Weeshie's Week

Savage Road Men of Kerry

May 10th, 2011
by Weeshie Fogarty

There's something special about the bike men of Kerry. Some thing that separate them from all other sports men and women in the county.  They are a breed apart and need to be to participate in this grueling, dangerous, stamina sapping sport where there is no hiding as the major cycle races criss cross the highways and byways of Ireland.  Hail rain or snow these battle hardened men chase each other up hill and down dale in the pursuit of victory and the bike men of Kerry are among the best and most competitive of all and their record proves this. Cycle racing is a so called minority sport in this county and I have always been fascinated by the men who have for generations up held the traditions of this age old sport in a county where Gaelic games are afforded the highest profile of all. As a child of the 1950s and 60s the Ras was something powerful that wove its way through my youthful consciences and left a lasting imprint on my mind. The Ras had a special aura, a flavor of something grand, magical and epic in the extreme. In many ways it shaped my thinking, deepened my love for sport and ingrained in my mind a deep and lasting admiration for these "savage road men".

On Tuesday May 24th Castleisland will welcome one of the stages of Irelands greatest road race An Post Ras. All the excitement, months of preparation and anticipation will climax in the main street of the town as over one hundred cyclists dazzling in a kaleidoscope of colored jerseys dash to the finishing line, each rider straining every sinew and muscle to finish ahead of his opponents in the peloton. Its one of the greatest free sporting international occasions this county will see. If you have never experienced the advance motorcade, tension, expectation and thrill of a stage finish then take this opportunity to do so and bring along your kids, they will never forget the occasion, this I guarantee you. And who knows but the word might have preceded the riders that a Kerryman or even two are up with the leading riders and if this is so the excitement will very noticeably reach fever pitch and the feelings can be similar to watching the Kerry football team racing out on to the pitch before a big championship game as the riders Kerrymen among them career at breakneck speeds through the wide streets of Castleisland to that elusive finishing line.

As stated my fascination and deep love for the cycling fraternity of Kerry goes back to the glory days of cycling in this county in the fifties when Kerrymen more or less dominated the then named Ras Tailteann. It was a magical time. Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Tralee, Killorglin and Killarney awaiting the arrival of the Ras. Onlookers would begin to take up the best vantage points hours before its arrival. High St in Killarney would be black with people and the riders were our heroes, men of steel, unaware of any danger as they careered around the streets of our home town displaying their amazing cycling skills.  Gene Mangan the greatest of them all. A winner in 1955 and winner of eleven stages during his career.  Paudie Fitzgerald the Lispole man winner in 1956, how his late great friend Liam Higgins loved recalling his exploits.

Then we have the amazing, unbelievable Mick Murphy from the townland of Sugrena just outside Caherceiveen, dubbed "The Iron Man" for his exploits on the road. He came home first in 1958 and if his story was portrayed in a Hollywood film you would say "sure that's pure fiction". It's almost forgotten that the following year 1959 Mick also won the third stage and then stole the limelight winning the final stage into o Connell St Dublin.  Then 1960 saw "The Iron Man" take third place. On to 1972 and Killorglin man John Mangan held the yellow jersey for an incredible eleven days as the best of Ireland and Europe launched waves of attack as they unsuccessfully attempted to prevent another Kerry win. John Mangan is for me a true Kerry legend. He had finished second the previous year. He later moved to France where he won an amazing 156 races. When he retired they named a street in France after the Kerryman. His amazing wonderful story has not yet been fully documented. Surly a story for another day His brother Denis also won a stage in 1973.

And then we have the great Ballymac man Dan Ahern considered by many to have been one of the best Ras riders never to have won the big event.  He was second twice and also came third and fifth winning six stages in all. His battle with the Pole Zbigniew Glowaty the eventual winner in 1963 on the ascent and decent of the Wicklow Gap is still spoken about to this day. Any decent support from others it was said and the Ras was his. Dan later went to America and became one of the top riders in that country. Some years ago I spend a fascinating afternoon at his home, we played snooker, talked about his career and Dan played some tunes on the box. A quiet very unassuming and reserved person Dan Ahern is in my opinion one of Kerry's greatest unsung heroes.

An often forgotten Kerry winner was Seamus Kennedy in 1978. A Meath man Kennedy's father came from Kerry. Gene Mangan and Paddy o Callaghan persuaded him to ride for Kerry that year and he was backed by team mates Anthony o Halloran, Mick Breen and Donal Clifford. It was Kennedy's thirteenth year riding in the Ras and his win was one of the most popular in its history. Last week at the invitation of the Currow Cycling club I spend a memorable evening at the stage launch in the company of all those men and women burdened with the responsibility of welcoming and organizing the stage finish into Castleisland. Dedicated people like former riders Eamon Breen and Johnny Brosnan, Ned Burke was manager to some of those top riders with the winning Kerry teams. Nicklaus Kerins, Michael Concannon, Marcus Cronin were also in attendance as was Mick Murphy himself.

One of Kerrys greatest cyclist and still winning race stages Paul Griffin was  also there to lend his support .And then the man with the onerous responsible for overseeing all the preparations' is John Breen the "stage end organizer". A family affair John is the son of former Ras rider Eamon so the apple never falls from the tree. The Currow Cycling Club are a wonderfully dedicated body of people and its was very evident as I interviewed and chatted with members of the committee that literally no stone is being left unturned as they endeavor to assure that everything will run smack smooth on the 24th as Castleisland welcomes the greatest sporting spectacular you will seen in Kerry this or any other year.  The exemplary bike men of Kerry without a shadow of doubt, a breed apart and a pleasure to be involved with.

Fogra; That hightly enjoyable evening in The River Island Hotel, Castleisland concluded on a very poignant note when former Kerry All Ireland winning handballer from Tralee and now Castleisland resident Nicolas  Kerins gave a superb rendering of, The Ballade of Johnny Drumm. Johnny died at the young age following a farming accident in 1962. Cycling legends were predicting a glittering career for the young man and it is generally acknowledged the he would definitely have won many major honors. Johnny came from the townland of Tobermaing between Castleisland and Cordal.  Each June a big memorial race is held in his honour.



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