​This week’s RIAC - Motorsport Ireland classic video from the RPM Motorsport collection is coverage of the 1985 Cork 20 International Rally with commentary from Michael Lyster.

The mid 80s saw a number of classic battles between Billy Coleman and Austin McHale and the 1985 Cork 20 was no exception. Coleman, who had pipped McHale by a single second to win in Donegal earlier in the year, powered into an early lead on the Cork 20 in the famous Rothmans Porsche 911. McHale decided to employ some gamesmanship on day 2 and on the Lough Allua stage, instead of starting 30 seconds behind Coleman, McHale waited for a minute and proceeded to take 29 seconds off the rally leader. Coleman, not realising McHale had waited at the start of the stage for an extra 30 seconds assumed he had been one second faster and throttled back to maintain the comfortable lead he thought he had. By the time he realised what had happened it was too late, and McHale emerged as the winner of the rally by 22 seconds as he secured his second Irish Tarmac Championship title of the decade. Future tarmac champions Kenny McKinstry and Frank Meagher also played a starring role in their then ageing, Ford Escort RS1800s.

This programme will be available to stream below from 7pm on Thursday, September 24th.
 
Next week’s upload is coverage from the year 2000 of the Formula Europa series at Mondello Park.
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Next week’s upload is coverage from the year 2000 of the Formula Europa series at Mondello Park.

Remember to subscribe to the Motorsport Ireland–RIAC YouTube Channel to be notified of our latest video uploads. 

Following the 18th September government announcement regarding the temporary closure of indoor restaurants in Dublin, we regret to advise that the RIAC restaurant will be suspending its dine-in service for the next three weeks. 

However, thankfully we will continue to offer a daily breakfast and lunch menu for you to take-away from the restaurant. Salads, Smoked Salmon, Soup and Sandwiches will also be available for lunchtime take-away. 

Our restaurant menu will be updated, as usual, each morning and can be viewed here.  
 
RIAC Gourmet Ready Meals
In addition, we are pleased to let you know that we are introducing a new gourmet ready meal option for you to take home for dinner. The following delicious new meals will be cooked to-order in the RIAC restaurant kitchen and are available from Monday to Friday, before 3pm.

Beef Bourguignon, Red wine, Carrot & Mushroom Sauce €7.95
Mash potato & Vegetables 

Chicken Gordon Bleu, Mash potato & Vegetables €7.30

Baked Salmon, Dill & Sundried Tomato Sauce €7.50
Mash potato & Vegetables

To order, simply call Christophe on 087 671 43 68 or email [email protected]

Your dish will be carefully prepared to order and packed in take away containers marked with a ‘used by’ date. Your meal can then be collected from the refrigerated cold counter on the first floor.

Although, we are disappointed to temporarily cease our dine-in service, we are glad we can offer an excellent take-away food service for breakfast, lunch and dinner, five days a week.

We look forward to seeing you in the Club and would like to wish you and your loved ones all the best during this difficult and uncertain period. 

Regards, 
The RIAC

This week’s Motorsport Ireland – RIAC classic video from the RPM Motorsport collection is feature length coverage of the 1988 Circuit of Ireland Rally which originally aired on RTÉ.

Following the demise of Group B, Group A brought new machinery and a new format for the Circuit of Ireland, as it adopted a more compact three-day route, which started in Belfast and saw the event finish on St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin to coincide with the city’s millennium year celebrations. 

Jimmy McRae was the hot favourite as he set off in search of a record breaking sixth win on the event, but it was McRae’s fellow Ford Sierra Cosworth drivers, Mark Lovell, and Phil Collins, who made the early running. By the end of the opening day however, McRae and co-driver Rob Arthur had taken the lead, a lead they were never to lose. As the event continued down to Waterford and back up to Dublin, local heroes Austin McHale and Bertie Fisher retired while early pacesetter Collins decided to settle for second. 

Malcolm Wilson rounded out the top 3 after a great performance in his naturally aspirated Astra GTE but the event will live long in the memory of rally fans for the spectacular antics of the Finn Pentti Airikkala, who hustled the unwieldy Mitsubishi Starion home in 5th place with an in-car camera in tow.
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This programme will be available to stream below from 7pm on Thursday, September 17th.

Next week’s upload is coverage from the 1985 Cork 20 Rally where Austin McHale was out for revenge following his one-second loss to Billy Coleman earlier in the year in Donegal.
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The RIAC Newsletter for September 2020 is now available online. 

Click on the button below to read all the latest RIAC Club news, developments and updates.

This week’s RIAC - Motorsport Ireland classic video upload is coverage of the 1980 Galway International Rally which originally aired on RTÉ.
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Following a strong European Rally Championship campaign in 1979, Billy Coleman was among the favourites as the 1980 season got underway in Galway. With a specially developed lightweight, wider Ford Escort RS1800 now at his disposal, Coleman headed a strong field which included Roger Clark, Jimmy McRae, Bertie Fisher and Ger Buckley. However, it was the husband and wife team of Mick and Anne O’Connell who made the early running, taking the lead before succumbing to transmission difficulties. Coleman fell away with mechanical woes, and as Bertie Fisher battered the banks and dry-stone walls, it was Jimmy McRae who hit the front in his 2.3 litre Vauxhall Chevette HS. McRae held on to take his first international win, setting up an incredible season which was to also see him win three more Irish international events on his way to winning the 1980 Irish Tarmac Championship.

This programme is available to stream below from 7pm on Thursday, September 10th. 

Next week’s upload will be feature length coverage of the 1988 Circuit of Ireland. Truncated down to a three-day event by the end of the decade, the 1988 Circuit provided an interesting array of early Group A machinery as the field tried to stop Jimmy McRae from winning the event for a sixth time.
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Remember to subscribe to the Motorsport Ireland–RIAC YouTube Channel to be notified of our latest video uploads. 

For the month of September, we are offering RIAC members a choice of premium Portugese and Spanish wine to take home. These wines can be ordered online and will be available for you to collect directly from the Club.

Our staff in the RIAC will even collect your wine and carefully place it in the boot of your car for you on request, while adhering to COVID-19 safety guidelines.  

Douro Reserve, Alice Vieira de Souza, 14%vol. Portugal, 2018 €14.50 (€87 per case of 6) 
Produced with grapes from vines along the Douro Valley, Alice Vieira de Souza is a young, elegant, and fresh red wine, made with Tinta Roriz, Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca and Tinta Barroca all native grape varieties. 

The nose is dominated with rich aromas of fresh fruit, the wine demonstrates freshness and vivacity. This Douro is dry and full-bodied, well balanced, smooth and with a harmonious finish.

Puerta Vieja, Rioja Crianza Selección, 13%vol. Spain, 2018 €14.00 (€84 per case of 6) 
100% Tempranillo. Bright cherry red colour with fresh fruit and liquorice aromas along with pronounced notes of spice and toasty flavours stemming from the new oak. Soft with pleasant and velvety tannins on a nice long finish.  

Further Information
To learn more about these wines, or if you have any queries around placing and collecting an order, please phone us on (01) 677 5141 or email info@riac.ie.

​This week’s RIAC - Motorsport Ireland classic video upload is an RPM motorsport report from the second round of the 1992 Saloon Championship with commentary from Alan Tyndall and Brian Tuite. 

This event took place on a very slippery Mondello Park track which allowed the normally aspirated Peugeot 205s to mix it with the turbocharged Sierra Cosworths.

This programme is available to stream below from 7pm on Thursday, 3rd September.

Next week’s programme is the 1980 Galway International Rally where Jimmy McRae achieved his first International win driving a Chevette.
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Remember to subscribe to the Motorsport Ireland–RIAC YouTube Channel to be notified of our latest video uploads.