Barry and McCaughey lead the way at Irish Masters TT Championships

*Stuart McCaughey was fastest in the men's combined field at the Irish Masters TT Championships while Aishling Barry claimed the women's Irish crown (Photo: Sharon McFarland)*

Aishling Barry (Lucan CRC) and Stuart McCaughey (Phoenix Cycling Club) were fastest of the full women's and men's fields at the Masters National TT Championships in Co Mayo today.

Barry led in a women's podium that also included Karen Hull (Phoenix CC) and Diane Behan (Dungarvan CC); putting in as very strong performance over the 30km course that saw her take the 2024 Irish crown by some margin.

In the men's race, McCaughey was quickest but as the championships were split into more categories this year - rather than medals based on the usual 10-year bands - he ran out the winner in the Masters 45-49 category rather than being Masters 40 champion.

And it was Paul Kennedy (Team Skyline) who claimed the Masters 40-44 title, though the Masters 40-44 Gran Fondo TT world champion was 20 seconds slowed than McCaughey today.

Kennedy stopped the clock at 39:30, in the Masters 40-44 category, some 40 seconds up on silver medal winner Marcus Flavin of Dungarvan CC (40:10), with Gary Cranston of AHC Racing taking 3rd just three seconds off Flavin, clocking 40:13.

Erwin McKee of Banbridge CC was 4th and he also went very close to a medal. His 40:15 was just two seconds off Cranston in 3rd and five seconds off Flavin in 2nd place.

In the 45-49 men's race, McCaughey - clearly absolutely flying today - stopped the clock at 39:10, which was 57 seconds up on Barry Holian of Western Lakes CC, who took silver in 41:07. Rob Jennings (Lucan CRC) was 3rd in a time of 41:18.

As was the case in the two men's masters 40 categories, the fastest time of the riders over the age of 50 years was ridden by a rider in the upper end of that age bracket; Greg Swinand (Dan Morrissey-Primór by Pissei) recording a time of 39:36.

That was a very competitive time by Swinand - a multiple winner in the road races and TTs at the Masters championships down the years - and was the third quickest of all of the Masters men today, beaten only by the other champions Kennedy and McCaughey.

In the Masters 50-54 race, Mel McShane kept the title in the west; the Sligo Cycling Team rider recording a time of 41:47 to take the crown for 2024. Noel Conway of Bray Wheelers CC was 2nd, with 42:06, while Philip McLoughlin (Banbridge CC) claimed 3rd on 42:18.