Previous winners Keith Cronin and Callum Devine to lock horns again in Killarney International Rally of the Lakes
Keith Cronin and Callum Devine share a win apiece after 2025's opening two rounds as Cronin won the opening event, the West Cork Rally, after the original opening round in Galway was cancelled while Devine, the defending ITRC winner from 2024, won the Circuit of Ireland.
The ITRC is due for seven rounds this year, but as yet no new date has been set for a running of the Galway International which never got to the start ramp due to winter storm damage.
Devine was a fortunate winner of the 'Circuit' last month as Cronin's Citroen C3 Rally2 was on top only for brake issues and a puncture on the penultimate stage cost the Cork ace any chance of winning.
Devine now heads to Kerry this weekend for the two-day event having won each of the last three Rally of the Lakes and he will top the seedings list in his Skoda Fabia Rally2.
Ironically, a puncture also denied Cronin a win in Killarney last year as Devine took advantage of Cronin's woes to take a hat-trick of wins.
"We've seen how fickle rallying can be, especially over the past couple of years," said Cronin.
"We had a good lead built up on the Lakes 12 months ago when we got the puncture on Saturday afternoon, it cost us well over two minutes.
"Any chance of winning the rally was gone and I really felt like parking it up, but Mikie (Galvin) (Cronin's co-driver) pushed me on to keep going and we wound up fourth and that was really important in terms of the Tarmac Championship, as we got it (the title) on the Cork '20' on the tie-break."
Matt Edwards will be desperate to at least get to the finish on the 15-stage event this weekend as the three-time British champion retired from runner-up positions in both West Cork and Circuit of Ireland in his Hyundai i20 Rally2.
2022 and '23 ITRC frontrunner Meirion Evans is seeded fourth in Killarney with the Welshman aboard a Toyota Yaris Rally2.
Josh Moffett and Eddie Doherty, seeded fifth and sixth respectively, were two more drivers who lost out on decent Circuit of Ireland finishes as Moffett got stuck in a ditch while a double puncture spoiled Doherty's podium hopes.
Others who will be in contention include David Kelly who finished on the podium in the Circuit in the Volkswagen Polo.
Declan Boyle (Skoda Fabia), Cathan McCourt (Hyundai) and Declan's son Michael Boyle (Volkswagen Polo GTi R5) round out the top ten seeds.
The ceremonial start will take place in the Killarney town centre on Friday evening.
There is an early start for the crews on Saturday, with the first of the day's nine stages getting under way at 8.15am, consisting of three loops of three stages: Headford, Lisbabe and Red Bog, to the east and north of the town.
The rally will re-start on Sunday morning with the famous Molls Gap stage at 10:50am, and this is followed by Beallaghbeama and Shanara.
That loop of stages is repeated on Sunday afternoon, making a total of six stages on day two.
The 'Finish Ramp' celebrations will take place at rally headquarters, the Gleneagle Hotel, at 5.15pm.
The organisers the Killarney and District Motor Club are also distributing thousands of stickers and have included Michael Gaine's story in the rally programme, asking for help in his case.
Michael Gaine was last seen in Kenmare on 20 March and an extensive missing person's investigation was launched which was upgraded this week to a homicide investigation this week by Gardai.
Gaine was an avid rally man and was a participant himself and competitors will pass Gaine's farm in Carrig East, Kenmare on Saturday.
Assess Ireland Rally of the Lakes 2025 Top 10 seeds
1 Callum Devine/Noel O'Sullivan, Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2
2 Keith Cronin/Mikie Galvin, Citroën C3 Rally 2
3 Matt Edwards/David Moynihan, Hyundai i20N Rally 2
4 Meirion Evans/Ger Conway, Toyota GR Yaris Rally 2
5 Josh Moffett/Andy Hayes, Citroën C3 Rally 2
6 Eddie Doherty/Tom Murphy, Skoda Fabia Evo Rally 2
7 David Kelly/Arthur Kierans, Volkswagen Polo GTi R5
8 Declan Boyle/Patrick Walsh, Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2
9 Cathan McCourt/Barry McNulty, Hyundai i20N Rally 2
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