THE value of the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally as a sporting and tourism event is worth somewhere in the region of €5million to the local economy, as revealed during the launch of the event at the Park Cinema in Clonakilty on Sunday.
The hugely popular Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally, the first round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, takes place from March 14th to 16th next.
Cllr. Deirdre Kelly, deputising for the Mayor of the County of Cork, Cllr. Joe Carroll, spoke about the importance of the event as a key promoter of the West Cork region and how Cork County Council also underpins the event as one of a number of its associate sponsors.
Clerk of the course Steve Davis informed the attendance of the various strands that are woven together and the interaction with the various public bodies such as An Garda Siochana, Cork County Council, the HSE and the local Clonakilty West Cork Rally Committee to ensure the success of the event.
General manager of the Clonakilty Park Hotel David Henry placed the €5m value on the event and spoke about the spin off effect throughout West Cork. He also remarked on the return of many competitors on other occasions during the season to holiday in West Cork while basing themselves in the Clonakilty Park Hotel.
The increased presence of An Garda Siochána was highlighted by Inspector Ian O'Callaghan, who remarked, 'We want everyone to enjoy their time at the Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally, respect other road users and return home safely.'
Chairperson of the organising Cork Motor Club, Greg McCarthy spoke about the support and significance of the local Clonakilty West Cork Rally Committee and revealed that over 150 crews had already entered the event while rally competitors Clonakilty's Cal McCarthy and David Guest and Ovens' Owen Murphy discussed their previous results and hopes for the event in two weeks' time.
Mayor of Clonakilty Eileen Sheppard commented on the unique welcome and goodwill that exists, which is a key factor that illustrates how the event has evolved since its inception in 1977.
Chairperson of the Clonakilty West Cork Rally Committee Ed Twomey underlined the importance of local winners both overall and within the various classes while Colman Hegarty, representing the Tarmac Rally Organisers Association (TROA), spoke about their new title sponsors NAPA Auto Parts and how the West Cork Rally has become such an integral part of the series.
In terms of associate sponsors, Clonakilty Blackpudding, Keohane Readymix, Clonakilty Chamber of Commerce and Cork County Council continue to support the event while Tria Energy were welcomed as a new associate sponsor.
