2024 Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally set to take place on St. Patrick’s weekend
Cork Motor Club has announced some exciting ideas for the 2024 Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally due to take place on St. Patrick’s weekend next. The 44th running of this iconic event is looking to expand to a three-day format for the first time with eighteen special stages to be tackled over the weekend of 15th – 17th March on some of the best rally roads in the country. The club plans to run four stages in a 2×2 format on the Friday afternoon, with the second pair of stages running in darkness. There will be eight stages on the Saturday and six stages on the Sunday run in the same format as previous years. The route itself will see a return to some roads not used in a while but the rally will still retain its compact layout. Steve Davis will again be Clerk of the Course for the 2024 rally and the event headquarters will be the Clonakilty Park Hotel who are also title sponsors for the event, a partnership that stretches over two decades. The rally will be the second round of the 2024 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship (3rd Round for Historics) and the opening round of the Southern 4 Rally Championship.
Clerk of the Course Steve Davis said, “The 2024 running of the West Cork Rally is set to be an incredibly exciting event as for the first time in its history the rally will form part of a three day festival of motorsport based in Clonakilty. Since its inception the local West Cork Rally Committee has played a pivotal role in its development and while their initial focus was based on providing financial support, their new role now intertwines so many other strands. As rally organizers, we are delighted to have their full support, and indeed their endorsement continues that synergy.” He added, “While the West Cork Rally is highly regarded, not just on the island of Ireland, but also overseas, this new development will ensure continued collaboration. The decision (to make it a three-day event) has been endorsed both by the directors and members of the Cork Motor Club and has also received the overwhelming support of the competitors. The four stages on the Friday, that include two stages in darkness, will be close to Clonakilty.”
Chairperson of the Clonakilty West Cork Rally Committee Ed Twomey remarked “Following discussions with Cork Motor Club and as a committee, we are very excited to take on the challenge of a three day Clonakilty Park West Cork Rally. We have a long history here in West Cork of being innovative and we are not afraid to try something new. Ever since the rally began, we have enjoyed the unstinting support of the local businesses and residents of Clonakilty and the wider West Cork area”. He concluded, “Traditionally, the West Cork Rally kick starts our tourist season, and we are famous for our warm welcome to competitors, crews, and spectators from all over Ireland and overseas. We look forward to meeting old friends and new on St. Patrick’s weekend in 2024 where the journey will now start a day earlier”.
