Irish cycling stalwart, Gaybo Howard, is to be posthumously honoured in his home village of Stamullen, Co Meath, later this month. A memorial will be unveiled in his honour at a public event with an open invitation for members of the cycling community.
The event takes place at 2.30pm on Saturday, October 21st, and is being organised by the Howard family and Stamullen Road Club, which Gaybo founded way back in 1983.
Through the club, the sport of cycling expanded in the region while the club produced national champions, international riders and a Rás stage winner in the shape of Bill Moore. He took his victory, on the final stage of the 2005 Rás, some 40 years after Gaybo won the longest stage of the 1965 Rás.
Most people currently involved in Irish cycling will remember Gaybo for his continued involvement in cycling for many decades after he hung up his racing wheels. He wore many hats; club founder, race organiser, MC man at events and, of course, as a neutral service on the Rás, where he kept many men in the game down the years.
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Incredibly, he went on the Rás for 55 years, never missing one edition in all that time. He also ran the Stamullen Grand Prix, the Brendan Carroll Memorial, Monie and Pat Nolan Memorial and several other events including the National Road Race Championships in Stamullen.
In 1975 he completed a solo charity ride from Gormanston Beach on the east coast to Salthill in Galway on the west and back the same day to raise money to build a new Community Hall in Stamullen. That was despite having completed yet another Ras with a broken wrist a few days earlier. It was the beginning of a long commitment to raising funds for his local community and others over the years.
In 2012, Gaybo's lifelong dedication to his sport and community was recognised when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Drogheda Independent Sport Star of the Year Awards. He was honoured with life membership of Cycling Ireland in 2016 and inducted into the Cycling Ireland Hall of Fame after his untimely death in 2018.
He will be remembered by his club and community on Saturday 21st when a memorial plaque will be unveiled just up from St Patrick’s Church in Stamullen Village.
With refreshments served afterwards in Whytes Bar and Lounge and plenty of cycling chat promised, all those who knew Gaybo are invited to join family and friends for his final tribute in Stamullen on the day.
