Cannonball supercars will fuel stop at Kilcullen M9 service area

An opportunity for Kilcullen supercar fans to see Ireland's biggest gathering of iconic marques will be on Friday, 11 September, when those taking part in Cannonball Ireland 2026 will be making a fuel stop at the Circle K M9 service area, writes Brian Byrne. The stop is scheduled for 3.15pm and this year's event will raise funds for Ronald McDonald House.

Earlier, the more than 200 cars, which will include examples from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin, Bentley, Maserati, and many more, will have been driven from the starting point of the tour at the Johnstown Estate in Enfield and through the Wicklow hills via Enniskerry and back to the K Club in Straffan for lunch.

Over three days, the event participants will cover some 1,000km and be cheered on by an estimated 250,000 spectators in towns and villages through Westmeath, Offaly, Clare, Limerick, and Cork, and finishing up in Kilkenny City from around 5.30pm on Sunday, 13th. The finish line celebrations will once again feature live entertainment, music, giant screens, family attractions, colourful costumes, and the electric atmosphere that has become synonymous with Cannonball.

Since its inception in 2009, Cannonball Ireland has raised more than €2.5 million for Irish charities. The event was founded by Kildare-nased businessman Alan Bannon.

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Dunleas Kia 2026 preview

Some local auto business news — Dunleas of Kilcullen are having a 261 registration preview on Tuesday next, 4 November. Five new Kia models will be on display for one day only, from 9am. 

They are the new Stonic, the K4, the EV4 hatch and fastback, and the EV5. 

I'm driving the EV4 this week, and all these are worth a look if you're considering changing your car in the new year.

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Cannonball supercars carnival finish in Naas on Sunday

Radio Nova’s PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe are in a Bond theme to promote Cannonball.

A reminder for those interested in supercars and hypercars, this year's Cannonball Run will finish in Naas TOMORROW, Sunday, at 6pm, writes Brian Byrne. It will culminate a journey that started in Enfield and will have passed through Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Sligo, Cavan, and Meath. 

Around 200 vehicles taking part will include brands such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Porsche, Aston Martin, and Maserati. Notably, this year there are a Koenigsegg Regera and the McLaren Senna. The stunning Ford GT Heritage Series with the famous Gulf livery is once again part of the group. 

The Keonigsegg Regara and McLaren Senna.

The biggest organised road trip in Europe has raised over €2 million for Irish charities to date. This year's charity partner is Jack and Jill Children's Foundation, supported by Circle K, which will donate a cent from every litre of fuel sold during the event. 

The final in Naas will feature the largest finish line ever staged by Cannonball, with live performances, street entertainers, celebrities, Brazilian dancers, a pre-Cannonball parade of cars and American fire trucks, children's entertainers, giant screens, the Garda Band, DJs, and more. 

Cannonball was founded by Kildare businessman Alan Bannon, with official partners including Jade Insurance, Monster Energy, Capital Switch, Combilift, Karl Goodwin Motors, Task Security Systems, AB Signs, and Majestic Ireland Road Trips.

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Cannonball 4x4 run route through Kilcullen

A convoy of 50 high-powered SUVs will pass through Kilcullen crossroads on the morning of 19 November on their way to Killarney in the Cannonball 4x4 road trip charity fundraiser, writes Brian Byrne.

The event, which takes over two days, is raising funds for the HOPE Foundation, an Irish Charity working with the street children of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in India.

The participating vehicles in the road trip include a Bentley Bentayga E-Hybrid and a Bentley Bentayga First Edition, a Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid, two Range Rover SVRs, three Range Rover Sport P400, a Land Rover Defender 90, a Ford Ranger, a BMW X5 M-Sport, a Land Rover Defender 110, a Mercedes-Benz GLE and many more.

Setting off from the Powerscourt Hotel in Wicklow at 10am, the vehicles will travel via the Sally Gap, Glendalough and Hollywood before passing through Kilcullen on their way to a lunch stop in Durrow, Co Laois after crossing the Curragh.

The convoy will travel around Kerry for the second day.

Cannonball Ireland was founded by Naas-based Alan Bannon (pictured above) in 2009 and has raised €1,250,000 for charities since.

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Info afternoon on electric cars

For anyone interested in the pros and cons of electric cars, there will be a meet-up of EV owners at the Circle K Service Area at Halverstown on Saturday 16 October, writes Brian Byrne.

The event will begin at 1pm, and there will be new and experienced EV owners on hand to answer questions and describe their own experiences.

All welcome.

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Did you own this Land Rover, back in the day?

This beautifully restored late model Land Rover 90 Series IIA, registered between February-September 1968, was spotted at the weekend in West Cork by Dave Byrne.

Those of us in an older age group will recognise the registration as being Co Kildare. The front winch suggests it was used for heavy country work.

Does anybody remember having it or seeing it back then, or since, locally?

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First drive in latest Audi flagship

Wearing my automotive journalist cap, I spent time this afternoon on a first drive of the new Audi e-tron GT, writes Brian Byrne. It's the brand's latest flagship model.

All electric, a range of 479km, swishing performance, and the style and quality that underpins all Audis these days.

If you have a spare €102,397 you can order now with a deposit. First cars due in July, but the way interest is going, demand will outstrip supply through 2021. The Irish company is looking for more cars.

My first impressions in due course. When I get a week in it, I hope we're back to long drives down the country again.

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Podcast: Some spark needed in Electric Car sales

The overall take-up of electric cars in Ireland remains not just lower than political expectation, but is also soft in terms of what ought to have been a bigger reality. Produced by Brian Byrne.

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'Gordon Bennett times II' makes motoring history

A bit of motoring history is being made in the Kilcullen area today with a run of about 20 old cars taking in the original Gordon Bennett course, writes Brian Byrne.

Because of the pandemic, the usual commemorative runs were cancelled this year, but a small cohort of old car enthusiasts are doing the circuits today under the banner of 'Gordon Bennett times II'.

"As far as I can ascertain, it is the first time since the original race in 1903 that a run is taking in the whole original course, going around twice in the one day since the original seven laps race itself," says one of the organisers of today's event, Kilcullen-based Sean O'Gorman.

(We'll do some more about the background to the day later.)

In the morning the cars detoured around Sunnyhill, but went through the town on the second leg after lunch.

All the Diary's pictures are here.

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Cars and tractors at Moone Vintage Festival

Pat Foley took a run down to Moone yesterday for the village's annual Vintage Day. Here are some of his pic captures (love the Austin!).

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Vintage cars wanted for Kildare film shoot

Mk III Ford Cortina, photo by Charles01.

Do you remember the 1970s Ford Cortina and Escort? writes Brian Byrne. And by any chance do you have one still as your vintage pride and joy?

Ford Escort, photo by Mr.choppers.

Well, any cars from that period and into the 1980s have a chance of immortality next month if their owners contact film-maker and writer Ferdia MacAnna (Twitter @FerdiaMacAnna) who needs some of these cars for a film he's shooting in September in County Kildare.

The movie is a 'romcom' called 'Danny Boy', set in that time period, and all makes and models will be useful.

Morris Marina, pic by Allen Watkin.

So let's think of a few others. The Mini was still there, already an 11-year veteran. The Morris Marina that was expected to be the saviour of British Leyland but failed. The Vauxhall Viva, of which this writer owned at the time two (in succession).

Austin Allegro, pic by Charles01.

The Morris 1100/1300 was still soldiering on, though far from its top-selling performance in the 1960s. Another British Leyland inglorious failure, the Austin Allegro. Then there was the to be phenomenally successful Ford Capri, and the steady seller Hillman Avenger. And does anyone remember the 'giant land crab', the Austin Maxi?

Enough. If you still own and drive any of the above, or anything else from the period — there were Opels and Jaguars and many others — give Ferdia a call.

Expenses will be paid, but it could be worth it just for the craic.

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