Billy Coleman: How a farmer from Millstreet became Ireland’s first British Rally champion

Fifty years after winning the British Rally Championship, Irish motorsport icon Billy Coleman has cherished memories and some regrets.

Billy Coleman during the 1974 Circuit of Ireland. Picture: RallyRetro.

Fifty years after winning the British Rally Championship in 1974, the name Billy Coleman remains synonymous with motorsport and not just in Ireland. 

Long before Eurovision or even Eubank, the prowess of the man made him the "Millstreet Maestro". "King Billy" remains such an adored and iconic figure to the thousands of followers he had throughout his career and also his rally contemporaries that acknowledged and hailed his driving skills.