The Cork 20 Rally is a long-standing motor endurance test lasting twenty hours which is held annually in the vicinity of Cork in Munster, Ireland. It is now a well established international event, and a round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship drawing competitors from Ireland North and South, Britain, Europe and further afield. The rally was part of the National Rally Championship between 1966 & 1976. It became a full International Rally in 1977.
Currently run under the auspices of the Munster Car Club, the Cork 20 Rally is one of the oldest motor rallies in the world, the 2010 event was the 95th. The first rally was held in 1912.
In the 1950s the Cork and Munster Motorcycle Club, based at the neo-classical building Vernon Mount gave strong support to the Cork 20 Rally.
In 2007 WRC drivers Sébastien Loeb C4 WRC, Daniel Sordo Xsara WRC, Mikko Hirvonen Focus RS WRC 06/07 all started the rally heading a field of 130 of which 17 were World Rally Cars . With Sébastien Loeb winning out after two days and 14 stages.
The recent courses are in the region of 280 km (170 mi) in length.
2015 - Donagh Kelly/Conor Foley - Ford Focus WRC
2014 - Darragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid - Ford Fiesta WRC
2013 - Darragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid - Ford Fiesta WRC
2012 - Darragh O'Riordan/Tony Mcdaid - Subaru Impreza WRC
2011 - Darragh O'Riordan/Tony McDaid - Subaru Impreza WRC
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2010 - Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy - Ford Focus RS WRC
2009 - Gareth MacHale/Brian Murphy - Ford Focus RS WRC
2008 - Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey - Subaru Impreza WRC
2007 - Sebastian Loeb/Daniel Elena - Citroën C4 WRC
2006 - Mark Higgins/Rory Kennedy - Subaru Impreza WRC
2005 - Tim McNulty/Anthony Nestor - Subaru Impreza WRC
2004 - Eugene Donnelly/Paul Kiely - Subaru Impreza WRC
2003 - Eamonn Boland/Damien Morrissey - Subaru Impreza WRC
2002 - Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien - Subaru Impreza WRC
2001 - Rally cancelled due to Bovine Foot-and-Mouth disease
2000 - Andrew Nesbitt/James O'Brien - Subaru Impreza WRC
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1999 - Ian Greer/Dean Beckett - Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185
1998 - Ian Greer/Dean Beckett - Toyota Celica GT-Four ST185
1997 - Rally cancelled. No HQ. No Sponsor. No C.O.C.available
1996 - Gabriel Snow/Pat Maloughney - Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1995 - Frank Meagher/Pat Maloughney - Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1994 - Kenny McKinstry/Robbie Philpott - Suburu Legacy RS
1993 - James Cullen/Ellen Morgan - Ford Escort RS Cosworth
1992 - Bertie Fisher/Rory Kennedy - Subaru Legacy RS
1991 - Kenny McKinstry/Robbie Philpott - Subaru Legacy RS
1990 - Austin McHale/Dermot O'Gorman - BMW M3
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1989 - Saeed Al Hajri/Steve Bond - Ford Sierra Cosworth
1988 - Mark Lovell/Terry Harryman - Ford Sierra Cosworth
1987 - Austin McHale/Christy Farrell - Opel Manta 400
1986 - Billy Coleman/Ronan Morgan - MG Metro 6R4
1985 - Austin McHale/Christy Farrell - Opel Manta 400
1984 - Billy Coleman/Ronan Morgan - Opel Manta 400
1983 - Austin McHale/Christy Farrell - Vauxhall Chevette
1982 - Demi Fitzgerald/Paddy Kavanagh - Vauxhall Chevette
1981 - Ger Buckley/John Caplis - Vauxhall Chevette
1980 - Jimmy McRae/Frank Main - Vauxhall Chevette
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1979 - Ger Buckley/John Caplis - Ford Escort RS1800
1978 - Ari Vatanen/Arne Hertz - Ford Escort RS1800
1977 - Ger Buckley/John Caplis - Ford Escort RS1800
1976 - Billy Coleman/Dan O'Sullivan - Ford Escort RS1800
1975 - Cathal Curley/Austin Frazer - Porsche Carrera
1974 - Ger Buckley/John Caplis - Ford Escort RS1600
1973 - Ger Buckley/John Caplis - Ford Escort RS1600
1972 - Billy Coleman/Noel Davin - Alpine-Renault A110
1971 - Billy Coleman/Noel Davin - Alpine-Renault A110
1970 - Billy Coleman/Noel Davin - Ford Escort Mk 1 BDA
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1969 - Mick Barry/Dan Kavanagh - Ford Escort T/C November Rally
1969 - Rosemary Smith/Ricky Foott - Hillman Imp February Rally
1968 - No event - Foot and Mouth outbreak
1967 - Rosemary Smith/Brian Melia - Hillman Imp
1966 - Charlie Gunn/Norman Henderson - Ford Cortina GT
1965 - Noel Smith/R.Foott - BMC Mini Cooper S
1964 - Paul O'Flynn/Brian Geary - Morris Mini Cooper
1963 - Joe Byrne/Brian Geary - Volkswagen Beetle
1962 - Event cancelled no C.O.C.available
1961 - Joe O'Mahony/Gordan Baker - Volkswagen Beetle
1960 - Sheila O'Clery/Mike Ivis - Austin 7 Mini
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1959 - Des Cullen/Jim Cullen - NSU Prinz
1958 - P.B.Hopkirk/Jack A.Scott - Volkswagen Beetle
1957 - P.D.Deale/Dave Wheeler - Volkswagen Beetle
1956 - P.B.Hopkirk/John A.Garvey - Volkswagen Beetle
1955 - J.G.Dyer/Dr.B.MacMahon - Ford Anglia
1954 - Joe O'Mahony/Dr.R.F.O'Sullivan - Volkswagen Beetle
1953 - Joe O'Manohy/Dr.R.F.O'Sullivan - Volkswagen Beetle
1952 - Joe O'Mahony/Reggie Tilson - Volkswagen Beetle
1951 - Unknown
1950 - Unknown
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Organisers of the Cork "20" Rally are the Munster Motor Cycle & Car Club Ltd. Vernon Mount,Kinsale Rd Cork. Clerks of the Course are as follows :
Kevin O'Riordan - 2013 to 2014
Jim Murphy - 2012
Coleman Hegarty - 2008 to 2011
Frank O'Mahony - 2004 to 2007
Hugh McPhillips - 2002 to 2003
No event due to Foot and Mouth crisis 2001
Alan G.Verso - 1998 to 2000
No event. No sponsors. No HQ. No C.O.C. 1997
Liam Hayes - 1996
Frank Thompson - 1993 to 1995
leo Whyte - 1990 to 1992
Alan G.Verso - 1987 to 1989
Bryan Curtin - 1982 to 1986 (pace notes allowed)
Leo Whyte - 1976 to 1981 (event became International-1977,Cork City stage used - 1980)
Declan Mullally - 1973 to 1975 (event was flagged away by Ronnie Peterson-Lotus Grand Prix Driver.
Sean R.O'Sullivan - 1971 to 1972
Dick O'Brien - 1969 to 1970 (2 events run in Feb & Nov 1969)
No event due to Foot and Mouth crisis 1968
Dick O'Brien - 1967
Ricky Foote - 1966
Noel Davin - 1965 (Moonraker substituted)
Ricky Foote - 1963 to 1964
No event as a C.O.C. could not be found 1962
Declan O'Leary - 1961
Reggie Tilson - 1959 to 1960
Joe O'Mahony - 1958
Reggie Tilson - 1953 to 1957
Declan O'Leary - 1952
The event has been run in most parts of Cork county since the 1960s, Kinsale was the main hub throughout the 1970s while Cork city has been home to the event a few times also. The final stage of the 1980 event started on Patrick Street and went through Grand Parade and the South Mall in front of thousands of spectators. In later years the event has run in the north and east Cork regions with various forays into mid Cork as well and the event returned to West Cork in 2010.
The format of the original rally was similar to the Monte Carlo Rally, in that there were several starting points; Cork, Dublin and Galway. The cars would then meet at a designated town, e.g. Clonmel. The final leg would be from there into Cork city. The roads were not officially closed for these early events.
With various affiliations, the Cork Motor Club became very active in motorsport in the Cork area from 1976 on.
