Former world junior champion Mark Scanlon, seen here taking a Rás stage win, is a likely contender for Cycling Ireland's first 'Hall of Fame'
For such a small country, Ireland has at times in recent decades punched well above its weight on the world cycling stage.
The domestic scene has also produced some great riders who opted to stay at home and remain amateur, not to mention some really dedicated race organisers and officials, all of whom have worked tirelessly to bring us the arenas in which riders’ reputations are built and legends made.
Cycling Ireland has decided as part of its 25th year anniversary celebrations to establish a Hall of Fame and induct 25 people into it later this year. The idea has been put forward by Cuchulainn CC, who raised it at the AGM last year where delegates voted in favour of it.
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It gives the cycling community an excellent chance to look back on the careers of those, both living and deceased, who have added so much to the Irish scene and our reputation abroad.
The Hall of Fame represents a great opportunity for the cycling community to officially recognise the achievements of those people, and it will be a great honour for anybody included.
Cycling Ireland is asking its members to nominate people for inclusion.
When the nominations are received a five-person panel will be established to review the list and decide who should be included. You’ll find a link at the end of this item, so click on that and you’ll see the section of the Cycling Ireland website you need to fill out to submit your nominations.
There are many obvious choices, such as our Grand Tour riders – Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Paul Kimmage, Martin Earley, Shay Elliott, Laurence Roche, Ciaran Power and Mark Scanlon.
We have also produced some fantastic female riders, many of whom competed at a time when the sport was completely male dominated; names like Debbie Kane, Fiona Madden and Susan O’Meara most immediately spring to mind.
But there are plenty of characters from the domestic scene and indeed riders who raced abroad just below the level of the pros mentioned above. We won’t name them all here as there are simply too many and hopefully it is they, the riders, who will fill the vast majority of the 25 places in the inaugural Hall of Fame unveiled later this year.
Away from those known best for their prowess on the bike, there are a huge number of people who have put their heart and soul into the bike game largely for the good of the sport and for the benefit of others.
Top of that list is Dermot Dignam, who organised the Rás so professionally until he stepped down after last year’s event and has perhaps left a bigger legacy than anyone on the domestic front.
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Before him John Lackey organised the Tour of Ireland for years and Sam Darcy created one of the most popular events of the year in the shape of the Gorey Three Day. People like Tony Ryan who sadly recently died did an enormous amount for the sport and got so many young people into cycling.
We stress, these are just a few of the names that immediately come to mind; you will have your own ideas so make sure you make a submission.
It’s a great idea; please don’t sit back and wait for others to shape the process because it will take just a few minutes to fill out the form in the link below.
Cycling Ireland has outlined some perimeters around the selection process that you need to be familiar with before you make a submission:
• Nominations must have made a significant national impact on Irish cycling on either the sporting or administrative side - contributions as an employee will not be considered.
• Current competitors are not eligible;
• It is open to both living and deceased persons.
You can nominate up to three people and the closing date for nominations is June 30th.
http://www.cyclingireland.ie/Home/HallofFame.aspx
