Galway businesses unite to back Summer Rally

Galway businesses unite to back Summer Rally
The local motorsport and business communities have joined forces to support the upcoming Galway Summer Rally, scheduled for Sunday, 23 August.
Running since 1972, this year’s event serves as a crucial battleground for three premier regional campaigns: the Triton Showers Motorsport Ireland National Rally Championship, the Top Part West Coast Rally Championship, and the Sligo Pallets Border Rally Championship.

The rally will challenge over 165 crews across 110 kilometres of demanding competitive action over classic Galway International Rally stages, linked by 120 kilometres of road mileage.

Five prominent Galway enterprises have stepped forward to secure the event’s operational and financial future. Title sponsor Bluebird Care leads the way, supported by associate partners Spain’s Coach Hire, GRP4 Fabrications, Craughwell Tyres, and Adrian Quinn Car Sales. Each sponsoring firm possesses deep roots within Irish stage rallying, spanning from grassroots clubman competition up to international levels.

Bluebird Care Galway, spearheaded by Managing Director Sean Lyons, returns for its third consecutive season as the title partner. Beyond corporate backing, Lyons and his co-driver Annah Devine will actively manage safety on the stages as the official Safety Car 002 crew.

“We decided to sponsor the event as part of our commitment to giving back to our local community,” Lyons stated. “The Galway Summer Rally is particularly special to me, as it is my local club’s event and one that I have competed in many times since my first rally in 1988, driving a variety of different cars over the years. It remains my favourite rally of the season, so supporting the event is both a professional and personal privilege.”

Based on the outskirts of Galway city, Torsten Schmidt’s GRP4 Fabrications is sponsoring the “King of the Mk2” element of the rally, a class specifically designed to celebrate the classic Ford Escort.

“The idea was born from wanting to create a trophy specifically for the ‘clubman’ competitor,” explained Schmidt. “These are the drivers who are the backbone of a lot of rallies but rarely got any silverware because they were up against modern, high-spec machinery. As a local company, we worked closely with the Galway Motor Club to boost entries and promote both the club and our business which has been manufacturing Escort competition components since 2003. To see the event grow year-on-year from those first 80 Escort entries to what it is today is incredibly rewarding.”

Loughrea-based Spain’s Coach Hire and Executive Travel Solutions bring direct rallying expertise to the event logistics. Managing Director Keith Spain and Operations Manager Gary Leonard initially met on the rally stages two decades ago, a connection that directly influenced Leonard taking on the demanding role of Clerk of the Course for this year’s event.

“Supporting the Galway Summer Rally was a very easy decision for us because of the strong connections that already exist between our company and the sport,” noted Keith Spain. “What started as friendships through rallying has grown into strong working relationships, so when Gary took on the role of Clerk of the Course for the Galway Summer Rally, supporting the event felt like a natural fit for our company.”

This operational connection bridges directly into active competitive support on the stages. Spain’s Coach Hire extends its corporate branding across the high-specification Ford Fiesta Rally3 shared by siblings Dean and Aoife Raftery. Dean has been a frontrunner on domestic stages, recently tackling the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, while Aoife campaigns the car internationally within the British Rally Championship.

The Raftery family business, Craughwell Tyres, forms the next vital link in this network of local event support. As an associate sponsor, the firm brings technical expertise to the programme, highlighting tyre management and setup on the unpredictable Galway tarmac.

“Tyres are the most important safety feature on a vehicle, whether you are managing grip levels on a wet country stage or driving the daily family commute,” said Dean Raftery on behalf of Craughwell Tyres. “Our family business is built upon mechanical precision and keeping our local community moving safely, so backing our home rally alongside partners like Spain’s Coach Hire is a perfect fit. We are proud to put our weight behind the volunteers making this event happen.”

Completing the sponsorship line-up is Adrian Quinn Car Sales, based in Labane, Ardrahan. For over 125 years, the dealership has supplied quality vehicles across the county. The family’s competitive racing pedigree is carried by Adrian Quinn Junior, who recently secured a class victory at the Circuit of Munster Rally behind the wheel of his Renault Clio Rally3.

The unified support of these five local enterprises ensures the historic Galway Summer Rally continues to thrive as a premier fixture on the national tarmac circuit.

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTS
SPOTLIGHT 1: Bluebird Care
Delivering high-quality home support and community leadership

Bluebird Care Galway, enters its third consecutive year as the title sponsor of the Galway Summer Rally, reinforcing its corporate commitment to the local communities it serves. Bluebird Care provides premium, person-centred home care and home support services across Ireland and the UK#.
Their professional care teams focus on understanding individual customer requirements, delivering tailored support that enables people to remain living safely, independently, and comfortably within their own homes. Whether providing temporary assistance or full-time, complex care, Bluebird Care aims to make everyday life more fulfilling for its clients.

The title sponsorship represents a deep personal connection for Managing Director Sean Lyons, who has been an active participant in Irish motorsport for nearly four decades. This firsthand knowledge of the sport ensures that the company’s investment directly benefits the grassroots organisation and event infrastructure.

“We decided to sponsor the event as part of our commitment to giving back to our local community. The Galway Summer Rally is particularly special to me, as it is my local club’s event and one that I have competed in many times since my first rally in 1988, driving a variety of different cars over the years. It remains my favourite rally of the season, so supporting the event is both a professional and personal privilege.

“This is our third year sponsoring the Galway Summer Rally. In addition to our financial support, my co-driver, Annah Devine, and I hope to be involved again this year in an official capacity as Safety Car 002. We are very much looking forward to contributing to the success of the event, both as sponsors and as volunteer officials, helping to ensure the rally runs safely and successfully for all competitors and spectators.”

Through this twin contribution of financial sponsorship and voluntary safety duties, Lyons and the broader Bluebird Care team ensure that the Galway Motor Club can deliver a top-tier tarmac event that maintains the highest levels of safety and efficiency for spectators and competitors alike.

SPOTLIGHT 2: GRP4 Fabrications
Global engineering success rooted in western motorsport passion
GRP4 Fabrications was established in 2002 by Torsten Schmidt, a qualified toolmaker and manufacturing engineer with more than 30 years of specialised experience in the Irish engineering sector.

The business operates from a custom-designed, 7,500-square-foot production plant located on the outskirts of Galway city. GRP4 Fabrications consist of an 18-person team specialising in the precision manufacture of high-performance competition components for the classic Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2. The facility is equipped with comprehensive design, sheet metal manufacturing, CNC machining, and fabrication tooling, as well as carbon fibre and fibreglass moulding capabilities, the facility enables the company to develop and manufacture all components in-house

As an associate sponsor, GRP4 Fabrications drives the highly popular “King of the Mk2” category, an initiative that has significantly boosted entry lists by providing a dedicated platform for classic rear-wheel-drive machinery.

“Galway’s motorsport community is coming together this August, with a group of local businesses lending their support to the Galway Motor Club’s highly anticipated Summer Rally,” Torsten said. “Among these local supporters is GRP4 Fabrications, the Galway-based rally car component manufacturer & supplier, who are sponsoring the spectacular ‘King of the Mk2’ section of the rally a section born out of a passion for the iconic Ford Escort Mk2.

“The idea was born from wanting to create a trophy specifically for the ‘clubman’ competitor. These are the drivers who are the backbone of a lot of rallies but rarely got any silverware because they were up against modern, high-spec machinery. As a local company, we worked closely with the Galway Motor Club to boost entries and promote both the club and our business which has been manufacturing Escort competition components since 2003. To see the event grow along with the popularity of the Mk2 incredibly rewarding.

“From its inception, the ‘King of the Mk2’ trophies succeeded in revitalising interest in the classic Escort at a time when they were not as popular as they are today. By offering grassroots drivers a level playing field and a shot at a dedicated title, GRP4 Fabrications and the Galway Motor Club created a signature event that now attracts top-tier Mk2 Escort driving talent and thousands of spectators to the region.”

With an expanding catalogue of over 3500 products, GRP4 Fabrications has secured its position as a market leader in the Irish motorsport sector. Their components are dispatched daily from Galway to competitors across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and major international export markets worldwide.

As an associate sponsor, GRP4 Fabrications drives the highly popular “King of the Mk2” category, an initiative that has significantly boosted entry lists by providing a dedicated platform for classic rear-wheel-drive machinery.
With an expanding catalogue of over 1,400 bespoke products, GRP4 Fabrications has secured its position as a market leader in the Irish motorsport sector. Their components are dispatched daily from Galway to competitors across the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and major international export markets worldwide.

SPOTLIGHT 3: Spain’s Coach Hire
Transport logistics backed by lifelong rallying partnerships

Headquartered in Loughrea, Spain’s Coach Hire and its executive division, Executive Travel Solutions, operate as premier transport providers delivering nationwide chauffeur and logistics services throughout Ireland. The company delivers high-quality corporate chauffeur travel, airport transfers, wedding transport, private sightseeing itineraries, golf excursions, and large-scale event operations. Their modern fleet of Mercedes-Benz vehicles is tailored to meet rigorous commercial corporate transport requirements.

The company’s role as an associate sponsor for the 2026 Galway Summer Rally stems directly from the long-standing motorsport connections shared by its core management team. The professional relationships that drive the business today were originally forged on the competitive rally stages of the west of Ireland two decades ago.

Managing Director Keith Spain explains the deep alignment between his transport operation and the local motor club’s flagship event:

“Supporting the Galway Summer Rally was a very easy decision for us because of the strong connections that already exist between our company and the sport. Motorsport has been part of my life for many years, and it is also something that has helped build friendships and relationships that continue to this day. Our Operations Difector, Gary Leonard, and I first got to know each other through rallying almost twenty years ago when Gary navigated for me in 2005. My brother Alan also spent a number of years navigating for me and, through rallying, we all became part of the same close-knit motorsport community.

“Fast forward to today and Gary, Alan and I all work together at Spain’s Coach Hire. What started as friendships through rallying has grown into strong working relationships, so when Gary took on the role of Clerk of the Course for the Galway Summer Rally, supporting the event felt like a natural fit for our company. We are proud to support an event that relies heavily on volunteers, local businesses and community spirit. The Galway Summer Rally has been an important fixture in Irish motorsport for many years, and we are delighted to play a small part in helping it continue to thrive.

“Spain’s Coach Hire has longstanding ties to motorsport through the people within our business. I competed in rallying for several years, while my brother Alan was involved as a navigator. Through those years we built many friendships within the sport and developed a great appreciation for the commitment and dedication that competitors, organisers and volunteers bring to every event.

“Today, our connection remains strong through Gary Leonard, who serves as Operations Director at Spain’s Coach Hire and is also Clerk of the Course for this year’s Galway Summer Rally. We understand first-hand the enormous amount of planning and organisation required to deliver an event of this scale safely and successfully. As a company operating a large transport fleet across Ireland, we share many of the same values that are important in motorsport, including safety, teamwork, reliability, logistics and attention to detail. We are delighted to continue supporting the sport through our sponsorship of the Galway Summer Rally and we wish all competitors, officials, volunteers and spectators a safe and successful event.”

Head of Marketing Mary Conneally explains how these enduring sporting links enhance the brand’s community identity and values:

“For Spain’s Coach Hire, supporting the Galway Summer Rally is about much more than sponsorship. It is about supporting people, friendships and a sport that has been part of our lives for many years. One of the unique aspects of our involvement is that it stems from relationships that were built through rallying long before we ever became colleagues. Our Operations Manager, Gary Leonard, first became acquainted with our Managing Director, Keith Spain, through the sport almost twenty years ago when Gary navigated for Keith in 2005. Keith’s brother, Alan Spain, also spent several years navigating and competing within the rallying community, meaning all three have shared a common passion for motorsport for many years.

“Today, those same individuals work side-by-side at Spain’s Coach Hire. What began as friendships formed through rallying has evolved into professional relationships, with all three continuing to share a passion for vehicles, transport and motorsport. When Gary took on the role of Clerk of the Course for the Galway Summer Rally, supporting the event felt like a natural extension of those long-standing connections. The rally is a fantastic showcase of volunteerism, teamwork and local community spirit, and the team at Spain’s Coach Hire, led by Keith Spain, are proud to play our part in helping ensure its continued success.

“Motorsport has deep roots within our company through the people who make up our team. Keith Spain competed in rallying for a number of years, with both Gary Leonard and Alan Spain spending time navigating during that journey. Through their involvement they developed friendships and connections that have endured for decades and remain as strong today as ever.

“Those relationships eventually led to all three working together at Spain’s Coach Hire, creating a unique link between our business and the sport. It is a reminder of how closely connected the Irish motorsport community can be and how friendships forged on rally stages often last a lifetime. Today our connection continues through Gary’s role as Clerk of the Course for the Galway Summer Rally, one of the most demanding and important positions within the organising team. As a transport company, we understand the importance of planning, logistics, safety and teamwork, all of which are equally critical to the successful delivery of a rally event. Spain’s Coach Hire are delighted to support the Galway Summer Rally and look forward to seeing competitors, officials, volunteers and spectators come together for what promises to be another excellent event for Galway and Irish motorsport.”

SPOTLIGHT 4: Craughwell Tyres
Technical tyre management proven at the absolute limit of road safety

Craughwell Tyres provides comprehensive tyre replacement, technical repair, and garage services to private, commercial, and agricultural clients across County Galway. Operating under the core principle that tyres represent the single most critical safety feature on any vehicle, the firm uses advanced laser tracking and wheel balancing technology. This meticulous setup ensures that tyre performance aligns precisely with the unique weight distribution and mechanical specifications of modern road machinery.

The family enterprise links its commercial operation directly with active high-level competition, forming a prominent partnership with Spain’s Coach Hire. Their combined branding is displayed across the high-specification Ford Fiesta Rally3 campaigned by siblings Dean and Aoife Raftery. Dean competes at the front of the field on major domestic events, including the Rally of the Lakes in Killarney, while Aoife flies the family flag across international rounds of the British Rally Championship.

Driver Dean Raftery highlights how the business applies motorsport engineering data directly to daily road safety for local motorists:

“Our business is built entirely upon road safety, and there is no environment that tests a tyre’s performance or a team’s technical skills more intensely than Irish tarmac rallying. Your tyres are the sole contact point between the vehicle and the road surface—every horse power from the engine and every bit of stopping force from the brakes has to work directly through that small patch of rubber. In rallying, you learn very quickly how critical precise compound selection, tread patterns, and exact tyre pressures are to maintaining control on unpredictable country lanes. We bring that exact same motorsport-honed attention to detail back to our workshop in Craughwell, ensuring our everyday private and commercial customers leave with the safest possible setup for their vehicles.

“What is your company’s previous association with the sport, and what is your current involvement? As a family, we have been immersed in Irish motorsport for many years, so stepping up as an associate sponsor of the Galway Summer Rally alongside our transport partners at Spain’s Coach Hire was a natural progression. We understand the vast logistical demands and the strict safety focus required to run a modern, multi-stage rally on open roads.

“Craughwell Tyres provides a vital 24-hour breakdown and tyre repair service to keep our local agricultural and commercial transport sectors moving around the clock, and this sponsorship is our way of backing the volunteer marshals and club officials who keep our sport alive. We are delighted to see our brand supporting the Galway Motor Club this August, and we wish all competitors and spectators a safe, successful weekend on the stages.”

Through its continuous investment in state-of-the-art workshop technology and field-proven experience, Craughwell Tyres ensures local road users benefit from the rigorous performance standards developed in high-level competition.

SPOTLIGHT 5: Adrian Quinn Car Sales
Over a century of quality automotive supply and stage success

Adrian Quinn Car Sales, based in Labane, Ardrahan, County Galway, has built a solid regional reputation for quality, value, and client service over the past 125 years. The independent dealership stocks a wide selection of thoroughly vetted, pre-owned vehicles tailored to meet diverse driver requirements and budgets. Utilising decades of retail automotive experience, the team focuses on securing highly competitive vehicle finance packages and providing robust mechanical warranties, ensuring long-term vehicle reliability and effectiveness for their established customer base.

The dealership’s commercial reputation is heavily backed by an active family involvement in top-flight Irish rallying. This competitive edge is led by Adrian Quinn Junior, who has proven himself a frontrunner on the national stage. Driving a modern, four-wheel-drive Renault Clio Rally3, Quinn Junior recently secured a dominant class victory at the Carlow Rally in May, demonstrating the technical skill and mechanical preparation that defines the family business.

As an associate sponsor of the 2026 Galway Summer Rally, the company reinforces its support for the regional motor club structure and the local economic benefits generated by national championship events.

By merging a successful automotive retail business with top-tier competitive experience, Adrian Quinn Car Sales remains uniquely positioned to understand the strict mechanical standards expected by both regular road motorists and dedicated stage competitors.