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Service Crew Accommodation
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Race Headquarters
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County Team Accommodation Form
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60th Edition Of The An Post Rás Sets Demanding ChallengeFor Riders
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| Philip Cassidy, Colm Christle, Sé O'Hanlon, Gene Mangan, An Post Proffessional Sam Bennett, An Post Chief Executive Donal Connell & Mick Murphy Displaying Some Jerseys Of Bygone Years |
GPO,Dublin, 26thJanuary: The 2012 An Post Rás route, the sixtieth anniversary of the race, was announced this morning at the GPO. Laying out a battleground that features 28 categorised climbs, including three of the hardest and best-known ascents in the country, the race looks certain to provide riders with a challenging eight days of racing.
A number of ‘Rás legends’ including ‘Iron Man’ Mick Murphy, four times winner Sé O’Hanlon and the first ever winner of the race, Colm Christle, joined rising Irish star Sam Bennett at the GPO today to celebrate the launch of the 60th edition of the Rás.
Rás organiser Dermot Dignam believes the 2012 An Post Rás is going to be one of the toughest in years.
“It is going to be the most challenging course in recent memory,” said Dignam “This is Stephen’s (cyclist Stephen O’Sullivan) second year to design the route and he has really planned a very hard eight days of racing” More>>>
Dawson's (Rás) Geek Bumper Quiz
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| To Enter : www.anpostras.com |
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Plaque Unveiled To Honour The Achievements Of Local Cyclist
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| Ben McKenna |
IT'S hard to believe that it's 50 years since the late great Ben McKenna won the gruelling cycle race of Ireland, known as the Ràs Tailteann.
The young, 20 year old cyclist from Julianstown had taken part in his first Ràs Tailteann only three years earlier in 1956 and was progressing through the ranks of Irish amateur cycling in the lead up to his greatest achievement over the eight-day race, which began in Dublin on August 2nd 1959 with the first stage of the race passing through Drogheda shortly after 3.20pm on that glorious summers day.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Julianstown man's victory a small gathering of family and friends gathered at Matthews shop at Mosney Cross Julianstown on Saturday last where his wife Grace unveiled a commemorative plaque in honour of her husband's thrilling performance back in 1959.
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The Remarkable Story of Paudie Fitzgerald - Kerry's Ras Tailteann Winner of 1956
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| Paudie Fitzgerald Rás Winner 1956 |
Year after year I never cease to be amazed at the magnificent sporting stories that continually come to light in this county. Just when you say to your self no other story of great achievement will top the last one, along comes another. And the Paudie Fitzgerald story of his incredible winning ride in the Ras Tailteann of fifty years ago equaled anything that I have heard about in the past. The triumph of the human spirit over adversity and set back is here in all is glory. When you consider that his win in this most grueling of all Irish Cycle races was achieved in the so called "hungry fifties" when training facilities, diet, sponsorship and semi-professional were words you read only in the dictionary, then you begin to realize the magnificence of the West Kerry mans victory
Next Tuesday 23rd May the great cavalcade that is the Ras sweeps into Dingle town. It arrives there to commemorate and honour Paudie's historic win in 1956 and no man deserves the honour more. I have said here in this column many times in the past that sporting men and women outside the realm of the GAA find it very difficult to achieve the recognition they so richly deserve. Now this is only a personal opinion. Being a GAA activist myself for over fifty years I make no apologies for saying that the achievements of many great Kerry sportsmen and women are not lauded and applauded as they should in this county while GAA victories in all grades are generally the talk of every town, parish and village. Nevertheless I must add that that is the tradition and history of the county we live in. How many time have you the reader heard about Paudie Fitzgerald. Not often I would bet. More>>>
Coalisland Cyclist Wins "Toughest" Stage In Rás Tailteann 1958
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| The Tyrone 1958 Rás Team Left To Right Paddy Campbell Dungannon, Seamus Devlin Coalisland,Stage Winner 1958, Joe McIvor Dungannon, Stage Winner 1954 Tommy Drumm Dungannon And Ned Devlin Coalisland Trainer. |
Screamed the newspaper headlines in August 1958 after local cyclist Seamus Devlin claimed victory in the toughest stage of the 8-day Rás Tailteann.
Seamus was one of four local men who represented Tyrone in the 1958 Rás Tailteann: the others were, Paddy Campbell, Joe McIvor and Tommy Drumm. Their trainer was also a local man, Ned Devlin. At that time, to ride the Rás was the ultimate achievement for Irish cyclists, without betraying their principles.
The Rás Tailteann was born out of a complex political and sporting context. After the Partition of Ireland in 1922, cycling in Ireland was organised by the NACA (National Athletics and Cycling Association) and later in 1938 by the NCA (National Cycling Association). Neither organisation recognized ‘Partition’ and cycling was organised on a 32-county basis.
In 1947 the BNCU (British National Cyclists’ Union) proposed a motion to the world governing body of cycling – the UCI “that the NCA confine its area of jurisdiction to the 26 counties.” This motion was strongly resisted by the NCA as its acceptance would have amounted to an endorsement of Partition. The British vigorously pursued the motion, and with the support of the block Commonwealth votes, it was passed by the UCI. More>>>
County Team Request Form
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Rás Memories By Barry Meehan 2005
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| Barry Meehan |
Each year during the third week in May several towns in Ireland reverberate to the sound of Paddy Fitzsimons voice encouraging the people of the town to ‘ Give a big Templemore ( or eight other town names each year ) welcome to the Men of The Rás ‘.
‘ The Rás ‘ holds a mythical place in the hearts of all Irish cyclists along with much of the general public . It gets daily TV and radio coverage along with plenty of column inches of print and even has had an excellent book published about it .
So , what does it take for an ordinary cyclist to become ‘ a man of The Rás ?’
Well , two years ago I completed my first Rás and here is my story .
Having raced as a first cat for two years after turning senior I fell away from the sport as do many others at that age when travel and skirts and beer appear out of nowhere . Cycling , however is a bug which never leaves the system , as can be seen by the number of people who return to the sport in their thirties and forties . When we opened the shop in 1999 I would be tuned in every hour on the hour to Roy Willoughby to see how Ray and the lads were getting on , and that pattern continued for a number of years . Also there is a huge amount of ‘cycling chat ‘ each day in the shop . Even though I had competed in some good races I still felt a pang when the ‘Rás’ talk began . It was as if the Rás is what it takes for a boy cyclist to become a man cyclist . It is akin to a soldier who has been to war . No matter how much training or manoeuvres you take part in , it is only when you experience the battle for real that a deeper understanding sets in and you are never the same again . That for me is The Rás . More>>>
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