Preparations are well under way for the 2015 Colm Quinn BMW Galway International Rally which takes place from the 6th to the 8th of February.

The event is building up to be a true classic as Clerk of the Course, Kieran Donohue has laid out a very challenging route for the competitors. 

Colm Quinn BMW has returned as title sponsor for a second year and the event was launched at their new Tuam Road showroom. The event was attended by the Mayor of Galway, Councillor Donal Lyons and the Mayor of Galway County, Cllr. Mary Hoade, President of Galway Motor Club, Mark Parsons and Vice Chairman of the Tarmac Rally Organisers’ Association, Alan Verso.

Colm Quinn’s new BMW showroom will play host to mechanical scrutineering on Friday the 6th of February. This is a perfect opportunity to get up close to the cars and drivers prior to the high-speed action on Saturday and Sunday. The event will also come to a climax outside the new showroom on the Sunday evening with the top cars crossing the finish ramp.

The rally, although based in the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, will take place in the Gort area, with Service being held at Gort Mart on both days. The event will run over two days and will have a total of 14 stages. The demanding route consists 6 stages on Saturday, with a further 8 stages being covered on the Sunday. Maps and time schedules will be available from the Official Rally Programme available before the event.

Last year’s winners Declan and Brian Boyle will be back to defend their title. Also entered are Declan Gallagher and former winner Gary Jennings. The 2015 event will have International Status and will be the opening round of the Clonakilty Blackpudding Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. It is a true International event with competitors travelling from all over the world for a chance to compete on the Galway roads. One such competitor is Kai-Dieter Kölle, with navigator Bianca Hutzfeldt, who are bringing their iconic Porsche 911 all the way from Northern Germany to Galway to compete over Galway’s unique terrain. The five-times North German Rally Champion is relishing the challenge having competed on over 80 European events including the Arctic Lapland Rally in Finland.

The rally will bring a welcome early season boost to visitor numbers in Galway city and county. The event generates over 2,000 bed nights annually as most teams, some of up to 30 people, spend two weekends in the area between making their route notes and taking part in the event itself.