This Saturday September 9 at noon, Cannonball returns to The Galway Plaza at Junction 16, Kiltullagh, where spectators can get up close and personal with 190 of the finest cars on the planet and enjoy the unique festival atmosphere that Cannonball is renowned for.
Cannonball, the action-packed supercar spectacle is set to roll once again this week with over 160,000 people expected to line the streets all over Ireland. Galway was a firm favourite of Cannonball-ers in 2016 and is now back by popular demand in 2017. Now in its ninth year, Cannonball has raised almost €900,000 for Irish charities and this year, proceeds will go to Make-a-Wish Ireland. Top mark cars including McLaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Porsche, Masseratti, Rolls Royce and Bentley will blaze a trail through Dublin, Kinsale, Limerick, The Galway Plaza, the Charlestown Service Station, Sligo, Mullingar, the Barack Obama Plaza in Moneygall Co Offaly with a dramatic finish line in Kilkenny. The Cannonball will be arriving at The Galway Plaza at 12pm.
The gleaming convoy of 190 supercars and novelty cars worth an estimated €32million will drive through almost 1000 kilometers of Irish open roads. 40% of Cannonball entries come from outside of Ireland and this year an exciting team with 10 supercars are coming in from Dubai.
Each start and finish line at each host town is infused with an electric atmosphere featuring Las Vegas Show Girls, live music, DJs, Audionetworks Transformers and Robots, family fun, the Cannonball Grid Girls, The Monster Energy JAM Truck, local entertainers and dignitaries, Cannonball official merchandise and, of course, the unmistakable roar of 190 supercars. Proceeds from the event this year will go to Make a Wish Ireland, a children’s charity that grants magical wishes to children between the ages of 3 - 17 years with life-threatening medical conditions.
Cannonball has always had a star-studded celebrity following including former Miss World Rosanna Davison and husband Wes Quirke, Models Hazel O Sullivan, Emma Quinlan, Holly Carpenter, Roz Purcell and many more. Bruno Mars even showed up one year to join Shane Lynch for a quick pit stop in Cork. Ryan Tubridy, Eoghan McDermott, Glenda Gilson, Nicky Byrne, soap stars Ryan and Adam Thomas, Miriam O Callaghan, An Taoiseach and former President Mary Robinson have all dropped the famous chequered flag.
Supermac’s MD and owner of The Galway Plaza, Pat McDonagh, said he was delighted that the Cannonball was returning to The Galway Plaza.
“Cannonball was a tremendous success at The Galway Plaza last year and we all had a great time,” he said. “The Cannonball brings a unique atmosphere wherever it goes and The Galway Plaza is the perfect fit for this charity.
Cannonball is the brainchild of Kildare businessman and AB Signs proprietor, Alan Bannon and the benefit to the Irish economy of this event is estimated at €2,567,000 per year. With two national awards and four nominations this year, this Supercar event shows no signs of slowing down and is now gearing up for the US in October and Japan in 2019.
“The team is constantly innovating, the event is going from strength to strength and now with Japan and the US on the horizon and plans to license the event all over the world, we are excited about the future. The Irish event in September is always the big highlight and I would like to thank our new headline sponsors and partners. I look forward to welcoming the Dubai team and all of our Cannonballers from Ireland, UK, Japan, the US and the EU. ” said Cannonball Founder and Kildare AB Signs Businessman Alan Bannon
Hone, the revolutionary new renewable energy provider, is the Cannonball main headline Sponsor for 2017. Also headlining is Ireland’s leading event entertainment agency; Audionetworks. Cannonball official partners include Manhattan Popcorn, Advance Security, Krystle, Top Oil, Asystec, Mellett Electrical, Supermacs, Autokey, Karl Goodwin Motors, AB Signs and StitchMagic.
See www.Cannonball.ie for further details, routes and events.
