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Last Updated: 6 Apr 2018 - 12:06:24 PM |
SLIEVE GULLION WHEELERS TOUR OF SOUTH ARMAGH
By Daniel McSherry
28 May 2007,
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| Banbridge cyclists make it to the top of Stuganbrae |
GLORIOUS SUNSHINE
Sunshine for Slieve Gullion Wheelers as over 150 cyclists take to the highways and byways of South Armagh leaving the Mountain House at 10 am on Saturday. The last Saturday in May is always a special day for the SGW club as it is their annual tour date and today was no exception. Cyclist from 10 of the 32 counties, representing 18 different cycling clubs lined up for the start and got underway down the Tullyawe road heading for Whitecross after the photoshots had been taken of various groups and Jim Rocks, club member and proprietor of the Mountain House started the tour off allowing the six tandems from the Newry and Mourne WATCH get a head start. Club PRO Danny McSherry said,” I am delighted to see such a wonderful turnout of cyclists on what has turned out to be a fine dry morning with a moderate NW wind. I thank everyone for supporting our tour and especially our neighbouring club Newry Wheelers who give us great support every year turning out in big numbers. We have cyclists from as far away as Ballycastle in the North and Carlow in the South and a tandem up from Dublin. Thanks to our club sponsor Sean Hearty for providing sweeper vans and refreshments, Jim Rocks for the use of the Mountain House and the bananas, Freezer Meats and Peter Tomany for the water and Hunters supermarket for bars.We wish everyone a safe and enjoyable cycle”.
SAFETY
Safety is always an important issue and we thank Danny McSherry for erecting warning signs on the local roads, Aidan Hearty and Bernard Murphy for organising the lead and sweeper vehicles, Newry Bikers Club on their motorbikes marshalling the route and what a magnificent job they all did. In the absence of Joe Murtagh, Danny McSherry was on hand to act as sweeper driving the van kindly supplied by Sean Hearty Transport limited.
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| Anne Maguire and John Ruddel Ards on Tony's tandem |
TANDEMS
It was gratifying to have six tandem bikes from Newry and Mourne WATCH club on this hilly tour. Berni Sloan, Mads Maginn, Pauline Small, Elizabeth Farquhar, Tony White (from Malahide) and Owen Gallagher were flying fast and furious towards Markethill before being caught by the leading peleton of Jim McCreesh, Jim McConnon, Alan Dillon and Peter Tomany and other top class riders. Their pilots John Ruddell, Martin McVerry, Pat McElroy, Gabby Murphy, Paul Farquhar and Michael Smith knew there was still along way to go and many steep climbs such as Keady Mountain still ahead of them. I overheard them saying at the tea stop in Cullyhanna that after conquering the hills of South Armagh they are heading to Enniskillen in June to have a go at the 200mile Bordertrek and some of them might attempt the Wicklow 200. Anyhow good luck to the tandem bikers. A big thank you to John Ruddell from Ards CC who stood in at short notice for the ever reliable pilot Liam Murtagh and likewise Michael Smith Carrickmacross CC who allowed Danny McSherry the opportunity to drive the sweeper van
BANANNAS
You can’t cycle without food and thanks to all club members who supplied sandwiches for the halfway stop and to the helpers who organised the food stop in Cullyhanna Community Centre. To the Cullyhanna GFC management committee we thank them for the use of the Community Centre. To the caretaker Patsy, Frances and Fiona O’Neill, Slonnia O’Grady, Anne McCann, Sean Morgan and Raymond McKenna who served the tea and sandwhiches.
ORGANISATION
Club Treasurer Raymond McKenna hadn’t time to cycle as he dealt with the administration and overall organisation of the tour. When I spoke to him during his tea making duties in Cullyhanna he commented, “This is the most successful May tour that we have run and it is due to our professional approach” Club Press Officer Danny McSherry commented, “I can’t disagree with that but to have a grand day of sunshine during such an inclement spell of weather was a great lift and would have contributed to the great turn out of cyclists representing 18 different cycling clubs from Ards to Dublin and from Dundalk to Limavady. The fact that we changed from a Sunday to a Saturday to accommodate the Ras seems to have had a positive effect as our numbers are up 25% on last year”
SCENERY
Talking to various cyclists as they cycled past Creggan down into Forkhill and up to Meigh, many of the cyclists who were doing it for the first commented on the beautiful scenery and the hills which made the tour an ideal route for those training for the Wicklow 200 on Sunday 10th June.
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| Newry Fire Fighters exausted after their 100 mile cycle |
MEDALS
Back in the Mountain House after climbing Sturgan brae and Lislea hill a bowl of soup along with tea and sandwiches was much appreciated. Thanks to Jim Rocks for the use of his premises and to Michael Smith for providing the catering. Last word goes to a young man from Malahide. Tony who has no sight rode the 60 mile tour on the back of a tandem with a guy from Ards who he had never met before had this to say, “It was an absolutely brilliant tour and the marshalling was excellent. I am visually impaired and at times I had doubts regarding the sight of my new pilot for the day as apparently he took a wrong turning leaving Newtownhamilton. God knows where we were heading for until we were rescued by Danny in the sweeper van. For all that cycling in South Armagh is the best and I loved those wee mountain climbs you call ‘hills’!. Thanks to Slieve Gullion Wheelers for organising such a fine tour and this beautiful medal I will treasure as a momentum of my visit to the North and especially the Ring of Gullion.”
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