The local motorsport and business communities have joined forces to support the upcoming Galway Summer Rally, scheduled for Sunday, 23 August.
Running since 1972, this year’s event serves as a crucial battleground for three premier regional campaigns: the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, and the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship.
The rally will challenge over 165 crews across 110 kilometres of demanding competitive action over classic Galway International Rally stages, linked by 120 kilometres of road mileage.
Five prominent Galway enterprises have stepped forward to secure the event’s operational and financial future. Title sponsor Bluebird Care leads the way, supported by associate partners Spain’s Coach Hire, GRP4 Fabrications, Craughwell Tyres, and Adrian Quinn Car Sales. Each sponsoring firm possesses deep roots within Irish stage rallying, spanning from grassroots clubman competition up to international levels.
Bluebird Care Galway, spearheaded by Managing Director Sean Lyons, returns for its third consecutive season as the title partner. Beyond corporate backing, Lyons and his co-driver Annah Devine will actively manage safety on the stages as the official Safety Car 002 crew.
"We decided to sponsor the event as part of our commitment to giving back to our local community," Lyons stated. "The Galway Summer Rally is particularly special to me, as it is my local club’s event and one that I have competed in many times since my first rally in 1988, driving a variety of different cars over the years. It remains my favourite rally of the season, so supporting the event is both a professional and personal privilege."
Based on the outskirts of Galway city, Torsten Schmidt’s GRP4 Fabrications is sponsoring the "King of the Mk2" element of the rally, a class specifically designed to celebrate the classic Ford Escort.
"The idea was born from wanting to create a trophy specifically for the 'clubman' competitor," explained Schmidt. "These are the drivers who are the backbone of a lot of rallies but rarely got any silverware because they were up against modern, high-spec machinery. As a local company, we worked closely with the Galway Motor Club to boost entries and promote both the club and our business which has been manufacturing Escort competition components since 2003. To see the event grow year-on-year from those first 80 Escort entries to what it is today is incredibly rewarding."
Loughrea-based Spain’s Coach Hire and Executive Travel Solutions bring direct rallying expertise to the event logistics. Managing Director Keith Spain and Operations Manager Gary Leonard initially met on the rally stages two decades ago, a connection that directly influenced Leonard taking on the demanding role of Clerk of the Course for this year's event.
"Supporting the Galway Summer Rally was a very easy decision for us because of the strong connections that already exist between our company and the sport," noted Keith Spain. "What started as friendships through rallying has grown into strong working relationships, so when Gary took on the role of Clerk of the Course for the Galway Summer Rally, supporting the event felt like a natural fit for our company."
This operational connection bridges directly into active competitive support on the stages. Spain's Coach Hire extends its corporate branding across the high-specification Ford Fiesta Rally3 shared by siblings Dean and Aoife Raftery. Dean has been a frontrunner on domestic stages, recently tackling the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, while Aoife campaigns the car internationally within the British Rally Championship.
The Raftery family business, Craughwell Tyres, forms the next vital link in this network of local event support. As an associate sponsor, the firm brings technical expertise to the programme, highlighting tyre management and setup on the unpredictable Galway tarmac.
"Tyres are the most important safety feature on a vehicle, whether you are managing grip levels on a wet country stage or driving the daily family commute," said Dean Raftery on behalf of Craughwell Tyres. "Our family business is built upon mechanical precision and keeping our local community moving safely, so backing our home rally alongside partners like Spain's Coach Hire is a perfect fit. We are proud to put our weight behind the volunteers making this event happen."
Completing the sponsorship line-up is Adrian Quinn Car Sales, based in Labane, Ardrahan. For over 125 years, the dealership has supplied quality vehicles across the county. The family's competitive racing pedigree is carried by Adrian Quinn Junior, who recently secured a class victory at the Circuit of Munster Rally behind the wheel of his Renault Clio Rally3.
The unified support of these five local enterprises ensures the historic Galway Summer Rally continues to thrive as a premier fixture on the national tarmac circuit.
==
