Here's a brilliant archive film with the highlights of the first Ring of Kerry sportives in the 1980s, going as far back as the opening one in 1982 when 46 people took part.
Here’s a great little clip released by the organisers of the Ring of Kerry sportive some 3½ decades after it began.
The video rattles through the first years of the event. It’s a fascinating look at leisure cycling in 1980s Ireland.
It started in 1982 when a group of friends from Killarney dared each other to cycle around the Ring of Kerry in a day.
To put things in perspective, Stephen Roche was already becoming a star the time. He was in his second year as a pro and had won Paris-Nice in 1981.
Sean Kelly was more established; in his 7th year as a pro. He had 13 Grand Tour stage wins to his name. He took his first Tour de France points jersey in 1982.
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That year 46 people turned out for the inaugural Ring of Kerry sportive. It raised £6,000 for charity; a very tidy sum at the time.
Denis Geaney was one of the founding members. And in 1988 he was assessing numbers at the start and believed 200 or more would ride that day.
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The fundraising worked by cyclists taking a sponsorship card and returning it and the money on the day of the event.
There was zero health and safety by the look of the clip below. The number of cyclists was never properly counted and it wasn’t until months later than the sum raised was announced.
There were two neutral service vehicles and one ambulance in the first years.
Incredible as it sounds, cyclists had to stay behind a lead vehicle. Everyone pulled in at each town for a break.
And when the break was over everyone would be restarted again (not unlike a Giro final stage – Ed). Trad was played from the event vehicles to keep everyone entertained.
Despite the fact it seemed to piss rain a lot everyone hung around for a parade through Killarney in the evening after the event.
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