The Cannonball Run has regularly selected Killarney as one of its rest points down through the years, and the carnival atmosphere in the town on Friday evening might give you an indication of why the fund-raising luxury-car run has chosen to frequent this part of the world so often.
he 2022 Cannonball Run consisted of over 200 luxury cars, and participants departed from Malahide on Friday. The three-day event ended on Sunday in Trim, County Meath, but Killarney was one of its two overnight destinations, stopping off there on Friday.
“It’s fantastic for Kerry and Killarney that they choose it as a place to stay, and it’s great for the county that they travel through it,” said Brehon Hotel Marketing Manager Seán Tangney. The Brehon hosted the approximately 500 people involved with the run, and the boost to Killarney’s coffers was hard to overestimate.”
“We had 125 rooms booked here at the Brehon, the hotel was booked exclusively for Cannonball guests, but we also had 140 rooms booked at the Gleneagle,” Seán added. “And it’s great, as well, to support an event that raises money for good causes.”
This year, the run aimed to raise €250,000 for the HOPE Foundation, and it’s thought to be worth approximately €850,000 to each of its overnight-stay towns.
The Brehon hosted a welcome reception on Friday evening, featuring a live band and a fine selection of various foods and drinks, and this effort was well-supported by those keen to catch a glimpse of some incredible vehicles, as well as the participants traveling around Ireland in the supercars themselves.
“I couldn’t give an exact number, but I’d say you’re talking about 1,000 people turning out between the INEC car park and the Brehon,” Seán said.
