The 2026 Corrib Oil Galway International Rally takes place over the coming weekend, 31st January / 1st February.
Once again, a strong quality entry has been received for the first major rally of the year. The rally is the opening round of the 2026 NAPA Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and the second round of the Wales Motorsport Irish Tarmac Historic Rally Championship. Entries have come from all over Ireland and the UK, as well as overseas entries travelling from Germany, Sweden and Jersey. The competing teams, their sponsors and crews, and the thousands of spectators that will line the route will bring a welcome early season boost of visitor numbers to Galway City and County. The event has retained its full bank -holiday weekend format and is expected to generate over 2,000 bed-nights for hotels and guest houses. The rally is estimated to generate around €3 million of revenue for the local economy.
Clerk of the Course, Mark Parsons, said “Galway Motor Club is indebted to the staff of Galway City and County Councils, An Garda Siochana, Fáilte Ireland, the Road Safety Authority and the HSE, the Directors and staff of title sponsor, Corrib Oil, the Galway Race Committee, the 300 volunteer marshals from all over Ireland, and most of all, the residents along the route for their assistance with temporary road closures to ensure the safe running of the event.”
The rally will get under way with scrutineering of cars at Galway Racecourse from 1.00pm on Friday 30th January, followed by a Ceremonial Start in Eyre Square later that day at 8.00pm. Both are ideal opportunities to see the rally cars and drivers prior to the start of the competition. Admission is free to both.
The rally route will cover 9 closed road stages on Saturday 31st January and a further 6 closed road stages on Sunday 1st February. The stages are all based in the Headford general area on Saturday, and Athenry and Woodlawn on Sunday. The rally Service Park will be in the Galway Airport on both days. Sunday evening will see the ceremonial finish back at the Connacht Hotel from approximately 4.30pm. Admission to the above venues is free over the weekend.
Road Safety:
The Corrib Oil Galway International Rally is an event that is sanctioned by the FIA under an official Permit issued by Motorsport Ireland and supported by the RSA – The Road Safety Authority of Ireland. All competing cars will carry the RSA logo and message, and signage to promote this road safety message will be visible.
Mark Parsons, Clerk of the Course, encourages fans travelling to the Corrib Oil Galway International Rally to heed the message from the organisers to ‘Keep the Race in its Place,’ to slow down, never drink and drive and to always wear a seatbelt. All spectators on the closed road stages must always obey the Marshals, as they will be implementing a comprehensive Safety Plan. A traffic management plan is in place with the support of the Gardai.
Cavalcade of competing cars and Ceremonial Start:
A Ceremonial Start will take place in Eyre Square on Friday 30th January at 8.00pm, where Mayor Mike Cubbard will flag away the leading cars. Prior to that, from 7.00pm to 8.00pm, a cavalcade of the leading rally cars, along with Historic Rally cars from past years will travel from Galway Racecourse along Lough Atalia, Dock Road, Spanish parade, Flood Street and Merchants Road to Eyre Square.
Traffic Diversions:
To facilitate the safe running of the event there will be temporary road closures. All road closures will be clearly signposted and marshalled. All residents have been informed of the times and temporary road closure arrangements, and the details have been advertised by Galway County Council. There will be additional traffic in the Eyre Square area from 6.00pm to 9.00pm on Friday 30th January to facilitate the Ceremonial Start, also in the vicinity of the Connacht Hotel and at Galway Airport and surrounding areas during both days.
Rally Programmes:
The Official Rally Programme contains full listings of stage times, service area times, detailed Ordnance Survey Route Maps and all the information required to locate the many spectator access points. The Souvenir Programme costs €20 and is available from the Connacht Hotel and from various Corrib Oil filling stations, newsagents and outlets in the city and county, listed on the Galway International Rally Facebook page.
Leading Entries:
| Car | Driver | Navigator | Make/Model |
| 1 | Callum Devine | Noel O’Sullivan | Skoda Fabia Rally 2 |
| 2 | Eddie Doherty | Tom Murphy | Skoda Fabia |
| 3 | Eamonn Kelly | Conor Mohan | Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 |
| 4 | Michael Boyle | Declan Boyle | Skoda Fabia Rally 2 |
| 5 | Cathan McCourt | Barry McNulty | Skoda Fabia Rally 2 |
| 6 | Josh Moffett | Andy Hayes | Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2 |
| 7 | Declan Boyle | Patrick Walsh | Skoda Fabia Rally 2 |
| 8 | David Kelly | Shane Buckley | Skoda Fabia Rally 2 |
| 9 | Ryan Loughran | Dale McGettigan | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 11 | Matthew Boyle | Gary Byrne | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 12 | Keelan Grogan | Ayrton Sherlock | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 14 | Gary Kiernan | John McGrath | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 15 | Darren Gass | Enda Sherry | VW Polo GTI R5 |
| 16 | David Guest | Stephen Quin | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 17 | Shane Quinn | Stephen Reynolds | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 18 | Tom Holton Jnr | Stephen Joyce | Ford Fiesta Rally 2 |
| 19 | Tommy Doyle | Liam Moynihan | Hyundai i20 Rally 2 |
| 20 | Patrick McHugh | Pauric O’Donnell | Darrian T90 GTR |
| 21 | Mark Alcorn | John O’Donnell | Ford Escort Mk2 |
| 22 | Michael Cahill | Killian McArdle | Ford Escort Mk2 |
Members of Galway Motor Club taking part in the event will be seeking to put their name on the prestigious Brian G. Thornton Memorial Cup. The top seeded Galway competitors are:
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New Award:
For 2026 the Darina Joyce Award will be presented for the first time to the leading driver who is over the age of 60.
Charity Partners:
For 2026 the event Charity Partners are the Irish Wheelchair Association and Down Syndrome Awareness.
Media Coverage:
Results, regular updates and more detailed information will be available on the Galway
International Rally Facebook page and on social media.
Galway Bay FM will be reporting from all 15 stages throughout the two days with regular updates and driver interviews.
2026 Corrib Oil Galway International Rally Timetable.
Friday 30th January Scrutiny at Galway Racecourse – 1.00pm to 6.00pm.
Friday 30th January Ceremonial Start in Eyre Square, Galway – 8.00pm
Saturday 31st January 9 Special Stages in Headford / Tuam area.
Sunday 1st February 6 Special Stages in East Galway
Saturday and Sunday 31st Jan & 1st Feb Service Park at Galway Airport – 8:00am to 6.00pm
Sunday 1st February Finish at Connacht Hotel, Galway – 4.30pm.
Pic: Kevin O’Driscoll
