THE Killarney Towers Hotel Historic Rally swings into action at 8.30am on Saturday morning with Newcestown's Adrian Deasy harbouring hopes of ultimate success in the nine-stage encounter that includes three timed runs through Moll's Gap, the third (SS9) the final stage of the event in darkness.

Deasy will call the notes for Killarney's Alan Ring as they debut a Subaru Impreza 555 – it’s one of eight Colin McRae tribute cars built by Italian firm BEST.

The West Cork representation in the top ten was also due to include Ardfield's Anthony O'Sullivan, who was due to start a full season in the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac series with Welsh ace Meirion Evans (Ford Escort), but they had to withdraw their entry earlier this week.

The presence of Kris Meeke, a five-time World Rally event winner, and former European Rally champion Patrick Snijers, both in BMW M3 E30s, is set to swell the attendance. Last year's winners Donegal's Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy are seeded at number one – Kelly will steer the BMW M3 E30 he campaigned in the Cork '20' Rally and the more recent Fastnet Rally.

Meeke, who won the Portuguese Rally championship this season, will be co-driven by Killarney's Noel O'Sullivan. It's highly likely, even though they have the number two decals on their BMW, that they will run first on the road.

Killarney's Rob Duggan (Ford Escort) and co-driver Ger Conway won this event in 2019 and are multi-winners of the Modified category.

The top quartet is completed by Alan Ring/Adrian Deasy. For the Newcestown co-driver, it will be a challenge. While the Subaru 555 will be a new adventure, he has accompanied Ring in a Group N Subaru with great success and also in a Subaru WRC (winning the Circuit of Kerry in 2015). More recently the pair have competed in Historic events in a Subaru Legacy. Second in the 2021 Historic Rally remains their best result.

‘We would like to go one better this time if we can, but look, there's a lot of pedigree all around us. It's as steep a competition as it's been for several years,’ Deasy said.

‘With three runs on Moll's Gap – half the rally, really – you need to be super sharp. The stage in the dark will be a challenge for everybody. I think it was ten years ago that we had a stage in the dark but the conditions (due to the fact that it was the Rally of the Lakes in May) were very different.'

The event is also the first round of the Irish Historic Rally Championship with 2025 champions Donegal's John O'Donnell/Paddy Robinson in yet another BMW M3 occupying the number five berth followed by the similar car of the Wales/Killarney combination of Tomas Davies/Shane Buckley.

Seven-time Belgian rally champion Patrick Snijers, who won the European Rally Championship (ERC) in 1994, is another to compete behind the wheel of a BMW M3 E30, a car prepared by Cork-based specialists Fionnsport.

The final places in the top ten starters are taken by Killarney's Fergus O'Meara (BMW M3), who has Ballincollig's Brian Duggan on pacenote duty and Midleton's Daragh O'Riordan/Sean McCarthy, who compete in a Ford Escort WRC and Glounthaune's Denis Moynihan and co-driver Martin O'Brien, who will campaign their Mk. 1 Ford Escort.

Elsewhere, World Drift star Killavullen's Conor Shanahan will drive a BMW M3.

Other local co-drivers competing in the main event are Macroom's William Lynch, Kilnamartyra's JJ Cremin and Clondrohid's Eoghan McCarthy, who team up with Tyrone's Conor McCrossan (BMW M3), Limerick's Keith Lyons (Ford Escort) and Britain's Alan Watkins (Ford Escort) respectively.

In the Modified section, West Cork interest is provided by The Pike's Diarmuid and Peter Keohane (Ford Escort) and Barryroe's Steve Roberts (Ford Escort) who has Clonakilty native Jack Carroll on the pacenotes. Lisavaird co-driver Michael White partners Donegal's Corey Eves (Toyota Corolla) and Inchigeelagh's Eamonn Creedon sits with Kerry's Shane McCarthy (Honda Civic).

The start time of the three Moll's Gap stages are: 8.30am, 2.58pm and 5.45pm. Service is at the Kenmare Mart complex at 9.02am, 11.25am, 2.13pm and 4.22pm. Following service after the opening stage, the crews will tackle a double loop of three stages close to Kenmare with a service after SS4 and SS7. The finish ramp celebrations, adjacent to the Plaza Hotel, Killarney are scheduled for 6.30pm with the awards ceremony in the Avenue Hotel, Killarney.