Meath team featured in first eight-day Ras

The inaugural Ras Tailteann under the auspices of the National Cycling Association (NCA) took place as a two-day event in 1953, but in 1954 the first eight-day event was scheduled.

Meath was well represented in the 1954 race with a team that comprised of members of Navan Road Club flying the Royal County flag.

That team comprised Tom Gerrard, Frank Reilly, Leo Collins, Tommy Flanagan, Tommy Healy and Seamus Melia.

Some 52 rides participated in the 1953 race that covered 200 miles with the start from the GPO in Dublin's O'Connell St.

All the cyclists were members of the NCA and were duly banned from international competition because their association refused to recognise partition.

The first winner was Colm Christle and the route was Dublin to Wexford and back.

The route also took in Dublin and Wexford in 1954 with the cyclists then heading for Cork, Tralee, Ennis, Galway, Athlone, Armagh, Newry and back to Dublin.

Some 60 riders lined up for the start of the 1954 event, six county teams, four club teams, two provincial teams and a number of individual entries.

Navan Road Club's Tommy Flanagan won the stage from Galway to Athlone, but the race was marred by a fatal accident ourtside Tralee.

Andy Christle was providing motorbike support and was on his way to check on his brother Colm who was competing, but unfortunately was involved in a collision with a car.

Despite the tragedy, the race continued and proved an overwhelming success attracting large crowds to watch the riders as they finished each day.

Meath man Ben McKenna won the race in 1959 at the age of 19, he rode in his first Ras in 1956, he was third in 1957 and second in 1958.

A decade after the first Meath team competed, there was a team victory for Meath in 1964, the first of many wins for Royal County cyclists.

Some of those cyclists included Brian Connaughton, Seamus Kennedy, Gabriel Howard, Mick and Colm Nulty, Philip Cassidy, Noel Clarke, Larry Clarke and Mick Creighton.