Achill gears up for big rally weekend
MAYO & District Motorsport Club are looking forward to welcoming over 80 crews and numerous motorsport fans to Achill Island for the Mayo Stages Rally this weekend.
There will be plenty to do for all ages tomorrow evening (Saturday, March 11) in the vicinity of Óstán Oileán Acla, and Mayo & District Motorsport Club would like to welcome everyone to a fun-filled evening, commencing at 6 p.m. There will be live music with Michael S. Togher, bouncy castles and prize-giving for the winners of the recent road safety colouring competition from all seven local national schools.
At 8 p.m. some of the top rally cars will be welcomed on to the island – and in true Achill tradition they will be escorted across the bridge by the Achill Pipe Band together with teams from Achill GAA Club and Achill Rovers FC.
The top 10 rally cars and all local competitors will then cross the start ramp outside the hotel. This will be a great chance to meet with the drivers and navigators, and also offers an opportunity to get up close to the competing cars. Tom McGinty will be providing music in rally HQ from 9.30 p.m. and he will keep the atmosphere going until the early hours.
It will be down to business on Sunday (March 12), with roads closing early in the morning before the first car appears on stage one at 9.55 a.m.
The fantastic stages, chosen by clerk of the course Trevor O'Connell and his team, will be a joy to watch, with amazing backdrops along the Wild Atlantic Way. Service will be held at the Sandy Banks Caravan Park in Keel, which will be accessible to all to wander around and admire the crews as they put in the hard work keeping the cars in check for the following stages.
After all the stages are run, competing cars will return to Óstán Oileán Acla at approximately 4.50 p.m., where the crews will celebrate as they cross the finish ramp ahead of the prize-giving.
For motorsport fans, Achill is the place to be this weekend for the Óstán Oileán Acla/Connacht Print And Signs Mayo Stages Rally 2017.