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Tag Archives: tour de burren

Seán Kelly leading out the cyclists at Ballyvaughan on Saturday.

Cycling with legend Seán Kelly in The Burren

John Galvin WHEN Peter O’Connell’s first action as the new editor of The Clare Champion was to send me to Ballyvaughan to cycle 60km early on a Saturday morning, I feared for our future professional relationship. I don’t do mornings, particularly on bank holiday weekends. There were extenuating circumstances, as this was no ordinary cycle. It was a cycle led off by none other than the legendary Seán Kelly. Suddenly, I was interested. My brothers and I grew up through the era of the twin cycling supernovas. Kelly and Stephen Roche divided the spoils between them seemingly at will through the ’80s. While Roche won the big one, the Tour de France and got to meet Charlie Haughey on the Champs Élysées, in our house, it was the quiet man from Carrick who was the big hero. Although he started with the reputation of just being a sprinter, he became a consummate all-rounder, able to lead a breakaway or power …

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Local economy wheeling in the benefits

THE local economy will get a €300,000 boost this weekend as 2,000 cyclists take part in the An Post Tour de Burren. This is the 11th year of the cycle, which is part of a national series of five cycles that take place from May to September. “It’s all systems go here in Ballyvaughan for this year’s event. The event provides a great boost to the local economy of approximately €300,000 for the weekend. Accommodation in Ballyvaughan and surrounds has been booked for months now,” said joint organiser of the event, Patrick O’Donoghue, of the Burren Cycling Club. Planning for the 2014 An Post Tour de Burren started last October according to John Sweeney of the Clare Sports Partnership. “The initial stages are about meeting with the sponsors and other event organisers and an agreement reached on branding and so on for the 2014 series. Then there is the task of designing the routes and merchandise and then completing risk …

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