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Rás Over The Years By Tom Daly The Rás: a Summary The Rás is unique in many respects, sporting and otherwise. It originated in the 1950s within a complex political and social milieu and its development was closely bound up with, and mirrored, Ireland's political, social and sporting development. Cycling in Ireland was split into various bodies which mirrored the wider ideological divisions within the island of Ireland and the conflict, which concluded in a military sense at the end of the Civil War, continued within cycling. Conceived by an active republican and his followers, the Rás Tailteann became the symbolic flagship of the nationalist element of that division. Associated with the characteristics of the ancient Tailteann Games and the Fianna, it was intended as an expression of Irish culture and nationhood. Its followers were not recognised by the world governing body of cycling because they refused to confine their area of jurisdiction to the 26 counties, were banned from international competition and ineligible for participation in events such as the Olympics and World Championships. The stars of the Rás, therefore, became both champions of and, in some cases also, victims of, this wider ideological struggle within Ireland. They became warrior symbols and sporting martyrs while, at the same time, achieved enormous public profiles through the massive popularity of the event. The later resolution of this conflict in Irish cycling, in which Rás characters played a central part, bore striking similarities to the later peace process of trying to resolve the wider conflict that spawned the problem in cycling in the first place. The Rás continued to have an important conciliatory role. Its earlier years reflect a sporting and social landscape which is now no longer present and the essence and spirit of the Rás, its historical, social, sporting and political significance, have never been adequately captured or recorded. The story begins with a serious split in Irish cycling that occurred in the late 1940s. Examined in a broader context, this was part of the new world order being implemented following the outcome of the Second World War and, with the prompting of the British cycling body, a division was imposed on cycling administration in Ireland by the world cycling body. It was ruled that Irish cycling administration and representation had to coincide with the political boundaries in the island. The greater body of cyclists resisted this “partitionists” dictate and consequently became isolated internationally. A minority conceded and could therefore represent ‘Éire’ internationally, leading to a passionate and bitter struggle within Irish cycling. Coinciding with this development, a number of leading IRA figures were prominent cyclists during the regenerationn of the IRA following its repression during the Second World War. Thus, the cycling issue became a republican cause célèbre. Also, there was a growing interest in road-racing with increasing awareness of events such as the Tour de France. Within this context, a number of visionary and idealistic figures forced the Rás Tailteann idea through a staid and conservative cycling bureaucracy. In concept, it would be an Irish version of the Tour de France but with an added dimension - a high profile, national race which, through its scale and prestige, would compensate for the lack of an international outlet and would express sporting, cultural and nationalistic ideals, as seen through its association with the Fianna and the ancient Tailteann Games. The consummate adaptation of a bike race, based on these principles, to the social, political and cultural context of the Ireland of its day, created an immediate and enormous success with the Rás becoming a major national sporting institution within a few short years. Because of its ideological significance, the Rás, and the actions of figures within it, led to many dramatic stories and incidents, associated with both athletic competitiveness and the wider ideological struggle. For example, Rás figures played a central role in the noted IRA raids on Gough and Omagh army barracks in 1956. The same year, in an incident possibly orchestrated in the lead-up to the Border Campaign, the Rás was attacked by the RUC and a unionist crowd in a fight over the flying of the tricolour at the head of the race. Leading Rás figures also carried their grievances abroad, attempting to ride as “Irish” teams at major world events. This, for example, led to a fight in front of the Pope at the 1955 World Championships in Italy, an attempt to extinguish the Olympic Flame at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 and an official Irish competitor being pulled from his bike by a protesting Irish competitor during the 1972 Olympics in Munich. Within these broader issues, the Rás was full of rich personal stories. The legendary and enigmatic ‘Iron Man’, for example, a relatively unknown spailpín who trained secretly for the 1958 Rás Tailtean, won it in the most extraordinary of fashions, and soon disappeared with the mass of labouring migrants that left for England. There were sporting heroes of enormous national significance – Gene Mangan and Shay O’Hanlon, for example, both of whom attempted clandestine careers in France but were sought out, excluded, and had to return home and try and find sporting expression and fulfillment, with the Rás being their major stage. Others defected, leading to much acrimony and personal bitterness. Another interesting feature of these years were the links forged between the Rás and other internationally disaffected cycling bodies, mainly from behind the Iron Curtain. This, in the ’60s, led to the great phenomenon of ‘communist’ teams arriving to Ireland. The healing of those divisions within Irish cycling, beginning in the early 1970s, is intriguing because the process was closely mirrored in the subsequent wider peace process; one-time young radicals, evolving in their thinking, becoming risk-takers and taking over control from the hard-liners. Then followed the delicate process of reconciliation and unification, with the inevitable dissidents on all sides. Again, the Rás was central and became an instrument of reconciliation rather than an icon of one particular ideology. Following this unification, there followed, in the ’80s, the golden era of modern Irish cycling – the Kelly / Roche era and the emergence in the Rás of cycling dynasties such as the McQuaids, McCormacks, McCanns and Kimmages. And Stephen Roche’s joking refusal, when he won the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and World Championship in the one year, to recognise parity with the great Eddie Merckx, because Mercks had never won the Rás! In the new millenium, the development of the Rás continued to parallel the progress of the nation and it entered the elite international calendar of bike racing. Following its fiftieth anniversary this year, the main issues facing the Rás are part of wider questions relating to the developing of sport in general. Can it maintain its traditions and principles, and serve the ordinarily Irish rider as it did in the past, while at the same time progressing as an international event with all the attendant commercial and other pressures? This story of the Rás - of its time, its people and the wider political, social and sporting issues that surrounded it - has never been documented before. It is timely that it should happen now with the fiftieth Rás just having passed. In short, the Rás remains one of the great untold stories of Irish life.
On Wednesday 5 November at 6pm, The Rás – The Story of Ireland’s Unique Bike Race by Tom Daly was launched by Paul Kimmage, former professional cyclist and Rás man, at The Outback Bar, Parnell Street, Dublin 1. There was also an exhibition of Rás memorabilia. Photos by Peter Purfield.... THE RÁS: If ever a sport mirrored Ireland’s divisions cycling does. September 1953, 52 riders at the GPO in Dublin, a wet Saturday afternoon. As they took to the roads the concept of a national Irish bike race became a reality. The Rás quickly became an enormous success. Today over 200 contestants, some professional, from many countries, compete. It is characterised by unconventional practice, spontaneity, grittiness and fierceness of competition. This book captures the spirit and essence of the Rás, its historical significance and place in Irish sporting history. This book is full of rich personal stories of sacrifice, hardship and epic achievement. Unforgettable are the training methods and diet of Mick Murphy, Kerry’s ‘Iron Man’ in the late 1950s. Early stars, such as Gene Mangan and Shay O’Hanlon, became sporting champions but victims of the wider political situation. The eventual reunification of Irish cycling in the 1970s saw the Rás graced by a new generation of Irish cyclists: the McQuaids, McCormacks, Kimmages and Stephen Roche. It is now part of cycling’s calendar of elite international events. The main statistical details – winners, stage winners, yellow jersey holders, etc. – are in detailed appendices compiled by Shay O’Hanlon. TOM DALY has had a long interest in sport, beginning with Kerry minor footballers in 1970. In 1979 he completed the first solo circumnavigation of Ireland by kayak. While he had always cycled he did not race until he was 42 and won an All-Ireland veteran’s team medal in his first race. Intrigued by the complexity of racing and the romantic spirit of the Rás, he set about documenting its history. Little did he realise the scale of the task or richness of the story.
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THE RÁS – THE STORY OF IRELAND’S UNIQUE BIKE RACE