Tag Archives: cycling

Burren Cycling Club is set to compete in the Rás Tailteann for the first time in the club’s history. This will be the first time a team from the county has entered the Rás since 1991. Team Clare entered in 1989, 1990 and 1991 with Burren CC set to compete in this year’s hosting of the prestigious race. The club have entered a strong team. Mark Shannon, who won this year’s Crotty Cup is selected as the Bellharbour man is currently the highest ranked rider on Cycling Ireland’s ranking tables. Clooney’s Danny MacDonald is also included as he looks to build on his strong early season form after lifting the Lacey Cup. Richard Meaney brings experience having previously competed in the Rás as the former Connacht champion is a breakaway specialist. Simon Kelly also possesses useful experience of competing in this gruelling event while Paul Kennedy is a Masters 40 National Time Trial Champion & winner of a Rás Mumhan …

CYCLING enthusiast Joe Noonan leads a group of cyclists on Wednesdays mornings from the Old Lodge, as they head out to Quin and back. The cycles go at 10am and Joe says he wants to give people the chance to share his passion for cycling. “It’s going well, usually there’d be six or seven people. It’s open to everyone over 18. “I took up cycling as a hobby in 2010, I didn’t really have a hobby before then, I’d have played hurling when I was younger but I had stopped playing sport. “I bought a bike through work and joined a cycling club, the Clare Crusaders in Ennis, a guy called Ollie Hayes helped to get me into it, and he was kind of doing what I’m doing now.” He is delighted to be helping people to get more exercise and to develop their fitness. “I was looking online and I saw there was a course you can do. I …

SAINT Flannan’s College is hoping to get the green light to reopen a former pedestrian entrance as part of efforts to encourage walking and cycling. A study carried out on behalf of the school has shown that no staff that were surveyed and just 17% of surveyed students chose those modes of transport to travel to school. The board of management at the secondary school has applied to Clare County Council for planning permission to reopen the entrance on the boundary wall to the Clare Road, as well as erecting a barrier and gate. The school, with a student population of 1,181 with 100 staff, currently has one vehicular access on College View Road and two existing pedestrian access points. According to documents lodged with the application, preliminary meetings have taken place between St Flannan’s College, consulting engineers Punch and Clare County Council with an agreement in place to construct a controlled crossing point adjacent to the proposed pedestrian entrance …

GARDAÍ in Clare have issued a renewed appeal for witnesses to a road traffic collision in which a cyclist was injured. The incident occurred just over one month ago in Ennis, on Tuesday, June 8, at Clare Road. A female cyclist reported that while she was cycling inbound on the Clare road towards Ennis town she collided with a vehicle while travelling around a roundabout. The vehicle, an older model gold coloured Volkswagen Passat, pulled in front of her exiting the roundabout causing the collision. The Passat was travelling towards the Hawthorns Estate from the Clare road. The cyclist suffered minor injuries. The incident occurred on Tuesday, June 8 at Clare Road, Ennis and gardaí are asking anybody with information to contact Ennis Garda Station at 065 6848100.

MEMBERS of the Clare Ladies Cycling Club are attempting to cycle a combined total of 50,000km over the summer, to raise funds for Sláinte an Chláir. “We did a couch to 50k, just before Easter. The idea was that everyone would be back on the bike for the summer. I suppose it was like a prequel to what we’re doing with Sláinte an Chláir, we’re hoping to cycle 50,000km between us over 16 weeks and to raise funds,” said chairperson Eilis Neville. “Forty-five of us have signed up for it out of a club of 91, which is pretty good going,” Eilis added. Members cycle in small groups twice a week, and there are a couple of women abroad who are helping to get the kilometres up. “On a Wednesday night we would cycle a max of 40km, we leave Ennis around 6.45. On a Sunday we offer three routes, a short route of around 40km, a middling route of …

Plans to realise Shannon’s full potential as a cycling-friendly town being developed in partnership A PLAN for Shannon to potentially become the country’s most cycling friendly town is currently being developed, and Senator Róisín Garvey visited last week to help complete a cycling audit of the area. The Love Shannon Community Council, the Leisure Centre, the local cycling club, Shannon scouts and pupils from St Caimin’s were all involved in last week’s initiative. Niamh O’Callaghan of Love Shannon Community Council said efforts to improve local cycling facilities have been ongoing for a couple of months. “It all started from an Active Clare zoom call which Róisín Garvey organised with the Transport Minister a few months ago. Then myself and John Drysdale from the Scouts had a follow up Zoom with Róisín and then we started a cycling campaign, where we sent emails and posters to all the schools and to the Chamber and we asked them to circulate those to …

A CALL has come from the new Cathaoirleach of the West Clare Municipal District for local and secondary roads to be given back to local communities to provide safe places for people to cycle between local towns and villages. Councillor Joe Garrihy told the June meeting of the district that, during lockdown, record numbers of people had been able to safely walk and cycle and get to know their localities. “I saw people of every age out cycling,” he said. “My 14 year-old son learned how to cycle on roads he wouldn’t have been able to travel previously. We are all aware of how dangerous North Clare roads can be. Lately, people have been able to cycle and walk in a safe manner. We also have a vast number of roads in the district which poses a challenge in terms of maintenance.” Reacting to a council response outlining the complexity of making his motion a reality, Councillor Garrihy said he …

Funding of €182,000 recently allocated by Minister Shane Ross will extend the EuroVelo cycling route into County Clare. EuroVelo 1 stretches from Norway to Portugal via Ireland and targets long-distance cyclists but also provides routes for users of all abilities as the criteria for inclusion specify lower-trafficked roads as well as Greenways. The route forms part of a network of 17 long-distance cycle routes throughout Europe and it enters County Clare via counties Galway and Limerick. The route in Clare is approximately 317km long and comprises six daily sections, that is sections which typically can be cycled in one day. In some parts the route ties into cycle routes already in operation, for example, the Doolin and Loop Head cycle routes. The roll out of the route will include the provision of EuroVelo signage, bike repair stands, information boards and cycle racks. Carmel Kirby, Director of Physical Development, Clare County Council, said: “This project will be a stimulus for economic …