Organized by Killarney and District Motor Club, the rally has been running since 1979.

[1] Traditionally, it starts in Killarney and runs across County Kerry.

For a number of years it has been the third/fourth round of the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship.

Since 2011 it has been sponsored by vehicle check company Cartell[2] and known as the Cartell.ie Rally of the Lakes.

On 12 March all motorsports events were postponed in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.