World Rally Championship 2007The relative remoteness of the northwest endows this region with a mystical attraction, an ancient land of contrast from the rugged Atlantic coastline, to the peaks of Mount Errigal in Donegal, and Benbulben in Sligo, and the peaceful lakes and waterways of Tyrone, Fermanagh and Leitrim.
But a new force, in the form of Rally Ireland is on target to bring an awesome spectacle to the region next year. Rally Ireland will shatter the tranquillity as the world descends on the northwest through a round of the World Rally Championship, to be held on November 16th-18th, 2007.
And the thousands of spectators will be able to watch it all free. Irish rally fans are the world's greatest connoisseurs of a free show, but they will certainly boost the economy of the northwest in an unprecedented splurge of money for accommodation, food and high octane fuel for body, soul and engines.
Rally Ireland HQ will be in Sligo, service in Enniskillen, and stages in Donegal, Fermanagh, Tyrone, Sligo and Leitrim, following a similar format to the events held in 2005 and in March this year.
Rally Ireland joins the famous events of the WRC, classics such as the Monte Carlo Rally, Acropolis (Greece), Finland (formerly known as the 1000 Lakes) and the RAC (now called Wales Rally GB), and it came about through the vision and foresight of Ronan Morgan. Over the course of some 30 years the affable Dubliner has chalked up impressive rally successes from Ireland to the Middle East as a co-driver, including the Circuit of Ireland and other home internationals with the legendary Billy Coleman.
Recently he brought World Championship winners to compete in high profile rallysprint events at Punchestown, and was also event director of the WRC Wales Rally GB. Along with Wicklow-based Sean O'Connor, Morgan is the driving force behind Rally Ireland, selling the idea to Motorsport Ireland, Fáilte Ireland and the Northern Events Company, assembling a working team and putting a professional proposal to the FIA in Paris.
Before Rally Ireland could even be considered for WRC status two pilot events had to be run in 2006 and 2007, won respectively by rising young British star Matthew Wilson and meteoric Irish champion Eugene Donnelly.
It is difficult to quantify the spend by spectators, but reaserch conducted by the University of Ulster indicates that it could be worth almost €29 million a year, plus global TV and media coverage worth €17 million, adding up to a value of €46 million for the region.
The organisation and running of the WRC event will need at least 1,500 volunteer helpers and stage marshals, covering such aspects of the rally as safety, traffic and crowd control, service areas etc. A guestimate at the number of spectators could vary from 20,000 to 200,000, as much will depend on weather conditions and the shorter daylight hours in the month of November. Accommodation will be at a premium with a requirement for around 10,000 bed nights in the immediate Sligo-Enniskillen area.
Double World Champion Marcus Gronholm has expressed his excitement at the prospect of driving the works Ford Focus WRC on the Irish stages. Already a triple round winner in this year's WRC, the Finnish ace said: "As a driver it is always challenging to take on new rallies. Such events keep the championship fresh and I hope that Rally Ireland is a success. I don't know much about the characteristics of the stages but I have heard about the huge enthusiasm for the sport in Ireland and I'm sure we will receive a warm welcome."
January 19/21 - Monte Carlo Rally
February 9/11 - Rally Sweden
February 16/18 - Rally Norway
March 9/11- Rally Mexico
March 30/April 1 - Rally Portugal
May 4/6 - Rally Argentina
May 18/20 - Rally Italy (Sardinia)
June 1/3 - Rally Greece (Acropolis)
August 3/5 - Rally Finland
August 17/19 - Rally Germany
Aug 31/September 2 - Rally New Zealand
October 5/7 - Rally France (Corsica)
October 15/14 - Rally Catalunya (Spain)
October 25/28 - Rally Japan
November 16/18 - Rally Ireland
Nov 30/December 2 - Wales Rally GB