Popular motorcycle road race will not return to Limerick village in 2023
THERE will be no return for the Athea Road Race in 2023 due to mounting insurance premiums.
The South West Road Racing Club had hoped to run the first motorcycle event in over ten years on the August Bank Holiday weekend.
But now plans have come to a sudden stop.
Councillor John Sheahan of Newcastle West district has highlighted how rising insurance premiums have hindered motorcycling events.
Deputy Sheahan added that in previous years, premiums were upwards of €200,000 per annum, a figure which is already “unaffordable to clubs”.
With the financial risks associated with organising races now near impossible to maintain, event organisers are left with no choice but to cancel or significantly scale back their plans.
Cllr Sheahan notes that this sudden void in the sporting calendar could deter visitors, leading to a decline in tourism and subsequent economic repercussions for Athea and its surrounding areas.
Working with Patrick O'Donovan TD, Eamon Walsh of the motorcycle road race club, and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD, Cllr Sheahan states that in order to try and bring costs down, they are trying to bring racing groups together in “like-minded sports” to “spread the load” in relation to risk.
Eamon Walsh, added to this saying that after the pandemic, the people of Athea “were mad looking forward to getting the crowds back in again”.
“This could have brought in 20,000 people over a weekend,” he stated.
Eamon added that for the west Limerick and north Kerry area it would have always been good for the local economy.
Feeling hopeful for 2024, Eamon adds that “unfortunately it won't happen this year”.
“We are hoping for next year, but again it depends on insurance,” he stated.
The popular motorcycle road races took place in Athea between 2002 and 2009. The event did not run in 2010 due to financial reasons but was back on the calendar in 2011 and it was hoped to resurrect the event again in 2023 until the rising insurance premiums struck.