To race in the Kingdom is something special. To do so in the company of Griffin, Blackwell, Moriarty (Paddy or Eugene), Lacey or many others is more so. I recall racing through Kerry on Stage 4 or 5 of the Rás, on John Blackwell’s wheel, at the head of the race. The support and enthusiasm was incredible, as locals recognised and cheered on with contorted faces and clenched fists – “Go on Blacky, Drive on!”. The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up and I was, by now, a couple of bike lengths off his wheel such was the response of Blackwell.
It’s not often that someone tells you that you could have won that stage, especially of the Rás. Richie Beatty did. It was in 1997 that the Rás took the field from Killarney to Killorglin, very much Kingdom. Being rather excited to be riding the Rás let alone racing it, the Dublin Sorrento team of David Peelo, Keith O’Sullivan, Will Byrne, Dermot Healy and myself were managed by the great Beatty for the week. There was always a plan. This day, the climbs of Ladies View, Molls Gap, Gortadown and Coomakista would not have appealed to me at the outset, but racing and Rás racing in particular never fails to produce wonderful outcomes.
Having managed to descend Coomakista in the main field, there was a part stall through Waterville. Looking up the road, I could see an ACBB rider a hundred meters or so up the road, and past him again were 2 more, they were shifting. On the right side of the road, I jumped up and settled onto the now defunct Spinacci’s. “Up, up” I shouted to Mr. ACBB. He looked at me, but he was happy to settle back into the bunch. On up the road, and I realised that perhaps the 2 chaps were waiting for me. Could it be? It was Mark McKay and Brian Fleming, both professionals. I did a bit, and was obviously going alright, as Fleming dropped off the pace. With the Commissaire pulling the cars, the lead group of 10 or so were in sight, so much so that I could see the sparkling spokes on this beautiful day. When McKay turned to me and said, “Right mate, let’s go”, he did and I didn’t, couldn’t, match the increased tempo. I hurled a bottle into the ditch in frustration. Mc Kay got across and came second on the stage. I got caught by a chase group which included Micky Smith and Fleming, finishing 16th on the stage. As I rolled to a halt at the top of Killorglin, Beatty pottered over and offered his kind words, continuing that “if you had put as much effort into staying on his wheel as you did hurling the bottle into the ditch, you would certainly have won the stage”. For the record, Micky Smith went on to deservedly win Stage 8 into Carlow, and we won the County Team prize.
"We'd be legends in Kerry"
In 2004, I was honoured to be asked to manage the Kerry Team. Kieran McMahon, Paul Griffin, Sean Lacey, Richie Cahill and Vinny Gleeson. Bedecked in the County colours, it was soon apparent that cycling was respected as a sport in this county like none other. The support from greats like Gene Mangan and Paudie Fitzgerald, let alone stalwarts such as Tadhg Moriarty was incredible. Each wanting to be back there on the start line, yet with memories that we might never have. Through the week, we worked hard, planned well and achieved some great results. Griffin told us that we’d be legends in Kerry. Sure we were already legends in our own heads, wasn’t that enough, I thought. Into the finals days and we defended the County Team classification. To win at any level in the Rás is some achievement, and in 2004 Kerry took the Team County Title. Only a few short weeks later, our good friend Kieran Mc Mahon was tragically killed in a car crash. Kieran was, and is now the Legend.
During the course of this week, I happened upon a piece from the Kingdom Newspaper. Columnist Weeshie Fogarty had penned an article titled “Kerry’s forgotten world record breaking cyclist”. A Castlecove native, Patrick Joseph White left his beloved Kerry at 17 to travel to Dublin in 1948. While serving his apprenticeship in the Air Corps, Paddy White starting racing and became a friend of Shay Elliot. White admitted “he had a huge influence on my career, as Elliott’s gruelling mountain training helped me build up tremendous strength and stamina that pushed me to become one of Ireland’s top time triallists”. The article continues to recount some of Whites’ achievements on the road, including All-Ireland Road Racing title in 1953 and 1954, the Army Road and Track Championships in 1953 and many other wins from 1952 to 1954. With the An Post Rás celebrating its’ 60th anniversary this year, it’s interesting to note that Paddy White won Stage 4 of the Rás, into Ennis. Unfortunately, a bad crash brought a premature end to what could have been an even more successful career. Most interesting of all is the revelation that Paddy White became the first man ever in the world to ride 100 miles in under 4 hours at Monasterevin, County Kildare, in 3 hours, 58 minutes and 16 seconds. Fogarty concludes his article by stating that Paddy White deserves to take his place among the all time greats in Kerry’s sporting hall of fame.
There is something about Kerry, the Kingdom and the Legend. Stand up Paddy White and take your deserved place.
Rás Kildara 1952, Naas, County Kildare. Distance 75 miles, organised by Kilcullen CC.
Pictured (left to right) Hal Conway (Kilcullen CC), Paddy White (Air Corps CC), Eddie Murphy (Blarney CC), Karl McCarthy (Cork), Bernie O Brien (Kildare), Johnny Crowe (Kildare) and Steve Abbott (Harp CC, Dublin)
Race Result:
- P. White
- Hal Conway
- Bernie O’Brien
- Karl McCarthy