Tipperary motor clubs welcome bid to bring World Rally Championship to the region

Two Tipperary motor clubs have welcomed a bid to bring the World Rally Championship to the Mid West in 2025.

The Mid-West region’s bid to host the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year will be presented to officials from the WRC Promoters and Motorsport Ireland at Limerick Racecourse this Thursday.

The Patrickswell venue has been put forward by the Limerick Motor Club in association with the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau as the base location for the prestigious international event which is returning to Ireland for the first time since 2009.

While there is no guarantee that the region will be awarded the championship, John Tynan from Kilkeary, who is involved with Birr and District Motor Club, said that he would be delighted to see it being held locally.

"The economic spend would be huge," he said.

While it would be near impossible to put a figure on what it would be worth to the entire Mid West economy, with an estimated 250,000 spectators expected to attend, he said that there would be a benefit for hospitality providers from bed spaces to restaurants to service areas.

It is estimated that an ordinary weekend rally brings up to €250,000 to the local economy.

Mr Tynan's view was echoed by Brendan Murphy, president of Nenagh Classic Car Club.

"If it does come to the region it will be huge for here," he said.

Mr Murphy said that Nenagh Classic Car Club would be "extremely supportive" of the event coming to the region.

"The infrastructure in Limerick is there to host it," he said.

Both pointed out that there would be a need for an army of volunteers to marshal the championship and the respective clubs would be more than willing to help out.

If the bid is successful, Limerick Racecourse would be transformed into a 10,000 square metre service park and international media centre as well as the WRC fan zone for the duration of the competition, which Ireland is expected to host for three years.

It also would host more than 1,500 volunteers and hundreds of officials, marshals and service crew members from the world’s largest rallying teams, including M-sport Ford, Toyota Gazoo racing and Hyundai Shell Mobis.

It is hoped that Limerick’s proximity to Shannon Airport and major motorway infrastructure will bolster its bid.

Maurice Meskell of Limerick Motor Club commented “Working in recent months with the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, we feel that we have put together a strong case to bring this prestigious international sporting event to the Mid-West.”

Karen Ronan, General Manager of the Shannon Region Conference and Sports Bureau, said a successful Limerick bid would deliver significant economic dividends to the wider region.

“The Mexican state of Guanajuato this year saw more than 600,000 rallying fans gather for the WRC leading to a €36.5m injection in the local economy along with high hotel occupancy rates and prominent international media coverage. The support received locally for our bid suggests that Limerick is ready and willing to deliver a hugely successful base in Ireland to stage the event for Motorsport Ireland and the WRC," she said.

A decision on the host location will be made by the WRC Promoters & Motorsport Ireland next week.

Kerry and Waterford are the other shortlisted locations.