With the AGM tonight, it's a perfect time to flick back through the end-of-season prize-giving. With plenty of photos thanks to Valdis Andersons, have a read through below!
Women’s Beginner Group
A group of 60 women joined the club in July all with a common goal… to become better cyclists. Take a look at what they got up to over the summer
Clare Keogh was so inspired by her experiences in Orwell that she decided to write a poem about it.
On a cloudy July summer evening
We gathered to try make our mark
Having followed our WhatsApp Directions
To the racetrack they call Corkagh Park
We nervously started to assemble
As we all tried to keep a cool head
When suddenly we appeared to be blinded
By a vision of Orange and Red
We were welcomed by so many helpers
Mostly dressed in their jerseys of green
We were swiftly put through our paces
And the evening went like a dream
We soon progressed to our group spins
Getting fitter and learning new skills
This cycling lark seemed to be easy
‘Til we started to climb Wicklow hills
You could hear the puffing and panting
Up the Poggio and Mountain of Butter
Eventually we would come to the downhill
As we descended our hearts were a flutter
We were never far from our mentors
As we embraced our new cycling life
But we have to give special mention
To Messrs Orange and Swiss Army Knife
We had scones with Denis in Russborough
Had our saddles adjusted by Lou
Drank lattes with John and Muirna
And ate muffins with berries of blue
We were minded by great Orwell leaders
Such as Fergal and cool Warren Cray
Met Nicole, Simon and Helen
But our favourite is dear Leonard Kaye
Now Leonard you’re our super hero
You encouraged us lots and lots
We thank you for those brilliant memories
Captured in great photo shots
We learned about gearing and cadence
As we cycled through country and town
We even had to learn a new language
Shouting “Surface”, “Car Up” and “Car Down”!
We cruised over hills and viewed landmarks
Watching animals eating their clover
And just as we tried take it easy
Gerard Coffey would shout "Up and Over!"
We would often ask “are we there yet”?
Eating bananas which had turned to mush
Then Rodney would shout from behind us
Come on Ladies, “Push Push Push!”
We built up to the Great Dublin Bike Ride
Our first sportive and 100k course
We manoeuvred through traffic and obstacles
Including a Boy on a Horse!
We finished with great jubilation
Our training had helped us to pedal
We eventually arrived back in Smithfield
Got some goodies and even a medal
We’re sincerely grateful to Ann Horan
Her planning skills brilliant and clever
May new friendships remain for a long time
Here’s to Orwell – Best Cycling Club Ever!
I’d like to say a huge thanks to the many volunteers who helped out. However two men deserve a very special mention. These guys have the cleanest bikes in the club and are always impeccably dressed in their distinctive cycling kit. They gave up their time to take the ladies out on three spins every week since the programme started and have continued to support them in the lead up to the winter spins.
Orange Gerry and Rodney
League Top Ten
First and foremost, thank you to Eddy Lane and Damien Long.
The race organisers week to week include Dave Mc, John Twomey, Denis Gleeson, Dave Hendron, Jen Sheridan, and Paul Tansey.
Dave Mc has made the TTs his own, and between the seeded start lists, the TTT handicapping system, and the exhaustive lists of PBs, improvements and results, he's really made the events a pleasure to participate in (even if we have to suffer on the road).
Dick O'Brien organised the marshalling roster, and Brian McArdle sorts the results every week.
10 Stephen Rowan
9 Mark Holland
8 Valdis Andersons
7 Dick O’Brien
6 Jamie Busher
5 Pat O’Brien
4 Stephen Barry
Leisure Prizes
Most Social Cyclists
Robert Tully and George Kelly
County Rider of the Year (person who got most points within the 32 counties)
Maeve Quigley
Rookie of the Year
John Kirby
Championship Medals
25 Mile T.T. Championship
Men
G Tom Blennerhassett
S Brian McArdle
B Dick O’Brien
Women
G Ann Horan
S Brianne Mulvihill
B Helen Horan
10 Mile T.T. Championship
Men
G Dick O’Brien
S Brian McArdle
B Valdis Andersons
Women
G Aideen Keenan
S Brianne Mulvihill
B Ann Horan
Youth / Junior (first Orwell underage champs in 25 years)
G Conor Murnane
S Sean Murnane
B Eoin Byrne
Hill Climb Championship
Men
G Fionn Sheridan
S Brian McArdle
B Bryan Geary
Women
G Aideen Keenan
S Ciara Kinch
B Ann Horan
Special Prizes
Special Thanks
Stephen O’Shea
Spirit of Sportive
Gerry Coffey
Leisure Competition
Team Prize
The Yellow team.
- Eugéne Dillon
- Andrew Potts
- Stephen Kerr
- Colm Featherstone (c)
- Billy Parker
- Sandra Kenny
- Siobhain Duggan
- Bruce Campbell
- Elizabeth Catterall
- Jonny O'Reilly
- John Blennerhassett
- Rebecca Byrne
- Tommy Smith
- David Donohoe
- Michael Hanley
- Simon Kelehan
- Lorcan Lynch
- Stephen Downey
- Kevin Hayes
- Dan Coulcher
- Greg O'Donnell
- Peter Carty
- Sarah Buckley
- Tom McUileagoid
- Olivia Quill
- Declan Scallan
- Dave Tansey
- Derek Handley
- Paul Perry
- Eoin Byrne
- Barry Martin
- Peter Gerrard
- Darragh Boyd
- Colm Egan
- Paula Fyans
Individual prizes
1 Eugéne Dillon
2 Maeve Quigley
3 John Kirby
Colm Featherstone on stage as Eugéne Dillon is presented his winner's jersey by Maria Connaughton (Spin11)
Racing Trophies
Best All Rounder
Men
1 Brian McArdle
2 Dick O’Brien
3 Valdis Andersons
Women
1 Ann Horan
2 Naoise Sheridan
Road Race Championship
Women's prizes
1 Helen Horan
2 Aideen Keenan
3 Ciara Kinch
Men's medals
G Conor Murnane
S Bryan Geary
B Valdis Andersons
Club League
Women
1 Ann Horan
2 Helen Horan
3 Aideen Keenan
Men
1 Brian McArdle
2 Sean Murnane
3 Conor Murnane
Club Prizes
Two prizes to present in tandem - best newcomer and most improved. Both of these had quite a few worthy contenders, many of which came from one grouping. We’d like to call them all up on stage to give some recognition to our A4 racers! They’re not all A4 still, some have moved on to A3, but between them they clocked up a huge seven open race wins during the season against 1500 competitors:
- Brendan Lawless - St Patrick’s Day race, Summerhill
- Mark Holland - Dunsany
- Paul Perry - Sean Nolan GP, Navan
- Garry Blair - Boyne GP, Slane
- Stephen Barry - Barrow GP
- Freddie Stevens - Tralee Manor West and Mark Hayden Memorial, Carlow
Too many placings to mention and superb teamwork from Paul Kane, Daragh Boyd, Ken O’Neill, Shane Toman, Kilian Doyle, Jules De Meester, Jules Cantwell, Scott Gilchrist, Graham Scanlon… and plenty more. Great camaraderie and bonding among the group, with special thanks to Dave Mc for his guidance.
Most improved
From these, it was tough to pick out any one person for most improved, but we decided upon a man who hasn’t gotten the public fame that the others have, has been knocking around for a few years, but really broke through this year, picking up his upgrade to A3 in just two quick results, as well as a few results in the club league. He came close to winning this award a couple of years ago, but made the leap in performance this year to win it outright!
Daragh Boyd
Best Newcomer
The best newcomer was a little easier, because this man set himself apart early in the season, before he’d even done an open race, by offering to give up his weekend to help out the women in the Newcastle West 2 Day. Following that, he started racing at the beginning of the summer, and timed his placings perfectly to earn his upgrade with the last race of the season - meaning he topped the end of year A4 rankings and headlined StickyBottle. A strong showing in the league saw him finish tenth overall there. He can also be found taking part in the leisure side, at TKAS and the Wicklow 200, and also volunteered to marshal at the Randonnée. And all this in his first year in the club!
Stephen Rowan
Best Young Rider
With so many of our youth and junior riders performing well on the club and open scenes, this was a close call. It came down to four riders, but the decision went in favour of one of our most prolific and dedicated riders. They've all represented Leinster at some point this year, which is an award in itself.
Andrew Ryan won 2 Leinster and 1 National medals on the track, and was overall one of our most prolific placers in both Open and track racing this year on his first season of racing. He also won a Leinster medal on the road.
Sean Murnane won a pair of Leinster medals on the track, placed 2nd overall in the club league, and placed regularly in Open racing from start to end of season. His best performances were often in the club league, where he regularly matched or outperformed his elder brother (and everyone else as well). I'd mention Sean's Leinster road race bronze, his overall win in the Duane Delaney memorial,
Conor Murnane also won a pair of Leinster medals on the track, a podium in the club league overall and the club road race championships. Though he probably had the fewest Open results of the four his placings were perhaps the most impressive as they were all taken from 2nd or 3rd cat Senior fields. His palmares for the year might have looked a lot more impressive but for the Junior men's National track champs being cancelled, from which he would have been expected to place well and potentially even win a National title. Conor's winning of the Kieran Hammond memorial trophy, the first Junior to do so since 2006,
However, the winner of the trophy won 5 National medals on both track and road, and narrowly missed out on a podium in the Junior National road race. She was ranked 3rd Junior woman at the end of the season, good enough for 34th overall. She didn't often place outside of her target events, but she pretty much never failed to place on the big days, and is ambitious enough to target national records even when she’s off form! And she finished off the season with selection for the Irish team in Belgium.
Naoise Sheridan
Club Person of the Year
The last award is reserved for a person who has devoted every waking hour to the club this year. With not one but two roles on the committee, she’s ever present across the forum, Facebook, email and several WhatsApp groups.
This year alone she’s organised a table quiz, two barbecues, this prize-giving, a future Christmas party, two weekends away, and too many official and unofficial social nights to mention.
She was instrumental in organising talks and sessions to help out novice racers and cyclists, cajoling and coaxing various members to help out at women’s races, persuading the women themselves to race, and finally, running a dedicated six-week programme to bring about sixty new women into the club, and bring them to a level of competence and confidence where they could take part in and complete the Great Dublin Bike Ride!
All while she was racing throughout the year, taking the women’s overall in the club league, and a podium finish in the Joe Daly Cycles National League against opposition from any number of clubs!
No surprise for this winner, you’ve seen her on the stage several times already...
Ann Horan
Thanks to everyone who made the prize-giving night happen, especially our MC Paul Tansey.
