For Jimmy McRae, there is unfinished business at the Killarney Historic Stages Rally. One and a half miles of Kerry roads were all that lay between him and the finish of the event last year, when the throttle cable of his Porsche 911 broke and he was forced to retire.  The famous Scots driver returns to Killarney this coming Sunday, December 5th, to take part in the 2004 running of this unique rally, and he will be hoping that fortune will be kinder to him on this occasion.  The organisers of the 2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally, Killarney & District Motor Club, received a major boost recently with the news that Fáilte Ireland (the Irish Tourist Board) is to sponsor the event, which will now be known as the Killarney Historic Stages Rally, in association with Fáilte Ireland.

Announcing the support of Fáilte Ireland for the Killarney Historic Stages Rally, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, John O'Donoghue, TD, said: "In its 8th year, the Killarney Historic Stages Rally is a truly international event attracting in the region of 150 entries from seven competing countries generating a very welcome out of season boost to tourism in the Kingdom of Kerry.

It is for this reason that Fáilte Ireland has, through the Government’s International Sports Tourism Initiative, sponsored this event. The Initiative’s Development Fund focuses on assisting sporting events that have the potential to grow while also achieving economic regional tourism benefits and the opportunity to showcase the regions and special interest activities of Ireland. Sport of all kinds – from golf to equestrian and indeed to motor sports - has become a major visitor attraction and is an excellent fit for Irish tourism. This year alone €4.5 million has been invested in events that could not otherwise have taken place in Ireland and I am delighted that this event has received such excellent support from Fáilte Ireland.

The beautiful scenery around Killarney provides a stunning and dramatic backdrop to this spectacular event, which will be enjoyed by audiences throughout Europe and the US – an excellent shop window for Irish tourism."

Additional support for the 2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally comes from Randles Hotels, Kerry & West Cork; EPS Bison Environmental Products Division; McAuliffe Developments; O'Leary's Expert Electrical, Killarney; Moriarty's Londis, Farranfore and Killarney Crystal.

Dessie Nutt will be the top seed for the 2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally.  The Porsche 911 driver, a General Practicioner based in Castlerock, Co. Derry, secured the 2004 British Historic Rally Championship with his co-driver, Geraldine McBride, taking victory on eight of the nine rounds.  He won the Killarney Historic Rally on five occasion between 1997 and 2002, and will be eager to recapture the winner's trophy after a clutch problem dented his challenge last year.

Jimmy McRae will be the next driver on the road, although his Francis Tuthill prepared Porsche will display the number 87.  McRae originally entered the Classic section of the event, but swopped to an earlier-specification, Historic, 911 after the seeding had been completed by the organisers.

The 2004 Irish Historic Tarmac Champion, Mervyn Johnston, will challenge the Porsche duo of Nutt and McRae in his Mini Cooper S, as will the outgoing Historic Tarmac Champion, Frank Cunningham, who is also driving a Cooper S.

Jimmy Devane and Eddie Cronin are the top local seeds in the Historic section, Jimmy driving Eddie's Mini as per usual, with Eddie calling the pace notes.  The winner of the 2003 Killarney Historic Stages, Steve Perez, has been forced to withdraw from this year's event due to business commitments.

In the Post-Historic section, John Farrell, is the top seed in his Mark 1 Ford Escort.  The Navan driver is twice a former winner of the category on the Killarney Historic Stages Rally, and was runner-up last year, having been robbed of a hat-trick of victories by an engine misfire over the closing miles.  His main challengers will include Joe Connolly of Goresbridge, Co. Kilkenny, and England's Steve Smith, both also Escort-mounted.  Todd Falvey is the highest seeded local driver in his Porsche 911 - the Killarney resident and his Millstreet-based co-driver, Dan Barry, took Post-Historic honours on the Cork '20' Rally last October.

John Moynihan returns to defend his Classic title, and will be aiming for a fourth victory in the category for cars built between 1975 and 1979.  Since taking the Classic honours on the Killarney Historic Stages last year, the Millstreet man has sold the Ford Escort RS which brought him so much success on this event, but he is hiring it back from its new owner, Mick McQuaid, for the 2004 rally.

Gambian resident Manxman, Martin Freestone, was a winner of the Post-Historic section in the past (and a class winner on the 2004 Historic Tarmac Championship), and can be expected to mount a sizable challenge to Moynihan in his Escort RS1800.  Belfast's Kieran O'Neill won the Classic section in 1998 and he too will figure strongly in his Opel Kadett GT/E.

A host of others drivers such as James Coleman (Kilkenny), Pat Donegan (Meath) and Dessie Keenan (Monaghan) will also be in the hunt for Classic honours, as will the local crew of Kevin O'Donoghue and Joe O'Leary, who finished as runners-up last year.   Other local challengers in the Classic section will include Dave Slattery/Ger Somers, Adrian Randles/Aileen Randles and Peter Kelly/Con Lucey.

The 2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally will start from Killarney Racecourse at 8am on Sunday next, December 5th.  The competitive action begins with the famous Molls Gap stage, followed by a Service halt in Kenmare. From there the crews head to Killmackillogue, and then on to the Beara Peninsula stages of Ardgroom and Cod's Head.  Another Service then follows on the Castletownbere to Adrigole Road, before competitors tackle an extended version of the Healy Pass stage.  The loop of Ardgroom, Cod's Head and The Healy Pass is then repeated, and again there will be a Service after Cod's Head.  The final stage of the rally will be Killmackillogue, run in the opposite direction to the morning test.

The winning crew is scheduled to arrive at the Finish Ramp at Randles Bros. Garage on Killarney's Muckross Road at 4:37pm, and the Rally prizegiving will take place later in the evening at the Randles Dromhall Hotel.

The Killarney Historic Stages Rally organisers have secured the services of two very famous competitors as drivers of course cars for Sunday's event.  Five times Circuit of Ireland winner and former Monte Carlo victor, Paddy Hopkirk, will drive a New Mini Cooper S, while Billy Coleman, a past winner of the Circuit of Ireland, the Rally of the Lakes and countless other events, will pilot a 1973 Renault Alpine A110.

A portion of each entry fee received by Killarney & District Motor Club for the 2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally will be donated to the RNLI, Castletownbere.

Full details of the event, including a detailed timetable and a guide to each stage, can be found in the Official Programme, costing €10, which will be on sale at numerous locations around Killarney and other towns on the rally route.

2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally in association with Fáilte Ireland

Leading Entries No./Driver/Co-Driver/Car/Address

Historic2 Dessie Nutt/Geraldine McBride, Porsche 911, Derry3 Frank Cunningham/Ross Forde, Mini Cooper S, Galway87 Jimmy McRae/Campbell Roy, Porsche 911, Scotland9 Mervyn Johnston/Richard Hyland, Mini Cooper, Fermanagh10 Philip Wylie/Maurice Beckett, MG B, England Post Historic4 John Farrell/TBA, Ford Escort, Meath5 Joe Connolly/Gareth Connolly, Ford Escort, Kilkenny6 Steve Smith/TBA, Ford Escort, England7 Mike Doody/Jonathon Doody, Morris Mini, Limerick8 Martin Ward/Linda Conroy, Opel Manta A, GalwayClassic85 John Moynihan /TBA, Ford Escort RS, Millstreet86 Martin Freestone/Chris Heyes, Ford Escort RS1800, Isle of Man88 James Coleman/Eoin O'Neill, Ford Escort RS, Kilkenny89 Kieran O'Neill/TBA, Opel Kadett GT/E, Belfast90 Pat Donegan/Damien Garvey, Ford Escort RS, Meath91 Dessie Keenan/Enda Sherry, Ford Escort RS, Monaghan92 Kevin O'Donoghue/Joe O'Leary, Ford Escort RS, Killarney93 Mike Moloney/Marie Casey, Ford Escort RS, Clare94 Gareth Lloyd/Ryland James, Ford Escort RS, Wales95 Dave Slattery/Ger Somers, Ford Escort RS, Killarney

2004 Killarney Historic Stages Rally in association with Fáilte IrelandRouteStart Control, Killarney RacecourseSS1, Molls GapService, KenmareSS2, KillmackillogueSS3, ArdgroomSS4, Cod's HeadService Castletownbere - Adrigole RoadSS5, Healy PassSS6, ArdgroomSS7, Cod's HeadService Castletownbere - Adrigole RoadSS8, Healy PassSS9, KillmackillogueFinish Ramp, Randles Bros. Garage, Muckross Road