A ROTATION policy is to be adopted for the proposed Irish round of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) after the final three bid locations could not be separated during a two-day evaluation process.
Discussions are now set to take place to see if an agreement can be reached as to which area hosts the championship for the first time since 2009.
Failing that, a lottery-based system is to be adopted.
On Thursday and Friday of last week, Motorsport Ireland President Aiden Harper along with colleagues and representatives from the WRC Promoter GmbH visited the Kerry, Limerick, and Waterford areas.
During the evaluation tour, the delegation met Ministers of State, local county council members, civic authorities, senior ranking An Garda Siochana officers, and officials from tourism body Failte Ireland.
Harper praised all three working groups for their professionalism, endeavour, passion, and hospitality.
Limerick Motor Club proposed running the international fixture out of Limerick Race Course as the site has the capacity to accommodate a 10,000 square metre service park, a fan zone and a media centre. Proposed special stages would take fans and teams through Clare, Galway, Tipperary, and also Cork.
Munster Technology University’s North Campus is the facility members from Kerry Motor Club pinned their hopes on, with their business case supported by the former top-flight WRC navigator, Paul Nagle. The route for this option featured closed roads that include the iconic ‘Moll’s Gap’ and ‘Slea Head’.
Completing the final three was an amalgamated south-east group which identified the Quays area of Waterford City as a suitable location from which to run the four-day, closed-road competition out of.
Harper said the announcement – which was made on Tuesday morning at Motorsport Ireland’s offices on Dawson Street in Dublin – was a key step in returning Ireland to a series viewed by 850m people.
He added that all three bids had “unique aspects” and were both “exceptional” and “mind-blowing”.
Safety inspections, candidate stages and the matter of government funding aside, Harper said: “It was an honour for me and the selection panel to see the commitment from our clubs and volunteers in each area who put together such strong bids to potentially host WRC Rally Ireland from 2025 onwards.
“In Kerry, Limerick and the South East, we have a trio of world class venues that will be ideal hubs for the event.
“Today’s announcement is obviously predicated on securing Government funding and this is a process that is underway. Our bid is currently under consideration by senior management in the Major Sports Events Unit of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media.
“A three-year deal will require a €15 million investment, but this will yield a €300 million return over those three years and will greatly benefit the economies in the South West, Mid West and South East.”
Harper is confident the prosperity forecast from hosting WRC Rally Ireland over an initial three-year spell will pave the way for the country being handed a permanent spot.
When the WRC last came to Ireland in 2009, studies by the University of Ulster showed it was worth £36m and catered for more than 250,000 spectators.
The research also revealed the mean spend per spectator was almost £280.
“We are looking at a three-year deal, but we know this country is more than capable of delivering a world class event – we want to be like the Monaco’s (Monte Carlo Rally) and the Finland’s of this world where it will be repeat, repeat, repeat,” added Harper.
“So, if we have a very successful three years, and once the Promoter and FIA review those three years, we’d like that to be a continuing process.”
WRC Promoter Event Director Simon Larkin told Irish News Sport he was aware of Motorsport Ireland’s desire to secure a slot on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar as early as 2025 for a three-year period, adding that “we are all looking forward to discussing and negotiating the next steps together.”
A spokesperson for WRC Promoter GmbH added: “Ireland is an incredible country and since the last running of Rally Ireland in 2009, the world teams have been waiting to return.”
Attention has shifted south of the Irish border in recent months following successive failed bids to get Rally Northern Ireland off the ground due to the absence of a devolved government.