Deputy Mayor of Killarney in full support of motorsport in the county

Deputy Mayor of Killarney in full support of motorsport in the county

Cllr John O’Donoghue is the deputy mayor of Killarney

Here is what he has to say about motorsport in Kerry

“Motorsport in Kerry has a long and storied past and Killarney and District Motor club has played as large a role as any in writing that colourful story. It is a club with a rich history, a vibrant present and a promising future.

When the original founding members met in O’Shea’s pub in Miltown, before retiring to O Neill’s garage to discuss the setting up of the club, the typical thing to say at occasions such as this is that they probably had no idea of the huge success story the organisation would grow to become.

However, I feel it is far more likely that these early pioneers had both a vision, and an expectation, that included the club becoming the enormous success it is today. Since its inception in 1996, the Historic Rally has held a very special place in that success.

As long as humans have consciously thought, one of the great philosophical questions has always been:

Who are we and how did we come to be here? Some find the answer through faith, others through philosophy, science, meditation and all the other disciplines.

I feel that in any walk of life to know both who we are, and where we are going, we need to know where we came from.

To that end, it is appropriate, and extremely important that the cars from bygone years, and of course those who drove them, are not forgotten.

If you will excuse the pun, they are the ones who drove us to be where we are here today.

The Historic Rally gives salute to those who came before us, and affords younger drivers the opportunity to drive a car that may be lacking some of the bells and whistles of the more modern rally car, but it helps foster an appreciation of the skills of those who blazed the trail before them.

It is proving a hugely popular discipline, a fact backed up by the number of entrants showing up each year, as well as the numerous excellent sponsors who can see the value of being associated with such a prestigious event.

I used the word pioneer earlier to describe the founding members of the club, and I believe that they would be pleased to see that the Club is still leading the way as pioneers by hosting the only dedicated historic event in the country.

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