It is Assess Ireland Rally of Lakes week– a timely opportunity to publish this interview with Paul Nagle.

The interview was conducted by Transition Year student, from  St Brendan’s College, Killarney, Paul’s Alma Matter, and we orgianlly published in the May 1 edition of the Killarney Advertiser and republished here under kind permission

Interview conducted and edited by Cormac Flanagan, Aodhagán Ó Súilleabháin, Ryan Twomey and Éanna O’Donoghue.

Name: Paul Nagle

Occupation: Retired Rally Co-Driver

Boarder: No

Year of Graduation: 1997

Current occupation

I’m a store manager at the ESB, or a supervisor. I’m there 20-something years now. Well, I had a career break when I was rallying, so I left it, but I always had the job to go back to full-time. I am still involved in the rallying. I work with the governing body now, the FIA, so I am a safety delegate and a sporting delegate for half the World Championship rallies. I drive through the stage 30 minutes before first car, and I decide if the stage is safe to run. I’m a sporting delegate for smaller national events as well, so I do 10 events a year around the world.

What is your role in the historic Rally this year?

I am Clerk of the Course for the Killarney Historic Rally this Year. It’s 30 years since my dad [Maurice] first ran it. I suppose if I was ever going to do it, I’d have to do it this year on the 30th anniversary. 

Could you describe a typical rallying day for you?

When we go to a WRC rally, we fly out on Sunday. Monday would be a day of checking out the route, checking out some of the ceremonial starts. Tuesday and Wednesday is practice. Then you rewrite all the notes, check all the videos. You are doing 17-18 hour days. Thursday morning is shakedown followed by the Ceremonial Start and Super Specials.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday are three full-on, 16-18 hours a  day.  There is a test day for every event, before those rallies. You have another day travelling, a day of testing and a day getting home. You’re away 250 days a year, 100-plus flights a year.

Would there be a full team supporting you?

We would have a doctor and a nutritionist at all the events. There’d be 70, 80 mechanics in each event. There would be three car teams. The snow can be minus 20, minus 30. I was in Sweden in February, it was minus 21, and you prepare for those conditions you must get hydrated. Fitness is huge. We had to stay underweight as well, so the two of us combined would be 160 kilos. It would be suited and booted. The warm rallies can be 30 degrees inside and outside, it’s 50, 60 degrees in the car, you have no air con. You can lose two to three kilos a weekend. You are drinking 10 to 12 litres of water a day, just to keep hydrated.

Do you think the current fuel crisis will affect rallying?

Rally cars probably have all the funny juice, the same as aeroplane fuel. Rallying is very strong in Ireland at the moment. It is competitive. There are165 cars, I think, doing the Rally of the Lakes. I know there’s problems around the world, but rallying has not been affected. I’d expect the next two Formula One races are cancelled because of the Middle East. We are in Saudi in November; we’d expect the whole world to be back to normal by then. It shouldn’t be an impact issue in Saudi.  That won’t be decided until September because it’s the last round of the championship. The decision is going to have to be made well before November, because if they cut a round, it tightens up the whole championship.

Can you describe your greatest professional achievement to date?

Finland, it would be the Champions League of Soccer. It is the biggest rally in the world. It’s like the Monaco of Formula One. It’s the fastest rally in the world. I won it in 2017. It is the biggest rally you can win on the calendar.It was my third win, but it meant a lot to win there because only five people, non-Scandinavian people, have ever won it.The average speed in Finland, which was only beaten last year was 136 Kilometres an hour.

What advice would you give to young students looking to pursue a career in rallying?

 You need to start helping at the rallies. There are co-driver courses happening now, there was one in Monaghan last week. There’s two or three of them a year.They should go to the local meetings.

What is your most memorable moment from St Brendan’s College Killarney?

The borders. We used to have great craic because you’d meet borders from all over the country. There were a good mix of people and we learned a lot there. Football was also big back then. It is renowned everywhere. Hopefully my kids will come here.

What are your rally predictions for 2026 ?

One of my best mates is leading the World Championship, Aaron Johnson, has won two rallies in a row. I still think Sebastien Ogier will be World Champion this year, even though he’s in partial season. I think he’s going to be the one to win the world championship. In Ireland here, it’s hard to know.We have two drivers in the World Championship, Jon Armstrong and Josh McAleeran. Armstrong is showing a very strong pace at the moment. And in Ireland, I’d expect Callum Devine to win his fifth Rally of the lakes.

Have you kept memorabilia from your rallying career ?

I have 19 model cars of our 19 WRC podium cars. I also have all my winning helmets. I have the winning bottle of champagne from Finland as my wife brought it home. If you win in Mexico, you get cowboy boots specially made from crocodile leather. I have a lot of things from Craig. I have one of his helmets. One of his was important to me. I also kept one of every race suit I have ever had in a rally year. We would have eight race suits a year.

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