takes the wheel at Rally Ireland
Rally Ireland has announced the appointment of Gordon Noble to the position of Clerk of the Course for the 2009 event.
Noble, who was last year's Assistant Clerk of the Course, takes over from Tom Walsh. Westport-based Walsh undertook the role in 2007 thanks to a six-month sabbatical from his job, but is stepping down due to renewed work commitments. Fred Gallagher remains on as Deputy Clerk of the Course of this cross-border event which attracted almost 250,000 spectators over four days when it ran last November.
From the outset, Noble has played an integral part of the team which firstly bid for a round of the Championship and then ran one of the best rounds of the WRC in 2007. Noble, who still actively competes as a co-driver across the world, is looking forward to taking on the role: “This is a great honour in particular as Ireland have been selected to launch the ‘09 World Championship, it is a big challenge. I learned a lot last year and I'm really looking forward to getting stuck in.“
Motorsport Ireland president, John Naylor, was full of praise for the Omagh man: "In the short time that this event has been running, Gordon has given great service to it and we have no doubts in his ability to take the reins and run another successful event."
The team to assist Noble in his quest is currently being put in place. With less than 11 months to go, planning for next January's WRC opening round is already well under way. Rally Ireland generated more than EUR48 million in economic benefits and was broadcast in more than 125 countries. The rally was voted the second best round in their debut in the prestigious world series. Rally Ireland, which started in Belfast and finished in Sligo, ran through eight counties.
More Details on Rally Ireland:
06/03/08
Value of Rally Ireland volunteers worth €726,000
New research has shown that the value of the three thousand marshals who volunteered for Rally Ireland was worth €726,000.
The University of Ulster research calculated that more than 84,000 hours were given up by the volunteers over the course of the event which started in Belfast and finished in Sligo last November.
Dr David Hassan, who led the research for the University of Ulster said: "This contribution to the event is remarkable and clearly shows how valuable our volunteers are to this World Championship event.”
This research comes in the wake of the economic impact research which showed that Rally Ireland generated more than €48 million in direct and indirect spend by participants and spectators during the event. TV coverage of last year's largest sporting event was broadcast in more than 125 countries worldwide.
Chaired by Eddie Jordan and Trevor Ringland, Rally Ireland was ranked as the 2nd best event in the 2007 World Rally Championship (WRC). The North-South initiative will launch the WRC season in January 2009.
16/02/08
Ireland 2nd in World Rally Champoinship 2007
Rally Ireland which made its inaugural debut in the World Rally Championship (WRC) last November has been ranked second best overall in the 2007 series by the FIA, the Paris-based world governing body of the sport. Finland was ranked first overall ahead of Ireland, in the 16-round championship.
"This is a massive endorsement of Rally Ireland and a huge boost for the organising team who worked so hard to put on a world class event," said Eddie Jordan, Chairman of Rally Ireland. "It is very encouraging given that this was our first event compared to the Finns who has been running their event for almost sixty years ''
The scoring system which was implemented over all 16 rounds of the series covered key areas of the event organisation including, technical, media and safety.
"We had three thousand motorsport volunteers working on this event and they are the real heroes of this great result," added Jordan.
The event featured 20 special stages covering 350kms, primarily run in the North-West, taking in counties, Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo and Tyrone. It started in Belfast with a Super Special Stage in the grounds of Stormont and was Ireland's largest international sporting event in 2007, attracting almost 250,000 spectators.
Recent socio-economic research undertaken by the University of Ulster found that Rally Ireland contributed in the region of € 48 million to the local economy in the North-West, excluding the value of the TV, broadcast in over 180 countries.
The Failte Ireland and Sport NI supported event has been selected to host the opening round the 2009 WRC series, in January 2009. Chairman Eddie Jordan stated that the plan is to target an improved event in all areas, including value to the economy and entertainment of the fans. "Our aim is to be the best," said Jordan.
08/12/07
IRELAND SECURES WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP FOR SECOND TIME!
The FIA World Motorsport Council in Monaco has voted to award Ireland a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) once again in 2009. Not only will Rally Ireland feature in this major event, it will launch the prestigious twelve round global series. The provisional date set for Rally Ireland is Thursday 29th January until Sunday 1st February.
Rally Ireland’s hugely successful debut in the WRC took place less than one month ago with a spectacular opening event in Stormont, Belfast and finished up in Sligo after three days of high octane action. The event, which was broadcast in 180 countries worldwide proved to be Ireland’s largest sporting event of the year with up to 200,000 spectators and 3,000 volunteers. Rally Ireland was sponsored by Fáilte Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland and resulted in an economic benefit in excess of €50 million.
Following the FIA’s decision today Rally Ireland founders Sean O’Connor and Ronan Morgan said, “We are honoured that Ireland has been awarded the most prestigious position of opening the 2009 WRC series and this is a direct result of the hard work by the thousands of volunteers who worked on our event, our fantastic fans and the outstanding levels of political support we have received since we started the project. The residents of each stage must also be commended for their co-operation and support in making Rally Ireland the huge success it was.”
Rally Ireland ran across eight counties, north and south, opening with a Super Special Stage in Stormont and concluding with an exciting Special Stage on Sligo’s Atlantic coast at Mullaghmore. It received widespread political support north and south. The 2009 event will also be a cross-border initiative taking place in the same region.
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