Another season of NAPA Auto Parts Irish Tarmac Rally Championship action gets underway this weekend with the opening round of the 2026 Wales Motorsport Fabrication Historic ITRC, the Killarney Historic Rally, where a mouth-watering 66-car historic entry will tackle some of Ireland’s most legendary stages.
An incredible six BMW M3s feature inside Killarney’s top ten, setting the stage for what could be a historic battle for supremacy in the picturesque Kerry countryside.
Defending Killarney Historic Rally winners Donagh Kelly and Rory Kennedy hope to repeat their 2025 triumph aboard their successful Bastos-liveried BMW M3. Kelly became only the second person to win Killarney in an M3, following the late Craig Breen’s dominant 2021 victory.
However, Kelly faces a tough challenge from World Rally Championship legend Kris Meeke, who makes his Killarney Historic debut in another M3. The five-time WRC event winner and 2007 Rally of the Lakes champion joins forces with leading ITRC navigator and local hero Noel O’Sullivan.
The M3 battalion continues with 2025 Historic ITRC champions John O’Donnell and Paddy Robinson, who were unstoppable throughout last season in their BMW. Can they challenge for Killarney glory and kick off their title defence in style?
Reigning champion Tomas Davies returns to defend his crown, partnered with Kerry man Shane Buckley. The Welshman grabbed top ITRC points at Killarney twelve months ago but enters this year’s event in an M3, switching from his usual Ford Escort RS1800 machinery.
European Rally legend Patrick Snijers will sample Killarney’s famous stages in another M3, starting one car ahead of Fergus O’Meara. The Belgian’s vast experience on international tarmac events could prove invaluable on Kerry’s unique roads.
Alan Ring and Adrian Deasy provide a fascinating subplot to the plethora of M3s. The Killarney pilot has added another iconic Subaru to his collection, rallying a historic-specification Subaru Impreza for the first time in Ireland. The question on everyone’s lips: will the iconic four-wheel-drive machine’s traction and agility be too good to match on Killarney’s mix of fast and technical stages?
Robert Duggan and Ger Conway add another dimension to the battle at the front. The 2019 Killarney Historic winner swaps his modified Ford Escort Mk2 for a historic-specification Escort for this year’s event. Duggan is the master of iconic Killarney tests like Moll’s Gap, but will need to be in top form if he is to overcome his BMW and Subaru rivals.
Meirion Evans brings his wealth of Historic ITRC experience and multiple event victories to Killarney in his Escort RS1800.
Daragh O’Riordan completes a tantalising top ten in a Ford Escort Cosworth, marking another first-time entry for the iconic four-wheel-drive machine in Ireland’s historic competition.
The quality stretches throughout Killarney’s high-calibre 66-car historic entry. 2022 Historic ITRC champion Neil Williams is seeded at 12, bringing his championship-winning pedigree to the season opener.
Drift sensation Conor Shanahan, seeded 15th, will bring his spectacular sideways style to the historic category, guaranteeing entertainment for the thousands expected to line Killarney’s stages.
Leading Subaru Legacy contender Ray Breen starts 16th, adding further four-wheel-drive firepower to an already diverse entry.
Killarney’s entry list is completed by close to 100 modified cars, featuring some of Ireland’s finest two-wheel-drive exponents. Top-line talent includes Colin O’Donoghue, Mk2 maestro Daniel McKenna, and Rally2 regular Kevin Eves, ensuring spectacular action across both categories.
The nine-stage event builds to an epic crescendo with a night-time run through Moll’s Gap, where thousands of spectators will witness rallying under the stars on one of the world’s most dramatic stage locations.