Mullingar's Niella helped launch Cannonball Run
A seven-year-old Mullingar girl got close to some exciting cars - and stars – when she was enlisted to help launch Cannonball 2022.
Niella Lynch was on hand on Wednesday last, August 17, as Irish rugby star Dave Kearney and Cannonball founder Alan Bannon got to grips with a Porsche 911 GT3 at Circle K Stillorgan to announce that The HOPE Foundation will be the official charity partner for Cannonball 2022.
The action-packed supercar spectacle, is set to roll on September 9-11 with proceeds to The HOPE Foundation.
Cannonball, fuelled by milesPLUS from Circle K, is the largest organised road trip in Europe and, this year, the event will have the highest ever number of car entries including Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren , Aston Martin Porsche, Rolls Royce Bentley and Maserati.
The event has already raised €1,298,779 for Irish charities. This year’s official charity, The HOPE Foundation, is an Irish charity doing incredible work with the street children of Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) in India. HOPE funds and operates over 60 projects including 11 child protection homes, a hospital, an ambulance, counselling, food and nutrition, education, healthcare and the restoration of childhoods to children.
On Friday September 9, Cannonball will blaze a trail from Malahide in Co Dublin to Co Cork with a fuel stop in Circle K Fermoy and lunch in The Blue Haven Kinsale in Co Cork.
The first finish line overnight stay will be at the Brehon Hotel in Killarney in Kerry.
On Saturday September 10 the convoy will leave Killarney and take a fuel stop at Circle K Ballysimon. and then lunch at The Oslo Bar in Salthill in Galway and onwards to Sligo town for the second finish line and overnight stay.
On Sunday September 11 the start line will be at Rosses Point, Co Sligo and then lunch at Kilronan Castle in Ballyfarnon with a fuel up at Casey’s Circle K in Co Roscommon before a big dramatic final finish line in Trim Co Meath on Sunday September 11 at 6pm.
Spectators will get up close and personal with 200 of the finest cars on the planet and enjoy the unique festival atmosphere that Cannonball is renowned for. The Brazilian Dancers will bring all the glamour of carnival and live DJs, bands and festivals in host towns get the party started. The notorious NYPD, German Polizei, Cannonballers and celebrities in crazy costumes add to the melee. From Spiderman to Star Wars, Cat Woman to Wonder Woman, Batman, the Joker and more, it is a totally unique free family day out. This year, organisers are also calling on spectators to dress up in fancy dress with prizes for best dressed.
Cannonball was founded by Kildare businessman Alan Bannon and the benefit to the host towns for this event is estimated at €2,567,000 per year. Cannonball is fuelled by milesPLUS from Circle K as the main headline sponsor for 2022. The Tour sponsor this year is Apache Pizza and Cannonball official partners include Galway Bay Brewery, Manhattan Popcorn, Bonavox, Karl Goodwin Motors, AB Signs, and BMW Ireland. See cannonball.ie