The Circuit of Ireland International Rally is an annual automobile rally, which was first held in 1931 making it the third oldest rally in the world. The most recent event was held in 2025.
The Circuit, as it is colloquially known, is organised by the Ulster Automobile Club and is traditionally held over the Easter holiday weekend. It normally starts and finishes in Northern Ireland, although over time the lengthy route of the event has typically included large segments in the Republic of Ireland as well. Most of the event's special stages are laid out on paved public roads that are closed to other traffic.
History Early years The rally originated in 1931 as the Ulster Motor Rally. It was run from multiple starting points, in a manner similar to the Monte Carlo Rally. After several years in this format, it transitioned into a 1089-mile circuit, essentially following the Irish coastline and starting and finishing in Bangor, County Down. The Circuit was suspended during World War II (1939–1945), and again in 1948 due to fuel shortages. Further cancellations occurred in 1957, 1972, 2001 and 2007.
2007–2009 The 2007 Circuit of Ireland was cancelled as a result of continuing disputes between the organisers, the event operating company, and the sponsors. It was replaced by a series of smaller Easter holiday events arranged by the Ulster Automobile Club. These included the Easter International Rally (or, Easter Stages Rally), which was run over 12 special stages in Londonderry, Tyrone, and Donegal.
The Circuit restarted again on the Easter weekend (21–23 March) in 2008. Twenty-eight teams competed on twenty special stages, with fourteen teams finishing. The overall winner was Eamonn Boland in a Subaru Impreza S12B.Final Overall Positions North East Rally Services Results Service 2008-03-23
The 2009 event was run over the weekend of 11–12 April, starting in the town of Banbridge, County Down and finishing after 14 special stages in Dundalk. The overall winner was Eugene Donnelly in a Škoda Fabia WRC.Official Award Winners Ulster Automobile Club website. Retrieved 2010-01-02
2010–2013 In 2010, the event was awarded Intercontinental Rally Challenge Supporter Event status. The event was run over the weekend 3–4 April and was based in Newry, Northern Ireland. There was a total of 15 stages including a night stage. The event counted as a round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.IRC Supporter Event gets night stage IRC Official Website 2010-02-19 Retrieved 2010-02-19 Derek McGarrity and co-driver James McKee won the rally in their Subaru Impreza S12B. Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy (Ford Focus RS WRC) and Alastair Fisher/Marshall Clarke (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9) finished second and third respectively.
The 2012 Circuit of Ireland event hosted round three of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge., as well as Irish Tarmac Rally Championship and Northern Ireland Rally Championship stages.
In December 2012, it was announced that the 2013 rally would be cancelled due to a lack of funds, but it was subsequently reinstated at a reduced scale."Circuit of Ireland international rally called off due to lack of funding" Belfast Telegraph 14 December 2012"Reduced scale for Circuit of Ireland Rally" Belfast Telegraph 16 December 2012 In the end, the event was cancelled due to bad weather.
2014–2016 Having resolved the issues the previous year, the 2014 Circuit of Ireland event rejoined the European Rally Championship for the first time since 1991. It consisted of 18 special stages covering a total of 230 km in 2 days, starting in Belfast. Finnish driver Esapekka Lappi dominated the (European Rally Championship) ahead of 2nd place Sepp Wiegand from Germany, making it a Skoda 1–2. He won by 1 minute and 50 seconds. Irishman Robert Barrable finished 3rd in their Ford Fiesta R5. Declan Boyle won the Circuit of Ireland National Rally in his Subaru Impreza S12B WRC. Teenage British driver Chris Ingram led the ERC Junior Championship but crashed out handing the win to Czech driver Jan Černý. Ingram still became the youngest winner of the Colin McRae 'Flat Out' Award, handed to him by local hero Kris Meeke.
The 2015 event hosted European Rally Championship and Irish Tarmac Rally Championship rounds.
The 2016 Circuit of Ireland event hosted European Rally Championship, Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, as well as British Rally Championship rounds.
2017–2019 The 2017 event was cancelled due to funding issues, casting doubt on the event's future altogether. For the following two years attempts to resurrect the event were unfruitful.
2020–2021 After a three-year break, the rally was finally about to return in 2020 to the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship calendar in tandem with the Easter Stages Rally. The event, managed by Event Director Graeme Stewart and Clerk of the Course Nigel Hughes, was planned to consist of 18 Special Stages. Overall distance of the event was going to be , of which in special stages. The number of competitors was limited to 100, the competitor entry fee was . The event was also to host the European Rally Trophy series event FIA ERT Celtic Rally Trophy.
On 13 March the event was postponed in light of the coronavirus pandemic. On 20 March, Motorsport Ireland issued a statement that all motorsport events were suspended until 1 June 2020. On 28 April the Tarmac Rally Organisers' Association announced that the 2020 Irish Tarmac Rally Championship was cancelled. The Circuit of Ireland event could still go ahead, and the organisers – Ulster Automobile Club – promptly stated that the event had been postponed, rather than cancelled, and had secured a date in November. However, on 25 June 2020, they announced that in the interests of public health and safety, the event had been cancelled. 2021 event was also cancelled due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
2022 After five years of absence, the Circuit returned to the 2022 racing calendar on Easter weekend. Officially called Wastewater Solutions Circuit of Ireland Rally 2022, it was hosted by Ulster Automobile Club and promoted by the Easter Stages Ltd. The two day, 192.68 competitive kilometres event ran over 12 stages in Mid and East Antrim, with event headquarters in the Livestock Market in Ballymena. The Circuit of Ireland International Rally was the first round of the FIA Celtic Rally Trophy and the third round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
2023 Following the successful running of the 2022 Circuit of Ireland, the rally returned in 2023. The single day event, hosted on 8 April 2023, saw eight stages based in Mid-Ulster. The 2023 Circuit was officially called "Milburn Concrete Circuit of Ireland Rally 2023" and was organised by the Cookstown Motor Club and the Ulster Automobile Club. In total, the 2023 circuit was 70 competitive miles long. The Circuit of Ireland presented as the third round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.
Winners + Past winners Year Driver Car1931 Jimmy McCaherty Austin 16 Saloon1932 William McMullan Alvis1933 Stanley Orr Austin 71934 Wilnor Jones Standard 101935 Wesley Shaw Triumph1936 Basil Clarke Austin 161937 Wesley Shaw Triumph1938 Graham Chambers MG TA1939 Billy Michael Wolseley 1940– 1945 Cancelled; World War II1946 Artie Bell Riley 12hp Sprite1947 Jack McMichael MG TC 1948 Cancelled; fuel shortages1949 Chris Lindsay Ford Special1950 Dermot Johnston Allard1953 Wilbert Todd Dellow1954 Mervyn Glover Dellow1955 Robin McKinney Triumph TR21956 Robin McKinney Triumph TR2 1957 Cancelled; Suez Crisis1958 Paddy Hopkirk Triumph TR3A1960 Adrian Boyd Austin-Healey Sprite1961 Paddy Hopkirk Sunbeam Rapier1962 Paddy Hopkirk Mini Cooper1963 Ian Woodside Austin Sprite1964 Ronnie McCartney Mini Cooper S1965 Paddy Hopkirk Mini Cooper1966 Tony Fall Mini Cooper1967 Paddy Hopkirk Mini Cooper1968 Roger Clark Ford Escort1969 Roger Clark Ford Escort1970 Roger Clark Ford Escort1971 Adrian Boyd Ford Escort 1972 Cancelled; NI security concerns1973 Jack Tordoff Porsche Carrera1974 Cahal Curley Porsche Carrera1975 Billy Coleman Ford Escort RS16001976 Billy Coleman Ford Escort RS18001977 Russell Brookes Ford Escort RS18001978 Russell Brookes Ford Escort RS18001979 Pentti Airikkala Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR1980 Jimmy McRae Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR1981 Jimmy McRae Opel Ascona 4001982 Jimmy McRae Opel Ascona 4001983 Russell Brookes Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HSR1984 Billy Coleman Opel Manta 4001985 Jimmy McRae Opel Manta 4001986 David Llewellin MG Metro 6R41987 Jimmy McRae Ford Sierra RS Cosworth1988 Jimmy McRae Ford Sierra RS Cosworth1989 Jimmy McRae Ford Sierra RS Cosworth1990 David Llewellin Toyota Celica GT-Four1991 Colin McRae Subaru Legacy RS1992 Frank Meagher Ford Sierra RS Cosworth1993 Austin MacHale Toyota Celica1994 Stephen Finlay Ford Escort RS Cosworth1995 Bertie Fisher Subaru Impreza 5551996 Stephen Finlay Ford Escort RS Cosworth1997 Bertie Fisher Subaru Impreza1998 Austin MacHale Toyota Celica1999 Bertie Fisher Subaru Impreza 2000– 2001 Cancelled; 2001 United Kingdom foot-and-mouth outbreak2002 Andrew Nesbitt Subaru Impreza2003 Derek McGarrity Subaru Impreza2004 Derek McGarrity Subaru Impreza2005 Derek McGarrity Subaru Impreza2006 Eugene Donnelly Toyota Corolla2007 Mark Higgins Subaru Impreza2008 Eamon Boland Subaru Impreza S12B2009 Eugene Donnelly Škoda Fabia WRC2010 Derek McGarrity Subaru Impreza S12B2011 Derek McGarrity Subaru Impreza S112012 Juho Hanninen Škoda Fabia S2000 2013 Cancelled; bad weather2014 Esapekka Lappi Škoda Fabia S20002015 Craig Breen Peugeot 208 T162016 Craig Breen Citroën DS3 R5 201720182019 Not held 20202021 Cancelled, coronavirus pandemic2022 Alastair Fisher Volkswagen Polo GTI R52023 Callum Devine Volkswagen Polo GTI R52024 Matt Edwards Ford Fiesta Rally22025 Callum Devine Skoda Fabia RS Rally22026 David Kelly Skoda Fabia RS Rally2
Multiple winners Top drivers with most wins (>2) and most starts (>15). (As of 2022)
Driver Wins Starts Jimmy McRae 7 14 Paddy Hopkirk 5 8 Derek McGarrity 5 15 Roger Clark 3 12 Russell Brookes 3 16 Billy Coleman 3 18 Bertie Fisher 3 22 Adrian Boyd 2 17 Austin MacHale 2 25 Rosemary Smith 0 16 Noel Smith 0 16
References
External links Old Circuit of Ireland website from WayBackMachine Current event website Ulster Automobile Club Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2020 FIA European Rally Trophy season