BETWEEN ‘Around the World in 90 Days’, a book of travels by Frederick Chamberlin, and the Jules Verne's adventure novel ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ is next year's Clonakilty Park Hotel West Cork Rally that, in terms of time, is now just 86 days away. It roars into action on March 13th.

Next year's iteration will, following consultation with the local West Cork Rally Committee, be a three-day event, albeit with changes to the Friday itinerary.

Over the last few months discussions between the organising team from the Cork Motor Club and the local West Cork Rally Committee looked at many aspects of the event that has gone from strength to strength as it gears up for its 50th anniversary in 2027.

Back in 1977, few could ever have predicted how successful the rally would become. One strand that remains at the very heartbeat of the rally is the collaboration between the Cork Motor Club and the local West Cork Rally Committee, initially involved as a fundraising group. Nowadays, their role entails much more than the provision of a much-valued financial support and is the envy of many other Motorsport Ireland affiliated clubs.

‘Last April we met the local committee and then parked things until last September. We (Cork Motor Club) had the intention of having a two-day rally in 2026 but after we met, the view from the feedback that the lads got was that everyone was happy with the event last March and the idea of the three-day rally got a great response,’ Clerk of the course Steve Davis told The Southern Star.

‘Views were exchanged and we spoke about the possibility of a hybrid event – cutting out the Friday afternoon stages and just going with the Friday evening stages. That was based on having all the cars in parc ferme by six o'clock on the Friday so it was agreed that the 2026 event would have two stages on Friday evening and the usual format on the Saturday and Sunday.’

Rossmore's Ger Hayes receives his FIA Volunteer pin from Motorsport Ireland president Aiden Harper at the recent Champions of Irish Motorsport ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Santry. Macroom's Niall Murphy was similarly honoured, but was unavoidably absent. (Photo: Michael Chester)

A timetable was worked out that entailed making the event more competitor friendly, with the Saturday some nine per cent of what was on offer last year.

To bring the rally closer to the town on the Friday was a request from the local committee – Steve Davis outlined the plan.

‘To fit in with the new Friday schedule, we had meetings with the Inspector Ian O'Callaghan and Sergeant Donal Daly in the last number of weeks and we got permission to start the first stage at the bottom of Barrack Hill (just off Astna Square).The second stage (Rossmore) is identical to what was run this year,’ Davis explained.

The remaining two days are along similar lines. Saturday morning stages at Ring and Kilbrittain are repeated before the afternoon stages at Dunworley and Clogagh (also repeated) with servicing after each pair of stages. Sunday's action begins with a stage in Ballinacarriga (part of which has been used over the years) followed by Sam's Cross and Ardfield. The loop split by a service halt, will be repeated in the early afternoon prior to the 3.30pm finish ramp celebrations in Emmet Square.

Discussions are at an advanced stage to have parc ferme at the multi-storey car park at the Department of Fisheries close to rally headquarters at the Clonakilty Park Hotel.

There will be no official start ramp on the Friday given the proximity of the start control in Astna Square to the stage start. Also there is no fan zone on the Friday. The event is the second round of the NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

West Cork drivers to have won the rally include Donal O'Donovan (1998), Denis Cronin (2005), Liam McCarthy (2009) and Keith Cronin (2024 and 2025). As the event approaches its 50th anniversary in 2027, locals that are still competing and that have racked up most West Cork rallies since 1977 are Rosscarbery's Jerry O'Mahony (40), Ballinacarriga's Ger O'Connell (28) and Barryroe's Steve Roberts, who has competed in 26 West Cork rallies – the same as another Barryroe driver Willie McCarthy, who last competed in 2008.