Athea return hanging in the balance after Motorcycling Ireland AGM

Athea return hanging in the balance after Motorcycling Ireland AGM

A final attempt to save motorcycle racing in the Republic of Ireland will take place this Wednesday night in Dublin, but local organisers say they are not confident of a breakthrough.

Keith Amor leading Ryan Farquhar at Athea Road Races 2009
Photo Stephen Davison

A new Board of Directors was elected at Motorcycling Ireland’s AGM on Saturday. After the meeting, newly elected president Alex Sinclair, formerly CEO of Motorsport Ireland, called an emergency meeting of all motorcycle clubs for Wednesday night.

It is understood that the meeting will focus on a “take-it-or-leave-it” offer from the sport’s insurance company that would allow short-circuit events such as Mondello Park and road races like Athea to take place again.

Mike Dalton of the Athea Club, who was not elected to the new Board said: “It’s hard to see how the problems can be fixed. We need to see the full insurance details before any decision is made.”

He estimated that the insurance bill for 2026 could be as high as €650,000, with €350,000 of that due upfront and the balance required before the first race meeting of the year, whether at Mondello Park or a closed-road event.

Delegates at the AGM were told that the governing body currently has about €300,000 in its account.

With no races last season, only a small number of competition licences were issued, a key revenue stream for the organisation.

There are about 30 motorcycle racers in Kerry, but only four competed last year due to the ongoing insurance issues.

Earlier this year, representatives from several motorcycle racing clubs, including Athea, met with Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Patrick O’Donovan, and Motorcycling Ireland officials in an effort to resolve the insurance and governance problems that have paralysed the sport. Despite that intervention, little progress was made.

“We were told that Motorcycling Ireland could be wiped out within five years without ever paying insurance,” Dalton said. “The finance director warned of reckless trading and did not hold back in stating that the organisation was already engaging in it.”

Athea Club will be represented at Wednesday’s meeting by Paul Power, the newly appointed road racing convenor for southern clubs. He will take part in the vote on whether to accept the insurance proposal on behalf of Athea and other clubs.

The outcome of the meeting will determine whether the 2026 motorcycle racing season can proceed or not.

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