History of Ardee Cycling Club

2010

• Introduction

  The town of Ardee has had cycling club origins dating back to 1895. As shown in the picture below, the attire worn and less so with the bikes are very different compared to The bikes back then were known as "safety bikes" due to the greater stability offered compared to the Penny Farthing and bone shaker bikes. This included various events that the members had. One 1895 cyclist wrote: 'No outdoor pastime can be more independently pursued.'
• An official club in Ardee was formed in the mid-80s named Blazing Saddles for the over 50s. This was one of the first clubs set up in Ireland. Club members took part in various cycles including the Mara cycle from Belfast to Dublin. The modern day incarnation of Ardee Cycling Club colours originated from Blazing Saddles member, Johnny Martin, who was the owner of Wheels & Heels cycle shop. He wore blue shorts and a yellow shirt. Blazing Saddles existed for 15 years.
• Ardee did not have a cycling club again until mid-2010 when Ardee Cycling Club was formed. Cycling and in particular leisure cycling, was becoming increasingly popular as more clubs were beginning to be formed in Ireland and existing clubs saw a swell in membership. The Dundalk based Cuchulainn Cycling Club saw in the early 2000's, fewer than 10 members to over 350 members 10 years later.
• One of the possible reasons mooted for the big increase in cycling was the bike to work scheme introduced by the then Government. This saw members of the public being able to save up to €1,000 in purchasing a bike or bike equipment. Furthermore, the recession in Ireland was also seen as a contributing factor as many people swapped golf membership for a bike as it was seen as less expensive. Finally, the cost of getting insurance with cycling Ireland for a leisure cyclist was relatively cheap at around €20. As of 2018, there are over 450 cycling clubs in Ireland
• The idea of Ardee Cycling Club was first mooted by Yvonne Reilly and bike shop owner Eamon Martin of Wheels & Heels in Ardee. The exact date of when the club was officially set up by cycling Ireland is unknown as no details were recorded at the time.
• It was decided that the club would maintain the colours of Blazing Saddles of blue and yellow. The clubs main aim was to get people out cycling whether it was leisure or advanced cycling. It was also decided that club cycles would take place on Sunday's at 10.00 initially. As the weather got better cycles would also take place at 6:30pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings during the week.

2011

• General Club Cycling

  As the club continued to grow, it was decided that two cycling groups were required. What developed were a social/leisure group and elite/advanced group. This was required as several club members wanted to ride longer distances and increase their speed average, while the leisure group would be taken at a gentler pace. A touring group was also mooted ad to be considered in the future.
• On the 25th October 2011 the club held its A.G.M. in Ardee Parish Centre. The subscription fee to join the club was €30. This subscription included €15 club fee and €15 for the Cycling Ireland insurance that is mandatory for all club members whose club is affiliated with Cycling Ireland

• First Charity Cycle

  On the 1st August 2011 the club held its first charity cycle. As cycling was becoming increasingly popular, more charity and club sportives’ were being held around the country. The club decided that whatever funds were raised would go to the Irish Wheelchair Sports Programme. The entry fee to participate in the charity cycle was set at a very reasonable €15 and €25 per couple. The cycle was held in St. Johns Street at the Irish Wheelchair Association (I.W.A.) Ardee headquarters. On the day, the club raised €1,000 for I.W.A. In its first year, a highly respectable 84 cyclists of varying degrees of experience turned up for the cycle.

• Promotional Day

  A.C.C. held a promotional day to help generate funding for the club. On 30th April 2011, the club raised 500 euro raised at Supervalu Ardee by way of a Spinathon. Many of the club’s members took it in turns to on the spinning bikes. It was a seen as a great success as the club had only been in existence for a year and a half.

• Social Media - Facebook

  The club again decided to expand its presence online and like many other cycling clubs. A Facebook account was set up on 27th February 2011. The Facebook account would highlight to anyone interested in joining the club the when cycles are taking place, any updates on change in times and what's happening in the club. The first ever post on the account was a picture of the name "Ardee Cycling Club" on a t-shirt. Laura Reilly was in charge of updating the Facebook and uploading photos of the club's cycles and any other news that was happening in the cycling world.

• Opening of Credit Union Account

  On the 29th March 2011, the club opened a credit union account in order to withdraw and deposit funds. This was considered a far safer place to hold club money. The first ever transaction came in the form of a lodgement in relation to sponsorship. This funding is to be used to promote club activity.

• Club Clothing

  In July 2011 the club had its first official kit designed and ordered from cycle clothing manufacturer, Velotec. There was approximately 20 jerseys were ordered for club members. The club choose the main colours of blue and yellow with several white stripes along the jersey. The club colours were based on the original set of the Ardee based cycling club "Blazing Saddles" back in the mid-eighties and nineties.

2012

• Triple Charity Cycle

  On the 6th August 2012, the club held their annual 50km and 100km charity cycle for the Order of Malta, Ardee Irish Wheelchair Sports Programme and St. Vincent De Paul. This was dubbed the Triple Charity Cycle. 131 cyclists turned out for the charity cycle which was an increase of over 50 cyclists from the prior year (84 last year). The cycle consisted of a tough 50km cycle with 70 cyclists headed of and 100km cycle that took on the Long Woman's Grave which had 61 cyclists take part. The club raised €1,566 for the charities.

• First Club Trip

  The club went on its first club cycle trip to Carlingford Co.Louth between the 21st and 22nd July 2012. From members who attended the trip described it as great fun (See picture left) and another trip should be organised again very soon. More club cyclists started taking parts in cycles across the region. Cycling events were becoming increasingly popular with more leisure events being added to the cycling calendar. Several members completed the Meath Heritage 160km cycle. Other events included the Tour of Louth.

• Best Paddys Day Float

  Due to the strong club participation and effort put into the Ardee St. Patricks Day Parade, the club won the best float award. The club received a €100 cash prize for its efforts

• National Bike Week

  For Bike Week 2012 Ardee Cycling Club organised a leisure cycle at the Fairgreen, Ardee. On the 18th June 2012 club member Ollie Arthur lead a group of 30 cyclists around the bog of Ardee. The cyclists left at 7pm for a leisurely cycle of 20km. The weather was dry and cool which made the cycle even more enjoyable. Another leisure cycle was held on Thursday 20th June 2012 and left the Fairgreen, Ardee at 7pm. Another group turned up on the evening and enjoyed the cycle from Ardee to Kilsaran and Stabannon.
• On Sunday 24th June at 10am, 70 cyclists turned up at the Fairgreen and set off on a 'Mystery Tour Cycle' organised by club member Laura Reilly. After a 40km cycle the group returned to the Fairgreen. This cycle rolled into a funday at 2pm. Over 100 people showed up on the afternoon. Bouncy Castles and face paints were popular with the children while everyone enjoyed an ice-cream slider from Laura Reilly who was selling them from Down Syndrome Ireland and raised €213.60.

• Charity Spinathon

  On Saturday April 6th 2012 the club organised a Spinathon in Supervalu Ardee. The club was raising funds for Ardee Hospice Homecare. Club members took it in turns on stationary bikes usually taking on one or two hours on the stationary bikes. The event was based over eight hours. The Spinathon was seen as a great success, the event raised €2,030 for the charity. Due to the success of the Spinathon, the club would consider doing another one in the next year.

• Club Racing Achievements

• Tomas McCabe
• Cuchulainn League - 2nd Place
• Louth Hill Climb - Silver Medal

2013

• Club Sponsorship

  It was decided the club needed to raise additional funding for club activities. It was decided by the committee to acquire a three year sponsorship for the club jersey kit between 2013 and 2015. The club approached the following businesses such as Callaghans Butchers, Wheels & Heels, Ferdia Arms & Upstairs Restaurant, Sean Kerr Providers and Arthurs Garden Nurseries. All the above businesses agreed to sponsor the club. This was a general trend for small cycling clubs to raise additional funds to put sponsors on their cycle kit. Larger clubs with a bigger membership base or higher subscription price would not require sponsorship on their club kit. Once agreed with the sponsors, there was a presentation night with the new kit. The sponsorship was greatly appreciated by all within the committee and club members as it allowed the funding of activities that the club struggled to achieve.

• Club Progress

  On the 30th May 2013 and the 5th June 2013, Valerie Campion gave free Basic and level 1 Cycling Ireland Coaching to the club. At the time, this was seen as very beneficial as the club had only been in existence for a short period of time and didnt have a lot of experience in large group cycling. The coaching included how to call out any obstacles on the road such as potholes. Furthermore Valerie also demonstrated how to do rotation cycling in a large group on the Carrickmacross road.

• St. Patricks Day Parade

  The club participated again in the Ardee St. Patrick's Day Parade. The theme decided for this year was to have all forms of cycling and for the second year in a row won the best novelty float. The club received a cheque for €100 for the effort put into the Parade. As mentioned above, the theme for the year was to display the different varieties of cycling throughout the years to the present day in the club. The parade was also used as a promotional aspect to boost the profile of the club within the town in a bid to obtain new members within the club. As shown in the picture below, Catherine Clarke was front and center with her "High Nelly" bike and traditional clothing.

• National Bike Week

  A.C.C. organised a number of events during bike week. Lauren and Yvonne Reilly organised bike week cycles and a mystery tour route by Cathal McCormack.
• On Wednesday 19th June 2013 the club had organised a 25km leisure cycle for non-members of the club. The next night Cycling Ireland coach Valerie Campion provided coaching on bike maintenance and how to take part in a group cycle.
• On Sunday the June 23rd 2013 at Ardee Parish Centre, a mystery tour cycle at 10am was organised for bike week. Refreshments were also included after the cycle. Club member Lauren Reilly also organised face painting, nail art, tattoos, bouncy castles, music. Goody bags were also given out. The event also included a cycle obstacle course set up by Valerie Campion. Despite the weather not being very good the event was seen as a success.

• Charity Spinathon

  On the 6th April 2013, Ardee Cycling Club held a charity spinathon in Ardee SuperValu supermarket, in order to raise funds for Ardee Hospice Homecare. Ardee Cycle Club members, Eamon, Alex, Tommy, Catherine, David, Kim, Bogna, Kenneth, Ollie, Alan, Anne, Benny, Cathal, Mark and Sean took hourly cycling sessions on 2 stationary exercise bikes in SuperValu foyer. This was executed throughout the day with no breaks in between. The total amount raised on the day for Ardee Hospice Homecare was €1,350.

• Cycle Against Suicide

  In the Cycle against Suicide 1,400 cycling Ireland members took part in the final leg starting with Dundalk, Ardee, Collon, Drogheda, Skerries and finishing in Dublin. The main objective of the cycle was to raise awareness of the considerable help & supports that are available for anyone battling depression, self-harm, at risk of suicide or those bereaved by suicide. The organisers had requested the club to help marshal the event through the town of Ardee.

• Ferdia 100km / 50km Charity Cycles

  On Monday the 5th August 2013 the annual Ferdia CC 50km & 100km Charity Cycle took place for the Louth W.A.T.C.H. for the blind & partially sighted. Club members did their part in terms of marshalling, food preparation and collection of registration fees from participants. The registration fee had not changed since its inception in 2011. Sponsors of the event included Frank Lynch (Ferdia Arms Ardee & Upstairs), Peter Callaghan (Callaghans Butchers), Mick Arthur (Arthurs Nurseries), Sean Kerr (Sean Kerr Providers) and Eamon Martin (Wheels & Heels Ardee), John Breen of Mace, Conor Doyle of Doyles XL, Brian Malone of Topaz, John O'Brien of Spar, Finlays Newsagents, Bryan and Tom Lynch, Meridian Security, Glanbia, Fan Fruits Dunleer and O’Gormans Centra.
• Help also came on the day from Ardee Garda for closing the roads as the cycle departed from the town, Ardee Order of Malta, Michelle Reilly at Registration and Anne Arthur and Amy White for Refreshments and Linda Martin at the 100km stop. Benny Grogan who on behalf of Louth W.AT.C.H. was presented with a cheque for €2,435.

• Paypal Account Opened

  A PayPal Account was set up in 2013 for the club to accept membership payments online instead of physical cash. This was made possible as Cycling Ireland incorporated their payment with the insurance and payment of the club fee.

• New Club Kit

  A new Ardee Cycling Club cycling kit provided by Spin 11 was also unveiled.

• Christmas Party & Breakfast Cycle

  The club organised a Christmas cycle that took place on the 1st December 2013 that went down to Dundalk to the Park Café for breakfast. The Christmas Party took place in a pub that sponsored the club, Ferdia Arms on the 14th December 2013.

• Club Racing Achievements

• Cathal McCormack
• Cuchulainn League Race - 1st Place

2014

• St. Patricks Day Parade

  A.C.C. for the third time in a row won the best club participant in the Ardee St Patrick Day Parade. The aim was to show that the club welcomed all cyclists and to let the town know what the strength of the club was. A trophy was presented on the 25th March 2014 in the Railway Bar Ardee. A great turnout of members dressed in club gear, fancy dress and all types of bikes was the contributing factor for winning the award.

• Ferdia 100km / 50km Charity Cycles

  On the 4th August 2014 the Ferdia CC 50km & 100km charity cycle took place in aid of the club itself. The weather for the event was extremely good as it was warm and sunny with no hint of rain during the entire day. As the weather was a major factor the club saw approximately 250 cyclists take part in the event. This was the largest number of cyclists that have ever taken part in the Ferdia Charity Cycle. Club members helped out with marshalling and preparing food for the cyclists before and afterwards. The sponsors for the event included Lidl Ardee, O’Gormans Centra Ardee, Meade Potato Company, Hickeys Fruit & Veg Shop and Wheels and Heels Cycles. Meridan Security and the Order of Malta also participated in the event in terms of providing security and safety.

• Cycling Ireland Coaching

  Seven members participated in Level 1 training of cycling coaching in Dublin from the 15th-16th November 2014. The aim of the course was to help the club develop as their newly acquired skills could be passed onto club members. The training included how to organise group cycling, maintain a bike in good working order and basic safety instructions when out cycling in groups.

• Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle

  On the 10th July 2014 several members took part in the Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle. The cycle was over 180km including rolling hills and long descents. A good number of club members went down and stayed at the Gleneagle Hotel Killarney for the two nights. The weather for the event held up well. From hearing on feedback from club cyclists at the time, they said that the cycle was enjoyed by all ...and the beers afterwards.

• Endurance Challenge

  Club members Tony Murphy and Eugene McCabe took part in an endurance challenge charity cycle for Breakthrough Cancer Research on the 15th August 2014. Tony cycled 1780km over 10 days covering 32 counties. A massive acheivement for a great cause.

• National Bike Week

  For Bike Week A.C.C. organised a fun day on Sunday 29th June 2014 between 2-4pm. This included free bike check, bike safety presentation and a bouncy castle for children.

• Giro D'Italia

  Stage 3 of the Giro D'Italia passed through Casslebellingham on the 11th Sunday May 2014. Club members cycled down to see the peloton fly by.

• General Goings On

  A YouTube video of Ardee Cycling Club was produced by club friend Pat Connolly off the Ferdia Cycle highlighting how a cycling group works together.
• The annual breakfast spin took place on Sunday the 7th November 2014 and stopped at the Roundhouse Café in Collon.
• The club organised a flag day to collect for club funds on the 6th September 2014.
• Club member Eileen Coyne, donated a bike to Ardee Cycling Club on the 8th August 2014.
• The Christmas party was held in the Ferdia Arms on the 13th December 2014.

• Club Racing Achievements

• Anthony Crosby
• Clonard GP - 8th Place
• Navan GP - 8th Place

2015

• Operation Transformation

  RTE Television programme "Operation Transformation" approached the club to organise a 10km event to encourage physical activity. This was organised in relation to a contestant on the show being from the local area. The club were happy to oblige and the event was held in February 2015. Despite the cold weather many cyclists turned up for the event and the club was seen on T.V. despite being very brief.

• Club Trip to Mullingar

  On the 4th July 2015 club cyclists cycled down to Mullingar on an 86km trip and stayed in the Mullingar Park Hotel. The cycle left for Mullingar at 10am. The route taken was through the backroads from Ardee, Syddan, Wilkinstown, Sally Gardens Pub, Delvin and Mullingar. Despite the weather being fairly mixed the cycle down and nights stay was described as great craic by all who went.

• ISPCC / Childline Cycle

  Club member Alan Duff and his father Gerry took part in the 256km cycle from Westport to Blackrock on the 18th July 2015. The cycle was in aid of ISPCC / ChildLine Nationwide. Ollie Arthur, Eugene McCabe and Benny Grogan joined them on the cycle from west to east. The route took in Castlebar, Longford, Granard, Virginia, Baileborough, Carrickmacross, Knockbridge and finished in Blackrock, Co.Louth.

• Charity Cycle - Senan Diamond

  It was decided to hold a 70km charity event for the Senan Diamond fund at the end of September 2015. The event was a considerable success, were €1,860 was raised for the charity. Over 100 cyclists from around the county were present for the event. The donation was presented to Hugh Diamond (Senan's Father) on the 19th October 2015.

• General Goings On

  Club member Benny Grogan received the Ciaran Harte Life Cycle Award from Navan Road Club at the leisure cycling awards in December 2015.
• Turbo training took place during the winter months in the Irish Wheelchair Association in a bid to keep up fitness during the winter.
• It was decided a new group needed to be formed between the leisure and advanced cyclists. This was called the Touring Group for cyclists in the club who wanted to ride longer/faster than the leisure and not as strenuous as the advanced group.
• The Christmas party was held in the Ferdia Arms Ardee on the 12th December 2015.

• Club Racing Achievements

• Alan Malone
• Louth Road Race Championship - 4th Place
• Bike Station League Winner
• Alex McDonnell
• Bike Station League - 17th Place Overall
• Bike Station League - 1st Place Group 4
• Richie McMullen
• Louth Road Race Championship - 2th Place
• Bike Station League - 10th Place Overall
• Bike Station League - 1st Place Group 6
• Johanna Rogan
• Louth Road Race Championship - 2th Place

2016

• Child Welfare & Protection Programme

  Joanna Rogan, David Gilbert, Shay Davern, Tomas McCabe and Alan Duff took part in the child welfare & protection in Sport Training Course organised by Louth Local Sports Partnership on the 18th February 2016. This course was to help create and maintain a safe environment for young people and children in cycling. Ollie Arthur compiled a booklet in relation to the clubs responsibility for youths and juniors within the club.

• Ferdia 100km / 50km Charity Cycles

  This year in the Ferdia CC 50km & 100km 250 cyclists turned up at the Parish Centre for our annual charity cycle. Our nominated charity was the Ardee branch of the Irish Wheelchair Association. The cycle was also well marshalled with motor cycling and car marshals. In terms of safety the event was covered by the Ardee Gardaí, Order of Malta, Chief Medic Tony Murphy and James Gargin who was directing traffic. The music for the event was provided by DJ David. Many local businesses sponsored the charity cycle which included Lidl Ardee, Adrian Mackin for the milk, Malones at Carrick service station Ardee for the fuel voucher, Global Fruit, Pallas Foods and Wheels and Heels.
• Club secretary Johanna Rogan also played a major factor in the success of the event as there was a lot of paper work to comply with for the event to go ahead.

• Clubs First Open Race Win

  On July 24th 2016 club member Richie McMullen became the first club member to win an open race. The race took place on the donore circuit just outside Drogheda. The conditions on the day where slightly miserable at times with drizzle present throughout the entire race. Richie, went on to take 2nd place in the Banbridge GP and month later, acquiring enough points to be upgraded to a Cycling Ireland categorised A3 rider.

• Bank Account Closure

  The club closed its Ulster Bank account in 2016. This was done for a variety of reasons namely excessive bank fees. Despite the club being registered as a charity, the Bank fees remained high. The bank account was being used less frequently as the club had a PayPal account and a credit union account to accept payments. Furthermore, the credit union account was able to accommodate bank transfers and was being widely accepted and seen as a bank account.

• Giants Causeway Cycle

  On the 10th September 2016 club members took part in the Giants Causeway Cycle in Northern Ireland. Fred Mckenna, Jim O’Donague, Angela Sweeny, Geradline Leighane and Linda Martin. The members took part in the 135km route with brilliant sunshine throughout the day. It was hoped that another group would go down and take part in the event the following year due to the fun that was had despite the painful hills.

• Wicklow 100km / 200km Cycle

  In June, a number of members took part in the Wicklow 100km & 200km in very tough conditions. The accommodation and breakfast was organised by the club secretary Johanna Rogan.

• Strength & Conditioning classes

  Over eight weeks between September to November 2016 club members took part in strength and conditioning classes with Gary and Andrew McKenny from G-Mac Fitness. This was provided for anyone who wanted to keep fit during the winter months.s

• Club Racing Achievements

• Richie McMullen
• Brendan Campbell Memorial - 1st Place
• Banbridge GP - 2nd Place
• Cycling Ireland A3 Upgrade
• Tomas McCabe
• Leinster Hill Climb Champs - 1st Place
• Louth Hill Climb Champs (Cat A2) - 2nd Place
• Johanna Rogan
• Leinster Hill Climb Champs - 2nd Place
• Louth Hill Climb Champs - 1st Place

2017

• Registration Night

  A.C.C. held a registration night on the 11th January 2017 Wednesday from 7-8pm in Irish Wheelchair Association, John St Business Park. Anyone who wanted to join and cycle with the club in 2017 was encouraged to come along and register for insurance with Cycling Ireland. Club chairman Eamon Martin held a small presentation about what the club does and the benefits of cycling.

• Club Clothing

  The club ordered new club gear from our new clothing supplier Velo Revolution, after being with Spin 11 for a number of years. A fitting day was organised for the 11th January 2017. Sample clothing was provided by Velo Revolution to try on for best fit. The club colours blue and yellow remained the same. The only difference was the slight deeper blue and yellow compared to previous clothing. While members initially liked the club gear, it became apparent over time that the quality of the clothing was not as superior as promised and it was considered that the club would look for a new supplier in 2018.

• Leisure & Advanced Groups

  The leisure group had seen a decline in 2017 due to a variety of reasons. It was decided by the club committee to boost participation of the leisure side of the club. A couch to 50km programme was tabled, a WhatsApp group to be set up for greater communication between club members. Despite numbers being down, many leisure club members took part in charity events across the Leinster region such as the Dromin 60km charity cycle, Dunleer charity cycle and the Tour of Meath.

• An Post Ras

  A.C.C. received official word that Ardee Town had been chosen to host the second last stage finish for the RAS 2017. The 167.3Km race made its way to Ardee on the 27th May 2017. The cyclists made their way from Donegal town to Ardee and finishing on Market Street. The race finish was miserable in terms of weather, spectators came out in a large numbers to see Jan Willem Van Schip and Dean Meijers roll in together to win the race with Meijers edging out his team mate. The race left Ardee on the 28th May 2017 at 12pm. There was great dedication in the organisation of the event from the clubs members who pushed hard for this over the past few months to make the event a memorable one.

• An Post Ras Fundraiser

  On the 6th May 2017 A.C.C. held a fundraiser outside Wheels & Heels to help raise funds for hosting An Ras. The fundraiser involved to A.C.C. members take it on turns on a two spinning bikes. Club members took part with collecting buckets at the side of the road. Despite being May 6th 2017, the weather was chilly despite the sun being out.

• Ferdia Racing League

  A.C.C. held its first ever league which ran every Tuesday evening for eight weeks from 30th May until 18th July 2017. The league was called the Ferdia Race League.
• It was decided by the committee that sign on would take place between 6:15pm and 6:40pm at Ardee Parish Centre. Entry was priced at €5 per week. Entrants where required to have a Limited Competition Licence at a minimum.
• Race start was at 7pm every Tuesday beside the O'Carroll's street roundabout on the link road and follows two laps of the circuit. The circuit was as follows: McCabe's Garage - Dundalk Road - Left at Duffys Cross (Cluskey's Pub) - Tallanstown - Pepperstown - McCabes Garage. The finish line was on second lap on Pepperstown Hill.
• The Ferdia Race League came to an end on Tuesday 20th July 2017 with Emmett Gorman confirmed as the first league champion. The event was deemed a success with good number of participants turning out to take part in the league and no accidents during the eight weeks. The event is expected to take place again next year.

• Ferdia 100km / 50km Charity Cycles

  Ardee CC hosted its annual Ferdia Sportive on August bank holiday Sunday 6th August 2017. There were two routes to choose from 50k & 100k. Registration on the morning of the event was opened at 9am. The 100km group departed at 9:45am and the 50km group departed at 10am. The event was held at the Ardee Parish Centre, Hale Street. The event saw overcast conditions with over 170 cyclists taking part in the event. There was a special mention for club members Fred McKenna, Eugene McCabe Eamon Martin and Cathal McCormick for helping with the markings of the road and ensuring the road where safe for the cycle. The sponsors for the cycle included Lidl Ardee and Pallas Foods who provided the food and drink for the cyclists and the beginning and end of the event.

• 600KM Cycle - Linda Martin

  On the 14th September 2017, Linda Martin took part in the 4 day 600km Tour de Leinster charity cycle around Leinster to raise funds for Down Syndrome Ireland. Linda completed the gruelling cycle challenge on the 17th September helping to raise a significant amount of funding for Down Syndrome Ireland.

• Christmas Party

  The annual Christmas party was held at the dogs race track in Dundalk in mid-December 2017. The club organised for a bus to bring club members to the race track. Afterwards the party headed to Fairgreen Bar in Ardee. The night was described by all members as great fun and would consider a return visit.

• General Goings On

  Many club cyclists took part in numerous sportives around the Leinster area including the White river Wheelers cycle, Giants Causeway cycle, Dromin cycle, Tour of Louth, Tour of Meath, SoSad Cycle in Slane and the 4 counties challenge. There was great turnout of club cyclists on 3rd December 2017 for the Christmas Breakfast Cycle. The cycle went around Louth and ended up in Dooleys on the Carrickmacross Road.

• Club Racing Achievements

• Cathal McCormack
• Mullingar GP - 1st Place
• John Beggs Memorial - 6th Place
• Hillsborough GP - 3rd Place
• Tomas McCabe
• Leinster Hill Climb Champs (Cat A2) - 3rd Place
• Louth Time Trial Champs (Cat A2) - 1st Place
• National Hill Climb Champs - 4th Place (M40 Class)
• Johanna Rogan
• Louth Time Trial Champs - 3rd Place
• Gary Marron
• Wexford SERC GP - 2nd Place
• Louth Road Race Championship - 10th Place
• Killmessan GP - 5th Place
• Claire Ludlow
• Leinster Hill Climb Champs - 3rd Place
• Louth Time Trial Champs - 2nd Place
• Alan Malone
• Seamus Kennedy Memorial - 4th Place
• Richie McMullen
• Seamus Kennedy Memorial - 6th Place
• Killmessan GP (A3 Unplaced) - 5th Place
• Alex McDonnell
• Cathal McCormack
• Paddy Gorman
• Alan Ludlow
• Seamus Kennedy Memorial - Inside Top 20

2018

• Under Construction!

2019

• History is currently being written.........! Get out there and be apart of it!