Beautiful day for Dunboyne as Rás heads into the west

Against the backdrop of U2's 'Beautiful Day' blaring out over the loudspeakers the 175 cyclists involved in this year's An Post Rás set out from Dunboyne soon after midday on Sunday. It wasn't the heat of the midday sun that worried the cyclists. Of far more concern was the strong cool breeze that blew forcefully from the west. The riders, watched by a large contingent of curious onlookers, headed out the Maynooth road straight into the stiff breeze on the first stage of the morale-testing, eight-stage 1,247-kilometre race. Their destination that evening was Portumna in Galway, the first stage of an event that is the Grand National of the Irish cycling scene. This was the second year the famous race started in Dunboyne and the place was a bustling centre of activity and colour. The village green was covered with tents offering anything from a cup of coffee to a spare wheel. The colour was mostly provided by the cyclists from the various Irish teams as well as those from countries such as New Zealand, Italy and Australia. The start of the Rás was the focal point of the two-day 'Dunboyne Festival of Cycling' and on Sunday celebrity-watchers would have had a field day. Out and about early was Bill Cullen and Jackie Lavin, better known to many from the 'The Apprentice.' GAA president Christy Cooney was also present. They were in Dunboyne to promote the charity fundraiser 'Race the Ras' which set out from Dunboyne early on Sunday morning. Among those who took part was Graham Geraghty, newly recalled to the Meath senior football panel. It was understood that he was only cycling part of the way as he had to play in a challenge for Meath later that day. Cullen is a big fan of cycling. "When we're down in Killarney we have our bikes down there, we go around the lakes most weekends, we've done the famous Ring of Kerry cycle a couple of times. What's fantastic about that is that it's 110 miles all in the one day and our great friend, Mick O'Connell aged 74, is always in the top 10," Cullen told the Meath Chronicle. "Cycling is one of the great ways of staying fit if you want to live long. My grandmother, she wouldn't give us any bus fare, you walked everywhere, 'use them legs son, that's what you got them for,' she'd say. A great way to exercise is on a bike, it's the best thing you could do. If you get on a bike and do five or 10 miles a day, fantastic, you'll live to be 100." Cullen pointed out that among those who showed up on Sunday was Micheal O Muircheartaigh. "He's 80 and exercises for an hour every day," he added. Watching the Rás get underway from Dunboyne with perhaps a little more interest than most was former Irish boxing champion Mick Dowling. His son, Mark, was one of those cyclists who lined up at the start on Sunday as part of the Meath Dectek selection. Mick Dowling is very familiar with the demands placed on anyone who steps into a boxing ring in search of fame and glory. He spoke admiringly of "the super human standard of fitness" required of cyclists. Mark Dowling is one of the younger generation of cyclists around, but there were others from a by-gone era in Dunboyne on Sunday - Seamus Kennedy from Kilcloon who took part in the Rás 18 times, winning it once in 1978. Kennedy spoke of how exhilarating the race can be if everything is going your way. On the flip side there were the bad days and how mind-numbing and exhausting it can be if it doesn't happen and the leading pack pull away. Kennedy pointed out how he is one of four Rás winners currently residing in the Dunboyne area. The others are Philip Cassidy, Colm Nulty and Brian Connaughton. Also there on Sunday morning was Gay Howard from the Stamullen M Donnelly club whose involvement in the Rás goes back to the early 1960s. He rode in the event 21 times and knows all about the pitfalls involved. These days he helps provide back-up and support for the cyclists. At the other end of the scale were young riders like Declan Byrne from Navan who was taking part in the Rás for the first time as a member of the Meath Martin Donnelly team. A bike mechanic in Halfords, Navan, Byrne was looking to stay with the main bunch and take it from there. His father Declan Byrne senior, won national titles in athletics and he was helping Declan junior get ready on Sunday. He wasn't envying the arduous week his son faced on the highways and byways of Ireland. One of Declan Byrne's team mates in the Ras is John Sower. Shortly before the Ras got underway he was putting the finishing touches to his preparations and getting ready to say goodbye to his wife Patsy and their two small children. A week away from home was one of the sacrifices he was prepared to make. He was asked to step in for the injured Colin Robinson and he felt once his chance came to participate in the Rás he should grab it. The cyclists departed Dunboyne with the cheers of spectators and the music of U2 ringing in their ears. They had 1,247 kilometres to go on their adventure into the unknown.