The death has occurred of 1956 Rás Tailteann winner Paudie Fitzgerald. From Lispole in Co Kerry, he was aged 83 years.
Fitzgerald won two stages and the overall in the Rás, in
its fledgling years, when riding on the Kerry team which also included Gene
Mangan, Paddy O’Callaghan, John Switzer, Jackie O’
Connor and Paddy Moriarty.
While a rider protest by the 32-county National Cycling Association (NCA) at the 1972 Olympics in Munich is often remembered in the media and history books, Fitzgerald was one of three riders who staged a similar protest in 1956, his best season on the bike.
At the time, two cycling federations in Ireland were
internationally recognised; the six-county Northern Ireland Cycling Federation
and the 26-county Cumann Rothaíochta na hÉireann (CRE)
However, the NCA believed it had a right to represent Ireland and on a number of occasions it selected its own Irish team and sent them to Olympic Games and World Championships in a bid to join the races and garner publicity in their battle for recognition.
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Fitzgerald was involved in one such protest at the Melbourne Games in 1956 when he teamed up with Meath riders Tom Flanagan and Tom Gerrard, who was living in Melbourne at the time, in a bid to join the road race, held in December.
They were spotted on the start line and singled out to
officials by other riders but refused to leave the start line. The race was
delayed until the police arrived and the three riders were taken away.
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Fitzgerald was interviewed by The Age, an Australian news paper, 14 years ago on the occasion of the 50-year anniversary of the protest that made front page news in Australia and at home and he said he was happy for people to know he had gone to the Olympics.
"The next
thing is always, 'And how did you get on'," he said of always being asked
about the trip. "And I have to say, 'I was arrested'.
"The race was held up for 15 minutes while they got
warrants for our arrest. We were released halfway through the race, without
charge.”
He had hoped to lead the race for a lap but while he
never managed to do so, he was glad he went and said many people, including the
Irish, in Australia supported him and his team mates.
Fitzgerald – known as Paudie Fitz – explained there were several fundraisers held for the trio of Irish riders and that he landed back in Kerry with more money than he left and to a hero’s welcome “like a prize pig”.
When he arrived he was welcomed back with bonfires and a torch-lit gathering, with £200 in his pocket despite having left home with £100.
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