OPINION: The More things change… or do they? Rallying in 1982 vs. today

OPINION: The More things change… or do they? Rallying in 1982 vs. today

Our recent look back at the 1982 Galway International Rally sparked a fascinating debate amongst readers, unearthing anecdotes and details of the era that remained under cover for over four decades. 

Thanks to historian Eddie Fitzgerald, (prompted by the photos of Diarmuid O’Mahony in a previous article) we are now able to share these rare glimpses into rallying’s past, prompting a key question: was rallying more glamorous in 1982, and has the gender imbalance within the sport truly improved in the intervening 43 years?

A Blast from the Past: The 1982 Galway International Rally

The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is a complex one and in some ways, the sport appears to have taken steps backwards.

Glamour and Media Attention: A Bygone Era?

It’s hard to deny that rallying held a certain glamour in 1982. 

This wasn’t just about the cars; it was about the era.

Air travel, still a relatively luxurious experience, played a part.

 Being featured in CARA, Aer Lingus’s inflight magazine, was a significant achievement, showcasing the sport to a wider audience.

Mainstream media coverage, like an extensive piece in The Irish Times, was more common then than it is today. 

This level of exposure, which helped elevate the sport’s profile, is sadly lacking in the modern era. 

While social media offers new avenues for promotion, the reach and impact of dedicated features in prominent publications seem to have diminished.

 A False Dawn?

Perhaps the most striking difference lies in female representation.  Brigid Brophy, Clerk of the Course for the 1982 Galway International Rally, was hailed as Europe’s first female in such a role.

 While Noreen Marshall (and possibly others) followed suit at the Rally of the Lakes in the early 2000s, such appointments remain rare. 

More needs to be done to address this.

Brophy’s achievement is even more remarkable considering the rally now coincides with St. Brigid’s weekend – a fitting tribute to her pioneering spirit.

The 1982 Galway Rally also boasted two all-female crews: Rosemary Smith and Pauline Gullick in a Talbot Sunbeam Lotus, and Marie Moloney and Catherine Treacy in an Opel Kadett SR. 

These women were featured prominently in the CARA magazine feature.

In today’s terms, the Sunbeam would be comparable to a Rally2 car, and the Opel to a Rally4.

Fast forward 43 years and the postponed 2025 Galway Rally had only one all-female crew on the entry list: Aoife Raftery and Hannah McKillop. 

This highlights the stark reality that progress in this area has been far too slow.  And, as mentioned before, there’s no equivalent, as such, of CARA magazine to tell their story to a broader audience.

The Cost of Competition:

An extract from the 1982 Irish Times article, featuring Brophy, touches on the escalating costs of rallying, a problem that continues to hamper the sport.

Brophy notes how the expense of international competition was already becoming prohibitive, even then.

This financial barrier undoubtedly impacts participation across the board, potentially disproportionately affecting female drivers who may face additional hurdles in securing sponsorship and funding.

It is an ongoing debate but the more things change the more they stay the same…

---

---

---

---