Proud Laois vintage club to host national rally

A LAOIS vintage club has been selected to host a major national rally, which will bring visitors from all over Ireland next year.

Raheen Vintage Club will host the renowned Irish Vintage Engine & Tractor Association (IVETA) National Rally on Sunday, 11 July 2027, in what is a huge accolade for the busy club.

A delighted Raheen Vintage Club committee said on social media: ‘It is a fantastic honour for our club to be given the opportunity to host such a prestigious event and one that we are very proud to take on.

‘Following the success of our show in 2026, we are really looking forward to building on that and making the 2027 IVETA National Rally an event to remember.’ 

IVETA invited club committee members to the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore last week, where the announcement was made to loud applause.

The Raheen club, which hosts a legendary annual rally in Corbally, Abbeyleix in July, said that its national selection would not have been possible without the hard work and commitment of its committee, club members, families, friends and supporters.

The committee, which is led by chairperson Chris Goode, said: ‘It’s the way everyone comes together and gets behind the club that makes events like this possible.

‘A huge thank you to IVETA for welcoming us to the National Ploughing Championships for the launch and for all their help and support over the past number of weeks. We look forward to working closely with them over the coming months, as preparations get underway.’ 

They added: ‘A very exciting year lies ahead for Raheen Vintage Club. Save the date – exciting times ahead!’ 

Formed in 1979, the Irish Vintage Engine & Tractor Association was started by a small group of enthusiasts and has grown to over 8,000 members, celebrating and promoting all kinds of vintage vehicles and machinery.