Motorsport Ireland has selected three locations for its bid to bring the WRC back for the 2025, 2026 and 2027 seasons.
Ireland aims to return to the WRC calendar from next year for the first time since 2009. After searching for suitable venues for the bid, Motorsport Ireland has decided to use a unique rotation system.
Three venues have been identified for the bid: Kerry, Limerick and the South East region. The intention is to rotate the venue for each of the three years Ireland is seeking to be included in the WRC. The venue-year combinations are yet to be determined.
Now that the venues for the bid are known, the next step awaits for Motorsport Ireland: securing government funding.
An application is in progress with the Irish government for 15 million euros (spread over three years). Motorsport Irelands hopes that this 15 million investment will bring some 300 million euros back to the economy.
Ireland hosted WRC rallies in 2007 and 2009. During both editions, the service park then was located in Sligo, in the north of Ireland. Stages were also run across the border in Northern Ireland in both 2007 and 2009. A repeat of a cross-border concept seems unlikely for the proposed 2025-2027 bid, given that the three venues are based in the southern half of Ireland.
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