F.B.D. Rás – Ireland’s Bike Race and the Carlow Connections

Since the first “Rás Tailteann in 1953 every year this cycle race has become a traditional and popular fixture on the Irish sporting calendar. From it initial two days it is now a seven day round Ireland race and is included in the Union Cycliste Internationale Continental Calendar. It is a race that pitches both professional and amateurs against each other and includes a significant participation from cycling teams from abroad ensuring that over 150 riders take to the starting line.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FBD Rás 2005 Race Programme Cover. Photo Carlow County Museum, ccm 05-100. Reproduced with the kind permission of the FBB Rás.

The Ras was the concept of Joe Christle from Offaly but whose mother, Johanna O’Keeffe is from Leighlinbridge. Co. Carlow. This link was important to Joe as he used the family farm in Leighlinbridge as a training camp for riding enthusiasts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 2004 FBD Rás descending from Mount Leinster enroute to the stage finish in Tullow.

One of the traditional team entries in the Rás is the county team and that tradition is still carried on today. There has been a Carlow team entered sporadically throughout the Ras history, first appearing in the 1964  . In 1973 brought Carlow its first and only winner of the Ras when Mike O’Donoghue sponsored by local mineral water company Corcoran’s won the race.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005 FBD Rás climbing to the summit of the Category 1 Climb at the Butts, Old Leighlin. The green and polka dot jerseys keeping a close on the yellow jersey!

The Rás has produced a number of important Irish cyclists over the years and its most famous is probably Stephen Roche who won the Rás in 1979, later in 1987 he became the second cyclist after Dutch cyclist Eddie Merckx to win the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championships in the one season.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005 FBD Rás race leaders speeding past the Ridge Bar, Old Leighlin enroute to the stage finish in Abbeyleix, Co. Laois.

The Rás regularly passes through County Carlow, in 2004 there was an exciting climb over Mount Leinster in the Blackstairs with a stage finish in the square in Tullow, Co. Carlow. In 2005 the Rás came into the county along the main road from Kilkenny (N9) and headed up the category 1 climb up to the top of the Butts above Old Leighlin, incidentally close to the home of Joe’s mother Johanna. This years Rás again came through Tullow and followed the N81 road to the stage finish in Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2005 FBD Rás passing by Dr. Cullen Park, the county grounds of Carlow’s GAA in Carlow Town.