Killarney and District Motor Club have announced a host of new title sponsors for the 2022 International Rally of the Lakes.
The Flagship event on the Irish rallying calendar will share sponsorship with 3 leading companies. Rentokil Initial, Ireland's Pest Experts have come on board for the event for the first time. Rentokil have been sponsoring the Killarney Historic Rally for a number of years and local man Michael O Mahoney is their Managing Director.
Castleisland's Aherns.ie Motor Group have also come on board as a title sponsor for the rally. Aherns brands have long been associated with rallying including BMW and Opel, two moto companies who can boast Rally of the Lakes wins.
The Gleneagle Hotel and Apartments have also stepped up to title sponsors of the event, having been associate sponsors for the event for a number of years. The Gleneagle Hotel will also be the base for Rally HQ on the regular May Bank Holiday slot.
Also announced today was that the rally will consist of 15 stages in a compact route that is entirely located in the Killarney area.
Speaking about the announcement, Michael O Mahony, Managing Director of Rentokil Initial said "I am thrilled to now also be associated with the Rally of the Lakes, especially, given that the Rentokil Initial brand is already indelibly embedded in the Killarney Historic Rally. It’s further example of how a global brand can act locally!"
It is also the first time Aherns Motor Group have come on board as associate sponsors to the Rally of the Lakes. Paul Ahern, Head of business with Aherns.ie Motor Group, said "Aherns Motor Group are proud to sponsor the Rally of the lakes which has always been the top international Rally in Ireland with the best stages in Europe the ultimate challenge for any Rally crew. It is great to see the rally back after a tough two years for the country and everyone, so hopefully it will bring a bit of joy back for the crews and fans and give a good boost to the local economy in Kerry.We are a local company based in Castleisland and are grateful for the support our customers have given us over the years and we have been involved in the Rally for many years as competitors, stage sponsors and program sponsors so it is great to now support the event as official sponsors as all the brands we represent including SEAT and Mazda have a rich history in motorsport and BMW and Opel have also won previous Rally of the Lakes and many of our customers get great enjoyment from the event also huge thanks has to go to the motor club for getting the Lakes back on the road and I’m sure they will make this years Rally one of the best yet."
Patrick O Donoghue, Owner of The Gleneagle Hotel said "After a two year hiatus due to the Covid 19 pandemic, we are delighted to welcome the rally back to the Gleneagle and the town of Killarney. It has been a challenging number of years for everybody and the May Bank Holiday Weekend was not the same without the Rally of the Lakes being ran in the town. Darren and his team are busy planning the event and I would like to wish them all the best as event begins to take shape"
2022 will mark a special year for the event, as the first second generation Clerk of the Course takes charge of the event. Darren McCormick, whos father Gary McCormick previously took charge of the event said "After 2 years with no rallying due to the Covid pandemic, It is fantastic to be able to welcome our new sponsors Rentokil Initial and Aherns Motor Group on board along with our long term sponsors The Gleneagle Hotel and Ordnance Survey Ireland as Sponsors of the 2022 International Rally of the Lakes. Plans are well underway for this year's event where we have decided to choose a compact route with stages in close proximity to Killarney, taking in some of the most challenging classic stages along with adding new stages over the 2 day event with centralized service each day.
Killarney and District Motor Club Chairman Dan Keane added "I am very grateful to Darren and his hardworking team for their hard work so far in what is shaping up to be a fantastic event. I would also like to thank Rentokil Initial, Aherns.ie Motor Group, The Gleneagle Hotel and OSI who, in extremely challenging times, having generously sponsored the event. I look forward to welcoming everyone back to Killarney on the May Bank Holiday.
