Kris Meeke will start his first Irish rally since 2009 when he takes on this month's Killarney Historic
Words by Luke Barry
Since he was last there he’s won five World Rally Championship events, claimed an Intercontinental Rally Challenge title as well as a Portuguese national crown, and experienced more ups and downs than he can probably even remember.
Kris Meeke will finally end a 16-year absence from rallying in Ireland when he takes part in this year’s Killarney Historic Rally.
Driving a BMW M3 E30, the Northern Irishman (co-driven by Killarney local Noel O’Sullivan) plans to pay homage to the late Maurice Nagle; the father of Meeke’s old co-driver Paul Nagle who founded the Killarney Historic back in 1996.
Poignantly, 2025 also marks 35 years since Bertie Fisher famously won Killarney with an M3. His co-driven then, Rory Kennedy, will compete in a BMW alongside Donagh Kelly as they seek to defend their victory from last year.
Meeke said: “For me just to drive an M3 in a rally is a dream come true, but especially this rally. I have fond memories of Bertie Fisher winning this rally 35 years ago. It is just brilliant that all this has come together.
“Paul Nagle was beside me for most of my World Rally Championship career and his dad Maurice, who founded this rally, was very much to the forefront during my time in the WRC.
“My dad Sydney turns 80 this year, and he ran Bertie’s BMW back in the day. I really hope we can get him to come to Killarney to witness this. I’ve been living abroad for a long time, the last time I entered the Historic Rally was in 2007 in Conor Curley’s car, so I’m really looking forward to returning to Kerry where I know so much of the rally community. It’ll be great to be back in Kerry but even better for a rally.
“Huge thanks to Paul Ahern for pulling this together – my friendship with Paul goes back to my early days with Paul Nagle and it’s great that we are all still good friends.”
Meeke’s entry means it’s the second year in a row a WRC winner has competed after Kalle Rovanperä’s appearance in a Toyota Starlet 12 months ago.
This year’s event is based, as always, in Killarney but will also feature some new and long-absent roads in the Kenmare region. The rally concludes with the famous Moll’s Gap run under the cover of darkness.
Words:Luke Barry
Tags: BMW M3, Killarney Historic Rally, Kris Meeke
Publish Date November 3, 2025 DirtFish 
https://dirtfish-editorial.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com/2025/11/2RL6Coxz-467819039_18470528782033871_8792555633042553090_n-780x780.jpg November 3, 2025
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