There is a serious treat in store for car enthusiasts in Mayo.
A gleaming convoy of 160 of the world’s most powerful cars, including Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Aston Martins, Porsches and Masserattis, will be roaring through the county on Saturday, September 13, and stopping off at the Quay in Ballina for a few hours.
It was announced this week that Cannonball, the largest organised road trip in Europe, has scheduled the Moyside stopover for the first time.
The display of supercars is expected to attract some 5,000 visitors to the town on the day.
There is also an added attraction for fans of Coronation Street as Ryan Thomas, known to most as the cheeky but handsome mechanic Jason Grimshaw, is taking part in Cannonball in his own supercar. He will be joining the festivities at the Quay in Ballina on the day.
Cannonball, now in its sixth year, starts in Dublin on Friday, September 12, and will cover 850 kilometres of open road during its three-day tour of the country. The event is expected to bring a €2.5 million boost to the economy nationally.
Derek Leonard is the PRO of the Ballina Cannonball committee. He said securing the stopover in Ballina is a real coup.
“We hope to build on this and secure an overnight stopover in 2016, which attracts about 25,000 visitors,” he outlined.
Mr Leonard said the cars will arrive at 12.30 pm on the day and stay until 3.30 pm. The cars will be parked in a sparkling display, stretching for almost a mile as far as the Ice House, showcasing some of the sleekest and best engineerng in the world.
“This will be a spectacle...a very impressive sight,” he assured.
Proceeds from this year’s Cannonball go to the Make A Wish Foundation.
