Irish Mini Owners Club

Back in 1996 Killarney man Maurice Nagle saw a niche in the market for a rally solely devoted to historic & post-historic cars. Since then the rally has gone from strength to strength and now sees a full entry annually as well as a long reserve list.
The event has been based in Killarney since its inception but for 2009 it moves to the picturesque town of Kenmare where stages not used since 1970's Circuit of Munster will be undertaken by competitors.

Each year numerous mini's take part in the event. Not forgetting the history of the mighty mini's a commemorative run is being organised on the Saturday of the event, December 5th 2009 to celebrate 50 years.

This is possible the last event for IMOC members to gather and celebrate MINI 50 so why not make it a big one.
The rally itself is Internationally acclaimed so why not use this event to further promote the IMOC. There are mini's travelling from the UK for this event also.

Further details are to be obtained and posted here but for now can we establish what kind of interest this will generate.

Remember you could always make a weekend of it and spend the Sunday watching everything from a mini, mk1 & mk 2 escort, porsche 911 to an avanger or anglia being rallied flat out !

Tommy C

Count me in Tom. Dick Mason will be there as well.

You can count me in and if needed I can marshal. If you can give me a date I can tell you if Stud will take me there or the Passat

we ll venture, we got posters and banners made up for galway, they looked very well on the stages

Quick update

3 cars coming from the UK are ex-works cars, the run on the Saturday is going to be around the Beara Peninsula.

Anyone who may have a mini but is competing in the actual event itself can avail of recce on the friday if needs be so as to make Saturdays run.

The rally HQ is also doing some sort of a package deal working out at about 149 euro pps for 3 nights, phone hotel direct for more details.

More Info to follow


Tommy

OFFICIAL DETAILS OF EVENT RECEIVED FROM THE ORGANISIER


This being the 50th anniversary of the mini car ,a fun run is taking place on SAT.5th of December from The Brooklane Hotel Kenmare .Competitors do not need a competition licence to take part as there is no speed involved and the competitors own insurance is all that is necessary to compete.Minis of all ages right up to 2009 will be accepted and any derivatives of the mini such as mini marcos or mini jem will be very welcome.The event is being run in conjunction with the Historic Rally Of The Lakes which has the same head quarters and is on the same weekend.

A road book has been checked and the route is finalized .All directions will be given as tulips and the distances are accurate but you do not need a tripmeter as the route is not complex.The event will follow broadly the route of the early Circuits Of Ireland in the west Cork-south Kerry area.Some ex-works minis from the 60s will attend including minis from northern Ireland (mini),some from England and a number of well known Irish entries as well.The Kenmare Bay Hotel , directly across the road from the h-q are doing a special deal for food and accom.

The only cost involved in your participation is for the road book as the Killarney Motor Club has covered all the other expenses including permits etc,.To sign on for the event you need your insurance -or current disc and a token fee of 15 euro.Telephone enquiries to 086-8696422 any time

The route for the mini run is finalized and includes CLASSIC stages such as Borlin,Fuhiry, Kilmacallogue ,Healy Pass, Cod's Head and Ardgroom.The route is approx 150 miles in total and also includes a few narrow link roads between "stages".The timing is based on the rule of 25 miles per hour including the main road sections but a competitor does not have to average any particular speed and there are no penalties for stopping for a smoke or a p---- or to eat a bite.At 25mph , the route should take 6 hours but you must allow time for food and other stops.If the last car starts at 10 a.m. ,it should be back in Kenmare at 4.45 p.m.Sign on is from 9a.m. and cars will run at minute intervals.We want 50 minis for the 50th anniversary of the launch of the "mini- minor".The event will get press coverage and the mini magazines will have a report.

It's going to be some weekend. I'll be leaving one of the Minis in Dublin for Top Gear Live and then hotfooting it to Kerry to take part in this.

Great finale to the Mini 50 celebrations.

Billy

1. Tommy C
2. Billy
3. Dick Mason
4. Johnny Murphy
5. Don Rogers

Should make it to this aswell, is it just a matter of turning up on the day or do i have to register?

MB1380,

Just add your name to the list.
Im in contact with the organizer so I'll be able to give him an overall figure of how many we'll have on the day.

Tommy

this sounds like a serious weekend..looking forward to it..!!

1. Tommy C
2. Billy
3. Dick Mason
4. Johnny Murphy
5. Don Rogers
6.cappamoreboi

1. Tommy C
2. Billy
3. Dick Mason
4. Johnny Murphy
5. Don Rogers
6.cappamoreboi
7. MB1380

Tom,

Any idea of which ex-works cars are coming? Reg nos. etc. I can check with the Mini Cooper Register as to which rallies they took part in.

Billy

I'll be talkin' to Bob Kelly later this week & ill try and find out

Hi Tommy
Good work.
Would love to go on this run, but I am in Dublin with work that weekend.
Hope all goes well.
Enjoy.

Cheers for that Eamon, no doubts there'l be loads of photo's posted soon after !

Come on lads, lets get a few more names down its a real opportunity to get the club name out there and hopefully pick up a few more members..... its expected that there will be representative's from all the clubs in the country so lets have the biggest turn out !



Tommy

Hi Tommy, at last I should be able to make this run ......looking forward to meeting everyone. Do I need to join the club before hand or can I join on the day????


1. Tommy C
2. Billy
3. Dick Mason
4. Johnny Murphy
5. Don Rogers
6.cappamoreboi
7. MB1380
8. minigra

Cheers!

There seems to be a fair few Minis entered in the rally itself.

Entry list - http://www.rally.ie/article.php?article ... 125_152727

Time Schedule for the Mini Run - Sat 5th

Location: First Car Due Mins allowed:
Brooklane Hotel 9.00 25
Start Borlin 9.25 30
Finish Borlin 9.55 30
Gougane Barra 10.25 60
Start Fuhiry 11.25 30
Finish Fuhiry 11.55 25
Brooklane Hotel 12.20 25
Food halt 12.45 30
Start Healy Pass 13.15 20
Finish Healy Pass 13.35 20
Castletownbere 13.55 40
Start Cods Head 14.35 25
Finish Cods Head 15.00 15
Start Ardgroom 15.15 30
Finish Ardgroom 15.45 15
Start Kilmacallogue 16.00 15
Finish Kilmacallogue 16.15 30
Brooklane Hotel 16.45 ----


Competition Minis entered in the actual Rally to date:

Car Driver/ (Make/Model) [Class] Category
1 Ray Cunningham/ (Morris Cooper S) [2] HISTORIC
2 Mervyn Johnston/ (Austin Cooper S) [2] HISTORIC
6 Chadwick Ian/ (Austin Mini) [2] HISTORIC
7 Aaron Tracey/ (Austin Cooper S) [2] HISTORIC
10 Eddie Cronin/ (Morris Mini) [1] HISTORIC
12 Anthony Devine/ (Austin Mini) [C1] HISTORIC
14 Stephen Coffey/ (Ford Escort Mk1) [C1] HISTORIC
15 Aidan Kennedy/ (Austin Cooper S) [2] HISTORIC

26 Kevin Flanagan/ (Austin Cooper S) [7] POSTHISTORIC
27 Simon Evans/ (Austin Mini Cooper) [8] POSTHISTORIC
31 Leslie Branagan/ (Morris Cooper S) [8] POSTHISTORIC
32 Martin Kehoe/ (Morris Mini) [7] POSTHISTORIC
34 John Hackett/ (Austin Mini) [7] POSTHISTORIC
35 Jack O'Shea/ (Austin Mini Cooper S) [8] POSTHISTORIC
39 Thomas O'Brien/ (Morris Mini Cooper S) [7] POSTHISTORIC

54 Lloyd Hutchinson/ (Austin Cooper S) [16] MODIFIED

What time would we want to be at the hotel for?

Meet around half 8 to organise club members so we can travel in convoy

Hello from a rainy Kenmare !!!

Not that i'd let the weather bother me when you arrive at your hotel and find the following two cars just sitting in the car park outside reception...... many more to follow over night and early tomorrow morning.














If your interested in seeing a whole load of competition and road going mini's then Kenmare is the place to be tomorrow morning at 8:30am.... don't let the December rain put you off this rare opportunity in Ireland.

Tommy C

Keep the photos coming Tommy

Here is a little taste of the day, weather was pretty bad but it was great craic.

This is Gougane Barra closed loop stage. Billy taking it handy as he felt the universal joint was on the way out.