World Rally Championship: Rally Ireland bid falls through over funding
Motorsport Ireland's bid to host the World Rally Championship in a three-year deal from 2025 has fallen through.
Organisers were not able to meet the deadline to obtain the necessary funding set by WRC officials.
The Irish government said it would need "at least six months" to assess and analyse the proposal.
"I am saddened that it has come to this but unfortunately, we are left with no option," said Motorsport Ireland president Aiden Harper.
Waterford - the home county of late Irish WRC driver Craig Breen - Limerick and Kerry were set to alternate as host locations over three years, starting from 2025. Harper said all three bids were "exceptional" and "inseparable" after inspection.
When launching Rally Ireland's bid, Motorsport Ireland were asking for an investment of 15m euros over three years for a return of 300m euros.
The World Rally Championship last came to Ireland in 2007 and 2009 - with Sebastien Loeb winning both events and Harper added that "hopefully we will be in a position to revisit this magnificent opportunity in the future".
"We always stated that the FIA World Rally Championship could only come to Ireland with the financial support of government while always being aware that the funding may not be forthcoming," added Harper.
"It is a great shame to have to hand this great opportunity, and the economic benefit it would bring, over to another awaiting country."
The bid comes after a number of unsuccessful attempts to bring the WRC to Northern Ireland in recent years.
Four previous bids to bring rallying's premier series to Northern Ireland - in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2024 - have failed, largely because of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent deadlines for funding with the lack of a devolved government at Stormont.
Simon Larkin, the WRC's event director had told BBC Sport in February 2023 that WRC officials were "100% behind" having Rally Northern Ireland on the 2024 calendar.
However, with continued delays surrounding a bid north of the Irish border, attentions turned to Rally Ireland's bid to make a return to the calendar but that too has fallen through.
