Circuit of Ireland Rally

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The Circuit of Ireland Rally is an annual car rally in Ireland and is the third oldest rally in the world. It began in 1931 and is run by the Ulster Automobile Club. The event traditionally takes place over the Easter weekend and mostly runs in Northern Ireland, though it often includes stages in the Republic of Ireland. Most stages are on paved public roads that are closed to other traffic.

The rally started as the Ulster Motor Rally with multiple starting points. It later became a long coastal circuit of about 1,089 miles, starting and finishing in Bangor, County Down. The event was suspended during World War II and again in 1948 due to fuel shortages, with further cancellations in 1957, 1972, 2001 and 2007. In 2007 the circuit was cancelled after disputes between organisers and sponsors, and Easter rally events were held instead. The Circuit returned in 2008 with 28 teams and 20 stages; Eamonn Boland won in a Subaru Impreza S12B.

In 2009 the rally was won by Eugene Donnelly. In 2010 the event gained Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) Supporter status and was part of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship; it also served as a round of the IRC. The 2012 event hosted an IRC round as well. The 2013 rally was cancelled due to lack of funds and bad weather. In 2014 the Circuit rejoined the European Rally Championship (ERC); 2015 and 2016 also included ERC rounds along with the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship, and in 2016 there were British Rally Championship rounds as well.

The 2017 rally was cancelled for funding reasons, and the following two years did not see the event. The COVID-19 pandemic led to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 rallies. The Circuit returned in 2022 as the Wastewater Solutions Circuit of Ireland Rally, a two-day event with 12 stages covering Mid and East Antrim and Northern Ireland, totaling about 193 kilometres. It served as the first round of the FIA Celtic Rally Trophy and the third round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. The 2023 edition, known as the Milburn Concrete Circuit of Ireland Rally, was a single-day event with eight stages and roughly 70 miles of competition, again part of the Irish Tarmac Championship, organized by Cookstown Motor Club and the Ulster Automobile Club. The most recent event was held in April 2025.