2025 “Déjà Vu” rallying event presents donation for palliative care supports at Dungarvan Community Hospital

A donation of €31,739.71, part of the proceeds of a high profile fund-raising event and intended for additional comforts for its patients in palliative care, has been welcomed by its recipient Dungarvan Community Hospital.

Over the weekend of 10-12th of October this year, Co. Waterford was the venue for the 2025 “Déjà Vu” car rallying festival. Featuring 145 classic and historic rally cars, the event was the 12th consecutive Irish rallying sport reunion organised by RPM Déjà Motorsport Ltd. As a group of volunteers, they have now raised over €400,000 for local charities and causes in various parts of Ireland through fund-raising carried out in association with the annual festival.

The centrepiece of the 2025 “Déjà Vu” event was “the car rally that wasn’t a car rally!”, taking in locations across Co. Waterford on Saturday 11th of October.

Staff, in association with their supporters in the Friends of Dungarvan Community Hospital group, worked on the organisation of the “Déjà Vu” festival, both in the preparations leading up to it and over the weekend of its staging locally.

Speaking at the presentation of the donation from RPM Déjà Motorsport at the Park Hotel recently, Paula French (Director of Nursing, Dungarvan Community Hospital, HSE Dublin and South East) said:

“From the moment ourselves on site and the Friends of Dungarvan Community Hospital group were approached about the ‘Déjà Vu’ event coming to Co. Waterford this autumn, we have been delighted to help in ensuring its success. We were very honoured to feature as a beneficiary of the charity auction at the gala dinner held on the Saturday evening 11th October in the Park Hotel.”

“The ‘Déjà Vu’ event brought great colour to the county that weekend and we are delighted, that additional comforts for those in the level 2 palliative care beds we provide in the Vincent’s Unit at the hospital were identified to benefit from the funds raised this year.”

“Dungarvan Community Hospital has an excellent reputation as a care facility and the team here are deeply appreciative of the support we get from families of our residents and the wider community around us. The Friends of Dungarvan Community Hospital, with whom we work very closely, are a fantastic help through their wide range of fundraising activities that enable us to have additional supports and resources for what we do.”

“We are very thankful to RPM Déjà Motorsport and everyone involved in the organisation of the festival for their focus in this year’s event on the part of our hospital in which we provide care for those facing life-limiting or life-threating illnesses.”

While ‘Deja Vu’ 2025 featured an “arch” (through which cars pass upon starting or finishing a race) in Dungarvan, a race commentator, a rally road-book covering a 150 mile route (inclusive of the Copper Coast, Tramore, Dunmore East, Mount Congreve and the Mahon Falls), there were no stopwatches in use for what was a non-competitive run. It allowed beautifully prepared classic cars and their crews to navigate the historic Waterford Circuit of Ireland stages from the 1980s in a moving celebration of Irish motorsport history.

The weekend got under way on Friday 10th of October with registration and a welcome reception in Dungarvan. Following the run on the next day, a gala dinner followed on Saturday evening in Dungarvan’s Park Hotel. It featured entertainment, interviews, videos and the charity auction. Sunday morning 12th of October rounded off the festival with a farewell “Cars and Coffee” event on the Square in Dungarvan.

Among the entries for 2025’s “Déjà Vu” in Co. Waterford were many drivers from the South East. They included Marie Moloney of Dungarvan and her co-driver Catherine Tracey. Marie drove the Opel Marque car that made them famous during her career in the 1980s. Together with Catherine, Moloney won multiple Tarmac Championship classes and three Irish Ladies Championships, competing across seven Circuits of Ireland and also represented Ireland internationally.

In addition to additional comforts for palliative care at Dungarvan Community Hospital, ‘Déjà Vu’ 2005 also benefited the Craig Breen Foundation. In memory of Waterford’s world rallying star who tragically lost his life in a testing accident prior to the Croatian Rally in 2023, the Craig Breen foundation helps young Irish rally drivers.