Clare Forestry Rally - (Sat) 5 Oct 24

Clare Motor Club Forestry Rally Returns after 41 Years Hiatus

Posted: July 9, 2024 6:22 AM

Clare Motor Club is thrilled to announce its inaugural Forestry Rally, breaking a 41-year hiatus. Unlike the last event in January 1983, which featured a single stage repeated three times, this rally promises a thrilling new experience. With a highly experienced organising team leading the charge, Clare Motor Club is excited to unveil the preliminary details of this highly anticipated event.

We're thrilled to announce M Fitzgibbon Contractors Ltd and Sheils Motor Group (Hyundai) are joining us as the Co-Title sponsors for the event.

Director and Owner Michael Fitzgibbon has been a dedicated member of Clare Motor Club for many years. With a history of supporting rallying, Michael previously sponsored the ever popular Clare Stages Rally in 2019. Known for his presence in forestry rallies, Michael has been a prominent competitor, often seen tearing through the stages in his iconic green Honda Civic. This year, he's stepping up his game with a Rally 4 Peugeot 208, ready to tackle the challenges of the Stellantis Cup.

The Sheils family are without doubt Clare’s oldest motoring family and will be celebrating being Ford Franchise Dealers 100 years in 2025. Sheils Motor Group who are based in the Gort Road Industrial Estate in Ennis have recently acquired the Peugeot and Hyundai Franchise for Clare and also just opened a state of the art showroom for the Hyundai franchise. With outlets in Limerick and Galway they are also dealers for Ford, Peugeot, Honda and MG.

Mark your calendars for an adrenaline-fuelled adventure on Saturday, October 5th, 2024, as the rally action unfolds in the picturesque East Clare town of Scariff. Brace yourself for a dynamic rally experience featuring three stages, each with a twist of the unknown, repeated twice, offering competitors a whopping 70km of premium gravel stages.

With approximately 155km of road mileage, this rally is set to test drivers to their limits with Service available after Stage 2 and Stage 5. But hold on tight for the real challenge: Stages 3 and 6, each stretching a staggering 17km, promising to separate the champions from the challengers.

Scrutiny will take place on Friday evening October 4th 2024 at the Rugby Grounds in Scariff with Parc Ferme nearby in the Scariff Showgrounds. Documentation Scrutiny will be taking place at the GAA Grounds in Scariff with Service and Trailer Park located at the EKO Integrated Services Site in Scariff, formally known as Finsa.

With only four forestry rallies in Southern Ireland and Clare easily accessible from all corners of the Island, a decision was made to run the rally on a Saturday to facilitate competitors and teams to make their way home on Sunday. Prize giving will take place Saturday evening in McNamara’s Bar and Restaurant located in the square in Scariff. For competitors, their teams and spectators, Scariff is centrally located to neighbouring towns of Killaloe, Nenagh, Castleconnell, Limerick City, Ennis and Gort. There are a number of B and B’s and AirBnB’s in close radius of Scariff.

Clare Motor Club is delighted to be part of a number of high profile Championships which should attract a large entry. The Championships are as follows:

Round 6 Sligo Pallets National Forestry Rally Championship
Round 8 Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series
Round 7 Suirway Group Southeast Stages Rally Championship
Round 9 MIJR Motorsport Ireland Dual Surface Rally Championship
Round 6 2024 Bowler Defender Challenge

Gerry O’Brien, who has clerked the last four Clare Stages Rallies, will be once again stepping up to the role of Clerk of the Course. Gerry brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this event and will ably supported by David Murphy (Tot), Deputy Clerk of the Course, Willie Walsh and Declan O’Regan as Assistant Clerks of the Course, Kieran Ambrose as Club Safety, Mark Parsons as Club Steward and three top quality Stage Commanders in Tim Casey and Keith Naughton on Stage 1, Aodhain Neylon and Leonard Keane on Stage 2 and Eoghain McMahon and Raymond Hassett on Stage 3. Margaret McCloskey is once again Event Secretary assisted by Triona Hassett as Entries Secretary and their ever supporting Office Staff. As with all events, they won’t run without a supporting team of marshals who will be recruited by Maria O’Donoghue.

Clare Motor Club would like to thank the town’s people of Scariff and the surrounding areas for their support and encouragement in helping us with the organisation of this forestry rally. We would especially like to thank Scariff GAA Club, Scariff Rugby Club, Scariff Showgrounds Committee, the Management of EKO Integrated Services and Coillte. We would like to thank the Motorsport Ireland Forestry Championship Committee for allowing us to be part of the National Championship, the Coordinators of the MIJRS, the Motorsport Ireland Dual Surface Junior Rally Championship and the Suirway Group South East Stages Championship Committee. We would especially like to extend a big welcome to Bowler Motorsport UK and thank them for considering this event as a round of their Championship. We are all looking forward to seeing these Landrover Defenders competing in Ireland.