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Last Updated: 4 Apr 2018 - 11:32:58 AM |
2012 Kerry Group Ras Mumhan - Officially Launched
By Tommy Campbell
24 Mar 2012,
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The scene! The Bridge over the river Laune in Killorglin at the statue of An Puc R which was the centre of attention at mid-day yesterday. A lady and gent passing by asked me what all the commotion was about.
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| The statue of An Puc R at the Bridge over the river Laune in Killorglin |
"It is a shoot for the official launch of the Kerry Grouo Ras Mumhan to be held at Easter. 'My, oh my, all the cameras and the people assembled. Cyclists in lyrca. I can see there are many distinguished people present. And, the guy with the folder is he the the director of the shoot. My husband was a racer in America, the Navigators was the team. It is an ideal location, plus you have a government minister present. Wish everybody associated with the event the best of luck, or should I say Irish luck, as they strolled across the bridge heading up in the steep hill into the town which will feature prominently at Easter.
Cutting out all the trimmings, it was back to business with the KERRY GROUP R�S MUMHAN�s 4 DAY INTERNATIONA CYCLE RACE was officially launched by Mr. Jimmy Deenihan T.D. Minister for Arts, Heritage & the Gaeltacht described the race which was established in the late 1950s as: one of the institutions of Irish Cycle Racing which is known far and wide as one of the toughest races on these islands.
Killorglin is synonymous with cycling not alone in Kerry, but all over Ireland and further afield. It has given Kerry some of its most famous sporting sons, we all know of the exploits of Gene & John Mangan, both winners of this race in the past along with Pat Healy, Batty Flynn and many more. Apart from its sporting significance, the event has many other important features, as it is a huge boost to the economy of the area, with over 1,000 bed nights over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend when the race takes place. The publicity the race generates for County Kerry is also important as coverage at both local and national level in the Press, Radio & TV shows off the county at its best at the start of the Tourist Season. The Kerry Group Ras Mumhan will take place in the West and South Kerry Gaeltachts on two of the four days and this is another fine aspect of the event.It will afford our visiting teams from, Italy, Holland, United Kingdom and the Isle of man to see at first hand the facilities that are available, not alone in Kerry but throughout the country. Not alone for the racers but the leisure cyclists. Personally I love cycling and it is indeed very healthy, like all other aspects of activities to keep the body fit and healthy.
Launching the event Minister Deenihan said: The contribution of the main sponsor Kerry Group cannot be over stated. Kerry Group supports many of the top sporting events in County Kerry and beyond and their association with this event is of significant benefit to the Ras in taking the race to a new level and in raising its profile on both the national and international arena.
The Irish Sports Council also supports the event and this is another important factor in the promotion of the R�s. Mr Deenihan, who is a very active Leisure Cyclist, thanked the organisers for the opportunity to Launch the race and wished all the competitors, their supporters and the Race Organisation well for the Easter weekend.
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| Group photograph including Minister Deenihan |
Speaking at the launch, Mr. Frank Hayes, Director of Corporate Affairs, Kerry Group commented: With only two weeks to go to the Kerry Group Ras Mumhan and with todays announcement of such a strong group of local, national and international riders, anticipation is growing among the cycling world that this years event will be a very competitive affair. He added: The Ras offers a unique opportunity for spectators to enjoy the scenic views of the south west of Ireland while watching top class cyclists compete over County Kerrys challenging landscape for the much sought after Kerry Group Ras Mumhan winners title.
This prestigious event will boast a field of 150 plus riders from Holland, England, the Isle of Man, France and Italy, who will compete with the best of the Irish over four days of racing on the Easter Bank Holiday weekend, Friday 06 April to Monday 09 April, 2011. Last year�s winner Kerryman Sean Lacey will lead the Irish challenge, while the other locals attempting to keep the title in the Kingdom will be led by Daniel Clifford, Paul Griffin, County Senior Champion Matt Slattery, and previous winner Eugene Moriarty.
As in previous years the race will be held in four stages over four days: Stage 1 will take place on Good Friday 06 April in the East Kerry area. Stage 2 will take place on Saturday 07 April in West Kerry, with a visit to South Kerry on Easter Sunday 08 April for stage 3 of the race. The final day sees the race go back to Killorglin for a stage in Mid Kerry. Full details of the stages and times can be seen on the race website at www.rasmumhan.com .
Speaking at the launch, Rory McGillycuddy, Commercial Director, thanked everyone for attending the Launch, giving a special mention to the Minister who fitted this event into his busy schedule. He also thanked Mr. Frank Hayes and Kerry Group for their support and said that: �the sponsorship had been of enormous help to the Ras in steering the Race to New heights�.
He added that the race organisers were also grateful to the following for their support towards the event: Annadale Technologies, Fitzgeralds Centra-Homevalue Dingle, IRD Waterville, FEXCO, DMC Sports SMS Santini, Melina Joy / Urban Optics Killarney, Cycling Ireland, Irish Sports Council, Billy O'Shea Auctioneer Killorglin, Owens McCarthy Claims Specialists Killorglin, Mosca McGillicuddy & Assoc., Pauline Sugrue Auctioneer Waterville, Vincent Sugrue Waterville, Gerald Sugrue Painting & D�cor Waterville, Waterville House, Merrion Group Dublin, Waterville Inn Restaurant & Bar, PK�s Supervalu / Topaz, Killorglin Sports & Leisure Centre.
Kerry Group Ras Mumhan is organised and run by a voluntary committee and the community�s involvement in the race is important to the event. The organisation is aware that the roads of Kerry are busy over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. Therefore the assistance and advice of an Garda S�ochana, Kerry Co. Council and others is vital. The co-operation from road users in Kerry as the race passes by is important to the success of this event.
Etape Ras Mumhan is a separate non competitive event on the Saturday run over the same route as the race will travel later in the day on Saturday 07 April.
Pictures courtesy on Pat Doherty
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Clubs, teams or individuals interested in taking part in the race should contact the Race Secretary, Mary Concannon: Tel: 00 353 64 44396 / 00 353 87 2802071, maryconcannon@eircom.net.
Full details are available on the website at www.rasmumhan.com
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