There is a huge amount of cycling history hanging on this Irish clothes line; let us talk you through it.
Anybody currently racing on the Irish scene or who has been involved in road racing in Ireland at any point since the 1970s will know Gay and Kay Howard.
From Stamullen in Co Meath, the Howards have worked for decades to promote cycling and they truly are legends in their own lifetime.
Gay raced himself and even won a stage of the Rás. They have been the key drivers of Stamullen Road Club and organise or help to organise a huge number of races, Gay often performing MC at events across the country.
Their son Seamus also raced and was a very strong rider while son-in-law Paul Slane is an Olympian and former multiple national road race champion.
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Down the years Gay and Kay have gathered some really cool cycling memorabilia. And when some of the old jersey collection was given a wash last week and hung on the line they got the camera out and Seamus recorded the clip below.
We thought it was really special and that you’d love to see it and have the background of some of these jerseys explained.
So with the help of Kay we’ve pieced together some information on each jersey, which you’ll find just below the video.
If you have any similar memorabilia and you know the story behind it, why not drop us a line? IN the meantime, enjoy this superb little piece of cycling history!
Many thanks as ever to Kay for her help on this.
The video
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History on a clothes line; left to right
- The 1962 Rás Leaders Jersey worn by the great Shay 0’Hanlon. The jersey was sponsored by The Farmer’s Journal. Interestingly, the collar and cuffs are knitted. This jersey was purchased at an Auction.
- In 1972 when the National Cycling Association (NCA) team went to the Olympics in Munich, this was the jersey worn by Gaybo Howard. The team entered the race claiming to be the real Irish team in the latest of a series of incidents in which riders from rival associations claimed to be representing the country.
- Meath Team Jersey worn in 1985 Rás. One of the members of this team was Billy Bourke from Castlebar. Billy is now a Professor in Crumlin Children’s Hospital.
- St Patrick’s Cycling Club - which was the original club in Stamullen; this is the jersey worn by members in the late 1970s.
- In 1983 Stamullen Road Club was formed and this is the first jersey worn by competitors.
- The Meath Tom Fox Team jersey worn in the 1994 Rás. Tom’s son (Ronan) is currently a member of the club.
- St Patrick’s Cycling Club’s jersey bearing the Brick & Door Store advertisement which was sponsored by Stamullen business man, Charles Whyte.
- Yellow jersey worn by Seamus Howard in 1993 stage race in Carcassone, France following a sprint finish on stage 1. Seamus lost the jersey on the mountainous stage 2.
- FBD Rás stage winners’ jersey, won by Paul Slane following stage 1 into Drogheda.
- The 1993 Tour of Ulster winners’ jersey, won by Paul Slane. Paul is the son-in-law of Gaybo & Kay Howard.
- Stamullen Road Club changes colours.
- Stamullen Road Club updates club colours.
- In 2002 Stamullen RC members were very lucky to meet up with well known business man Martin Donnelly, who generously sponsored the club and continued to do so for the following 13 years. This is the jersey worn by the members.
- Slane Cycles Jersey worn by Seamus Howard while guesting on their team.
- FBD Rás stage winners’ jersey from 2010. This jersey was presented to Gaybo Howard by a visiting team manager
- 1982 Tour de France K.O.M Polka Dot jersey. Gaybo wore this jersey ‘for the craic’ in the Coast-to-Coast from Dublin to Galway and back, where there was not a hill to be seen, only to crash on approach to Athlone on the return stage and make ribbons of the jersey!
- This is a replica of the jersey presented by the club to Robert Moore, following his second All-Ireland championship win.
- USA - Team Chevrolet-La-Sheriff skinsuit, worn by Seamus Howard while guesting with this team in France in 1993.
- The last jersey on display is the newest and present one of Stamullen Road Club members, which carries the advertisement of Fast-in-Transport. The Managing Director of this company is Simon Mulvany, who has been a member of the club for over 20-years.
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