Irish rally ranks grow as Craig Rahill steps up to Junior WRC

Cavan's Craig Rahill (right) and Conor Smith, who will compete in next season's Junior World Rally Championship in an M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3. Picture: Martin Walsh.

The Irish contingent across the various categories of the World Rally Championship categories continues to swell principally due to former Irish rally champion John Coyne, patron and founder of the Motorsport Ireland Academy, who was inducted into the Motorsport Ireland Hall of Fame at the recent annual Champions of Irish Motorsport Awards.

Indeed, were it not for Coyne's exceptional financial support, the degree of Irish participation in the WRC would be considerably less.

Cavan's Craig Rahill is the latest driver to benefit within the MI Academy structure, a former Billy Coleman Award winner (2024) he will compete in next season's Junior WRC where he will be co-driven by Bailieboro's Conor Smith (27), who has been calling the notes for almost all of Rahill's fledgling career.

Coyne said, "We are delighted to support another Irish crew on their learning journey to the top of the WRC ladder, by backing Craig and Conor in the 2026 Junior WRC.” 

The pair will compete in an M-Sport Poland Ford Fiesta Rally3 in the five-round series that begins next February with Rally Sweden.

Rahill from Drung (about five kilometres from Cavan town) began his rallying in 2022 in a Mk2 Ford Escort and his precocious talent was evident from the start even though he had a number of non-finishes. In his second season he took several victories in Class 11 before switching to a Rally4 Fiesta where he continued to impress as he made a seamless transition from rear to front wheel drive.

Last year Rahill and Smith finished third overall in the Junior European Rally Championship gaining valuable experience on the continent before tasting victory on the Barum Czech Rally Zlín in a Lancia Ypsilon Rally4.

In their Junior WRC journey they will follow the likes of Callum Devine, Jon Armstrong, William Creighton, who won the series in 2023 and this year's Junior WRC Rally Finland winner Eamonn Kelly. Rahill said, “I’m incredibly excited to compete in the Junior WRC in 2026. It’s a significant step up, but Conor and I have worked extremely hard to earn this opportunity, and we’re ready to push even harder to make the most of it." 

Aware of the rally pyramid, he added, “The (Junior WRC) championship is a vital stepping stone towards the WRC and a fantastic chance to measure ourselves against the best young talent in the sport. This season will be all about learning each event, gaining as much experience as possible, and showing steady progress round by round."

Maciej Woda, managing director of M-Sport Poland remarked, "We are pleased to see another young Irish talented driver joining Junior WRC. Motorsport Ireland Rally Academy already has a very good record in supporting young drivers in their path to the top of rallying. For Craig, having a chance to follow the footsteps of Jon, William and Eamonn, who have all gone through Junior WRC, is a lifetime opportunity to step up and show his potential on the World Rally Championship.” 

This latest announcement brings to six the total of Irish competitors (with MI Academy backing) involved in the WRC. Last week, it was confirmed that Kilrea's Josh McErlean and Killeagh's Eoin Treacy would continue in the top tier of the WRC with the M-Sport Ford WRT where it was also announced that fellow Irish crew Jon Armstrong/Shane Byrne are to step up from the European Rally Championship where they competed in a Ford Fiesta Rally2 to campaign a Ford Puma Rally1 with the M-Sport outfit in the WRC.

Currently, former JWRC champions William Creighton/Liam Regan have yet to announce their 2026 plans, the reigning British Rally champions could switch to the ERC or perhaps WRC2 while this year's Billy Coleman award winner Donegal's Kyle McBride is earmarking the Junior ERC series.

Meanwhile, the Irish Examiner has been informed that the decision on the Motorsport Ireland Court of Inquiry into matters relating to, and surrounding this year's Rally of the Lakes, will be published by January 10th next. The second inquiry will be assessed thereafter. The offices of Motorsport Ireland will reopen on January 5th.