Meeke and Snijers set for BMW M3 showdown at 2025 Killarney Towers historic rally

Anthony O'Connor (left) Clerk of the Course of the Killarney Towers Hotel Historic Rally with Killarney rally driver Alan Ring at the launch in Killarney on Sunday afternoon. Picture: Martin Walsh.

This year's Killarney Towers Hotel Historic Rally, an event created by the late Maurice Nagle that had its first iteration in 1996 will have former World Rally Championship five-time event winner Kris Meeke and ex-European Rally champion and seven time Belgian champion Patrick Snijers both behind the wheel of BMW M3's for this year's nine stage classic that will conclude with a double run over the infamous Moll's Gap, with the last stage in darkness on the final Saturday of November.

Speaking at the launch at the Plaza Hotel yesterday (Sunday) clerk of the course Anthony O'Connor said, "The planning of this event began many months ago and we are excited about this year's event. We have a capacity entry that will participate across many of the various classes. The presence of World recognised drivers like Kris Meeke and Patrick Snijers and of course our own local stars will make for another thrilling event. The Moll's Gap stage will feature three times and we also have a double run over a three stage loop in Kenmare, where the service park will be based." The event takes place on Saturday November 29th.

The nominations for this year's Billy Coleman award for the "Young Rally Driver of the Year" has been completed and over the coming two weeks, the six nominees will be interviewed a panel who will select this year's winner and two runners-up that will be announced at the Motorsport Ireland Champions Awards lunch in Dublin on December 3rd next.

Last week, a second Donegal driver Joe Kelly (22) received the second monthly (June-October) grouping nomination and joined fellow countyman Kyle McBride, also twenty two years old, who won the first monthly grouping (January-May). Ironically, both contested the Junior British Rally Championship and Stellantis Motorsport Rally Cup Ireland/UK, both campaigning Peugeot 208 Rally4 cars with McBride winning both titles on a fascinating Cambrian Rally in Wales at the end of last month that went down to wire and the very final stage.

Kelly, who began rallying in six years ago in a Toyota Aygo in the J1000 category, switched to a Ford Fiesta R2T for a single season (2021) and since then has over forty events under his belt behind the wheel of the Peugeot. His only other outing was last September when he steered a Toyota Yaris Rally2 on the Wexford Rally only to retired on the second leg. Both Kelly and McBride were the cream of the crop on the Junior BRC and continued the strong Irish presence in the series. Just last Friday, Motorsport Ireland confirmed the remaining nominees, that apart from the selection of one wildcard entry, featured the winners of the various Motorsport Ireland championships.

Clonmel's Casey Jay Coleman (22) is the recipient of the wildcard nomination this year. Another J1000 prodigy, Coleman competed in the M-Sport Fiesta Rally3 Trophy that ran in tandem with the European Rally Championship. He netted a class win in the Czech Republic and second place in Italy, both of which helped him secure runner-up in the series. More recently, he drove a Skoda Fabia Rally2 on the Wexford Rally and the Cork '20' finishing seventh in the former and holding the same position before his retirement on the latter.

Meanwhile, Cian Caldwell (21) Kells, Co. Meath, was selected from Class 2 of the Sligo Pallets National Forestry Rally Championship and the Motorsport Ireland Junior Rally Series. Wexford’s Jack Kennedy (20) emerged from Class 2A of the Triton Showers National Rally Championship and also the MIJRS while Ross Ryan (19) was chosen as the highest placed eligible driver in Class 2A of the Sligo Pallets National Forestry Rally Championship.

Meanwhile, the Midland Navigation Trial, round three of the National Navigation Motorsport Trial Championship was won by the Longford crew of Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza), who dominated the rain lashed event and finished with just five penalties to become the third different winner in as many rounds. The Monaghan crew of Peter Deery/David McCrudden (Subaru Impreza) edged out the Donegal duo of Shane Laverty/Ciaran Coyle (Subaru Impreza) for second spot, finishing with 25 penalties - one less than the latter crew. The event was based in Ballinamuck, County Leitrim.

Midland Navigation Rally (Round 3, Motorsport Ireland National Navigation Trial Championship(Ballinamuck, Co. Leitrim: 1. C. Duffy/S. Johnston (Subaru Impreza) 5 penalties; 2. P. Deery/D. McCrudden (Subaru Impreza) 25pens; 3. S. Laverty/C. Coyle (Subaru Impreza) 26pens; 4. D. Butler/A. O'Regan (Subaru Impreza) 30pens; 5. D. Mackerel/C. Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 31pens; 6. J. Fitzgerald/ K. Carmody (Subaru Impreza) 38pens.