The Mac and Norman Vintage Rally is taking place for the 16th year in a row this Sunday 19 August in Brannockstown, Co Kildare.

The rally started out as just a lap of the block with a few vehicles, but has turned into a much bigger charitable event over the years.

“It will be a great day. People do come a fair distance to go to it,” says Norman Egar, who is one half of the rally’s namesake.

The rally is named after Norman and Peter “Mac” Sully, who established the exciting annual event.

“We were the cause of it,” says Egar, who is an agri contractor.

This year

The route for this year will begin in Sully’s yard in Brannockstown, onto Mylerstown and past Two Mile House, down Kilcullen road and finish up in Kilcullen.

It will begin at 1pm and finish at 3pm. Registration will begin at 11.30am on Sunday, but Egar reckons “people will be registering until 1pm”.

The crowd will be heading to a pub nearby afterwards and there will be live music, refreshments and a charity auction.

“It will be a full day event, with a band before the auction and another one again later that evening.”

There were 320 vehicles involved last year, including 60-70 trucks, so this is not just for your vintage tractor. Everything from motorbikes, cars, lorries and tractors from 1920 up to the present day will be there. The registration fee is €20.

The event is organised by Anne Sully and Dermot Fitzgerald mainly. They usually begin planning in January, so this is no small event.

The rally is typically held on the third Sunday of August each year.

It has always been in aid of the Irish Cancer Society and they have raised an astounding €435,000 for the charity over the years.

Egar would recommend the rally for “anybody, basically”.

“It only costs 20 quid and the engagement throughout the day is great,” he adds.

“There is never a figure put out as a target. If we raise €1, it’s a bonus and you go from there,” says Egar.

For further information on the rally, contact Anne Sully on 045-483700 or Dermot Fitzgerald on 086-6059898.