Tag Archives: cycling

CLARE is the starting point for a monumental cycle challenge undertaken by Deputy Ciaran Cannon in solidarity with Irish cyclists. Two years after being seriously injured in a road collision, the Galway East TD is aiming to complete a 900km journey, through every county, in under 48 hours, all while raising funds for the charity, Hand In Hand. The challenge is personal for Cannon and he hopes to show solidarity with the hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians who are injured on Irish roads every year. “This weekend is the second anniversary of a very traumatic time for me,” Deputy Cannon said. “I was seriously injured in a road traffic collision in 2021 and underwent surgery to my leg. I’m marking this anniversary by setting myself this challenge, perhaps in an act of defiance to show that I’m still capable of cycling, but also in solidarity with the hundreds of cyclists and pedestrians who are seriously injured on our roads every …

A BIKE sharing scheme introduced to Shannon in July is having to be scaled back already due to anti-social behaviour. While it is not being scrapped, it has been suspended while improvements are being made.  “We have had some instances of anti social behaviour so we have temporarily paused the scheme, we’re introducing some new security measures within the app. We’re having younger teenagers accessing the scheme, and we just need to put in some extra security measures so we can verify their age before they sign up. We’re developing that and we hope to reactivate it in the next week to ten days, back to full capacity,” said Jarlath Gantly, CEO of CoMotion, the company that provides the bikes. Shannon has experienced extensive problems with anti-social behaviour in recent years, with numerous complaints made to authorities about vandalism and intimidatory behaviour.  Councillor Donna McGettigan said that many people have been using the bikes, but that the actions of a …

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 …