Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin launching Ride Dingle Cycle. Pictured with l-r Niall Browne (Dingle Cycling Club), Oliver Kirwan (MD Elite Events/ Ride Dingle Race Director), Breege Granville (founding member of Dingle Cycling Club), Padraig Fitzgerald (Olympian and President of Dingle Cycling Club) and Camilla Browne (Dingle Cycling Club) in Dingle last Friday.
Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Brendan Griffin was in Dingle to celebrate the launch of ‘Ride Dingle’ this week, the latest and most exciting cycle sportif to be added to the cycle event calendar in Ireland. Elite Event Management, the event organisers behind the Ring of Beara Cycle Kenmare as well as the Quest Adventure Series and other events, are staging this new event in conjunction with Dingle Cycling Club.
The new event has two routes of 55km or 120km to choose from, the longer route encapsulating Ireland’s legendary highest mountain pass, Conor Pass.
Minister Brendan Griffin said, “The Dingle Peninsula is a wonderful, dramatic landscape and it will make a fantastic setting for this cycle event. It’s great to see how popular cycling has become in Ireland in recent years and I have no doubt Ride Dingle will be over-subscribed like so many of the other cycle sportifs around the country.
It is great to know that the local communities and charity will also benefit. I’m hoping to get in training for it myself and to be back here on 27th April fighting fit to take on the challenges of Slea Head and Conor Pass. I’ll be putting a bit of training in first though!”
Dingle Cycling Club have run this event at a local level for many years. They are now partnering with Elite Events to grow the event and bring more people to Dingle for this iconic cycle. The cycle organisers are very proud to partner with the Camphill Community in Dingle to raise awareness as well as funding through proceeds from the cycle. Camphill Communities work with people with intellectual disabilities and other kinds of special needs.
Cycle enthusiasts will have the opportunity to choose from two routes, a 55km route around Slea Head. The longer route of 120km will take in the Slea Head and then continue on to the Conor Pass and Anascaul via Camp and back to Dingle.
Oliver Kirwan, Race Director is excited to work on this great event, “This cycle is on one of the most dramatic routes I’ve ever encountered. Because so much of it is on the coastline it’s a constant stream of photo-opportunities – but you’ll be much too busy pedaling to think about that. It’s an event that has a great reputation locally and we want to grow it so more people can access it and enjoy this unspoilt, challenging route that will keep you coming back for more.”
Irish Olympian and President of Dingle Cycling Club Paudie Fitzgerald, was also on hand to help launch the event today “We’ve been running this cycle for many years and everyone who has ever done it agrees it is one of the best routes in Ireland. We know the potential for it and we want to share that with as many people as possible. It’s a very challenging and rugged part of the world and it will provide you with great memories of a special cycle. We hope to get groups and individuals along to stretch their legs on it and enjoy the whole of the area with what promises to be a great party in Dingle after.”
Lucy Harvey of Camphill Community Dingle said, “We are very pleased to have the support of Ride Dingle 2019. It will be a great day out and we are hoping as many people as possible will come to Dingle for the weekend and show their support for the event. Both of the cycle routes are very special and we know that anyone who signs up won’t be disappointed. Roll on the 27th of April!”
Dingle will be the scene of much celebration post-event. All participants will receive a customised medal, food, access to the Japanese hot tubs and there will be plenty of entertainment on hand to keep the after-party going all day and night.
Mór eachtra nua rothaíochta socraithe don Daingean i 2019.
‘Ride Dingle’ seolta.
Bhí an tAire Stáit Spóirt agus Turasóireachta, Brendan Griffin, sa Daingean an tseachtain seo chun seoladh ‘Ride Dingle’ a cheiliúradh, an eachtra rothaíochta is déanaí ar an bhféilire eachtraí rothaíochta in Éireann. Tá Elite Event Management, lucht eagraithe rothaíocht Mhórchuaird Bhéara sa Neidín, chomh maith le sraith eachtraíochta ‘Quest’ agus eachtraí eile, ag eagrú an ócáid seo, i gcomhar le Club Rothaíochta an Daingin.
Tugann an ócáid nua seo rogha dhá bhealach, 55km nó 120km, leis an mbealach is faide ag gabháil trasna an Chonair, an mbearnas sléibhe is airde in Éirinn.
Dúirt an tAire Brendan Griffin, “tá tírdhreach iontach, dhrámatúil ar leithinis Chorca Dhuibhne atá an-oiriúnach d’ócáid rothaíochta mar seo. Tá líon na ndaoine a bhíonn ag rothaíocht in Éirinn tar éis fás go mór le déanaí agus tá sé go h-iontach é seo a fheiceáil. Níl aon dabht agam ach go mbeidh an-éileamh ar ‘Ride Dingle’ cosúil le mórán eachtraí rothaíochta eile timpeall na tíre.
Tá sé go h-iontach go bhfaighidh pobail agus carthanachtaí áitiúla tairbhe as an ócáid chomh maith. Táim ag súil dul i mbun traenála don ócáid mé féin agus a bheith ar ais anseo ar an 27ú Aibreán ullamh le tabhairt fé dhúshláin Chinn Sléibhe agus an Chonair. Ach beidh mé ag cur roinnt traenála isteach ar dtús!”
Tá an ócáid seo á rith ag Club Rothaíochta an Daingin ag leibhéal áitiúil ar feadh roinnt mhaith blianta. Tá siad anois ag dul i mbun páirtnéireachta le ‘Elite Events’ chun an ócáid a fhás agus níos mó daoine a thabhairt chun an Daingean don rothaíocht íocónach seo. Tá lucht eagraithe na h-ócáide an shásta dul i bpáirtíocht le Pobal Camphill sa Daingean chun feasacht a chruthú agus airgead a bhailiú don gcarthanacht ón ócáid. Oibríonn Pobail Camphill leo siúd le míchumas intleachtúil agus riachtanais speisialta eile.
Beidh deis ag lucht rothaíochta rogha a dhéanamh idir dhá bhealach, bealach 55km timpeall Chinn Sléibhe, nó bealach níos faide 120km a thógfaidh isteach Ceann Sléibhe agus a leanfaidh ar aghaidh trasna an Chonair go hAbhainn an Scáil tríd an Com agus ar ais go dtí’n Daingean.
Tá Oliver Kirwan, Stiúrthóir an rása an shásta bheith ag obair ar an ócáid iontach seo, “Tá an rothaíocht seo ar cheann de na bealaí is drámataí a chonaic riamh. Toisc go bhfuil formhór de ar an gcósta is deis leanúnach grianghrafadóireachta atá ann, ach beidh tú i bhfad ró-ghnóthach ag troitheáil le bheith ag cuimhneamh ar sin. Tá an dheá-cháil ar an ócáid go h-áitiúil agus teastaíonn uainn é a fhás ionas gur féidir le níos mó daoine taitneamh a bhaint as an mbealach aoibhinn, dúshlánach seo a choimeádfaidh tú ag teacht ar ais arís agus arís.”
Bhí Oilimpeas Éireannach agus Uachtarán Chlub Rothaíochta an Daingin, Paudie Fitzgerald, ar lámh chun cabhair a thabhairt an ócáid a sheoladh inniu “Táimid ag rith an rothaíocht seo le mórán blianta anois agus aontaíonn gach duine go bhfuil sé déanta acu gurb é ceann de na bealaí is fearr in Éirinn. Tuigimid an poitéinseal atá aige agus teastaíonn uainn é sin a roinnt leis an oiread daoine agus is féidir. Is páirt an-dhúshlánach, garbh den domhan é agus tabharfaidh sé cuimhní iontacha duit ar rothaíocht speisialta. Táimid ag súil go sínfidh grúpaí chomh maith le daoine aonair a gcosa ar an mbealach agus go mbainfidh siad taitneamh as an réigiún iomlán chomh maith leis an gceiliúradh iontach sa Daingean ina dhiaidh.”
Dúirt Lucy Harvey ó Phobal Camphill sa Daingean “Táimid an-shásta bheith ag fáil tacaíocht ó ‘Ride Dingle’ 2019. Lá iontach a bheidh ann agus táimid ag súil go dtiocfaidh líon mór daoine go dtí’n Daingean don deireadh seachtaine chun a dtacaíocht a thabhairt don ócáid. Tá an dá bhealach rothaíochta an-speisialta agus tá fhios againn nach mbeidh díomá ar aon duine a shíníonn suas. Ag súil go mór leis an 27ú Aibreán!”
Beidh ceiliúradh mhór sa Daingean i ndiaidh na hócáide. Gheobhaidh gach duine a ghlac páirt bonn saincheaptha, bia, rochtain go tobáin te Seapánacha agus beidh go leor siamsaíocht ar lámh chun an ceiliúradh a leanúint ar aghaidh feadh na hoíche.
