A large crowd gathered on Wednesday night for the official launch of the 2024 Rose Hotel Kerry Winter Stages Rally. The rally, set to take place on Sunday, November 3, will be held in the Castleisland area, with a centralised service area located at the Munster Technological University (MTU) North Campus in Tralee. The Rose Hotel in Tralee will serve as the base for the event and is also the title sponsor.
Kerry Motor Club confirmed that the rally has attracted a full entry of 140 cars, with the seeded entry list now released. Richard Moffett, the 2022 rally winner, will return to defend his title. Local drivers like 2023 Killarney Historic Rally modified winner Rob Duggan and 2024 Rally of the Lakes modified winner Colin O’Donoghue are among the top competitors. Conor Murphy, driving a Ford Escort Mk2, is the highest-seeded member of Kerry Motor Club.
Other notable entrants include Rob Duggan, former rally winner Mike Quinn, and Limerick’s Chris O’Callaghan. Declan Wilmott, the 1991 event winner, is making his first return to the Kingdom in nearly 30 years. The Costello family from Ballybunnion will make it a family affair, with three generations—Joe, Jason, Mossie, and Megan—competing.
Clerk of the Course Sean Hegarty spoke at the launch, thanking everyone involved in the rally’s preparation. He described the event as “a great day’s motorsport” with a challenging route designed to test both drivers and machines.
Hegarty also expressed gratitude to sponsors The Rose Hotel, Kelliher’s Toyota, and Kerry Motor Works, as well as MTU Kerry and Shannon Commercial Enterprise. He urged spectators to prioritize safety and cooperate with marshals and officials.
.The rally is a counting round for the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, Moriarty’s Central Car Sale Kingdom of Kerry Rally Championship, and the Ace Signs Southern 4 Rally Championship.