High Court dispute over motorsport events calendar meeting resolved

A High Court dispute over the holding of a meeting to set dates for motorsports events in Ireland for 2024/2025 has been resolved.

Earlier this month, the court granted an order restraining the holding of the meeting on July 12th by sport's governing body, the Irish Motorsport Federation, trading as Motorsport Ireland (MI).

The order was granted to County Galway Motor Club CLG, which organises one of the largest and longest running stage/international rallies in Galway every year.

The Galway club claimed MI was interfering with its contractual right, as an affiliated member to MI, by excluding it from participating in the assigning of dates for rallies.

The order was granted on an ex parte, with only the Galway club represented, and the matter was adjourned by Mr Justice Brian O'Moore.

When the case returned before the judge on Tuesday, Hugh McDowell BL, for the Galway club, said the injunction application could be struck out after it had been agreed with the defendant that the meeting could now take place with a draft calendar of dates to provisionally include those dates proposed by Galway Motor Club.

The judge agreed to those orders and said it was a sensible settlement.  Mr McDowell also said his client is to get a contribution to its costs from the defendant.

The meeting to assign dates and prepare calendars for events to take place over 2024/2025 was due to go ahead on Wednesday night, but hours before it was to take place, the judge granted Hugh McDowell BL, for the Galway club, the order following an ex parte application.

The judge agreed to make that order.

Gary Leonard, president of Galway Motor Club, said in an affidavit a dispute initially arose with MI over the holding of a meeting between the Galway club