An Post Rás na mBan is over for another year and there’s been some time to reflect on what has been, by common consent, the biggest and best edition of the race to date.Our volunteer base increased this year and, while it’s still a small tight knit team, the extra personnel helped make the pre-event preparation and the event itself probably the smoothest running I can remember.
I would like to acknowledge, on behalf of the Rás na mBan crew, the hard work and selfless effort from each and every one of the team of volunteers who have helped make the 2014 edition of Ireland’s premier women’s bike race the best ever.
For our second year in County Clare, the event has benefited once again from enthusiastic local support and the legions of marshals from the various County Clare cycling clubs for which we are very grateful. That support, added to a record 14 participant nations in the event have helped elevate the event to a new standard and the preparation, presentation and promotion of the event have once again risen to match it.
For a second year we’ve been privileged to have the assistance of one of Ireland’s true sporting heroines Sonia O’Sullivan who acted as official event ambassador, presenting the trophies on stage two and serving again as an inspiration to competitors and organisers alike.
An Post Rás na mBan remains a work in progress and all involved will continue to strive to improve the event and make it a proper showcase for women’s international bike racing in Ireland.
The event continues to flourish in spite of difficult economic conditions and this year’s edition made it 28 years of international stage racing for women in Ireland in 2014.
We would to like to say thank you and congratulations to all the managers, mechanics and masseurs who gave their time to support the riders and the race.
We’d also like to thank and congratulate all the riders in An Post Rás na mBan 2014 for their commitment, talent and fortitude throughout what was quite the toughest ever edition of the event.
The event goes from strength to strength thanks to the efforts of all associated with it.
Go raibh mile maith agaibh go léir.
Best regards,
Valerie Considine
On behalf of the Rás na mBan
On behalf of all the riders, officials, fans and supporters of An Post Rás na mBan, we’d like to express our gratitude to the following for making it the best bike race in Ireland:
Sponsors
Title Sponsor: An Post
Support
Cycling Ireland – Sports Council Geoff Liffey and the Board of Cycling Ireland
Classification Sponsors
Points Jersey : National Dairy Council
QOH Jersey: Irish Veterans Cycling Association IVCA / Wicklow 200
Best Young Rider (U23): Cycling Ireland Women’s Commission
Best Irish Rider Jersey: Clare County Council
Stage Winner: Cycling Leinster
Stage Sponsors
Stage 1: Joe Wogan Memorial (Ian Wogan)
Stage 2: Failte Ireland
Stage 3: Clare Sports Partnership
Stage 4: Fixx Coffee House
Stage 5: Beast of the Burren
Stage 6: An Post
Best Irish Rider and Best Irish Team Trophies & Finishers’ Medals
Liam Dolan @Brightsport.ie
Other
Other Contributors Paul Atkinson, Vincent Cronin, Paul Deans
Bike frame & Wheels Fuji Bicycles and Oval Concepts
Joe Daly Cycles Joe Daly Cycles Team Kit
Combativity Award Hutchinson Tyres
Stage Medals Vincent Cronin
Mary Mulqueen’s Florist Flowers
Race Patrons
Sonia O’Sullivan
Louis Moriarty
Cars
Lead Cars Jason Cummins Car Centre – Toyota Ireland
Other Race Vehicles Swords CC – Pat Halpin, Usher IRC – Mick Usher
Buses & Vans An Post – Michael Burke; Eimear Breen; Eilis O’Broin; Olympic Council of Ireland – Martin Burke; NRPT Van – Philip Finnegan
Race officials
Chief Commissaire Phil O’Brien
Commissaire I Peter Flanagan
Commissaire II Derek Webb
Commissaire III John Breen
Time Keeper/Chief Judge Gary McIlroy
Sign-on/ Results & Comm Driver Alice Sherratt
Photo finish operator Frank Gibson
Commissaire II driver Ronan Fox
Commissaire I assistant Donnie Pouliot
Race Announcer & Radios Oliver McKenna
Safety Officer/Lead Car 1 Declan Quirke
Lead Car 2 Ger Madden
Lead Car 3 Louis Moriarty
Neutral Service Crew I Scott Kinsella, John Dillon
Neutral Service Crew II Dermot McMahon, Sean McIlroy
Chief Motorbike Marshal John Ryan;
Motor Bike Marshals: Chris Toner; Rosaleen O’Connor; Kevin Cooper; James McNally; Malcolm Goode, Brendan Boland, Gerry Murray; Graham McMahon; John McKenna; Donogh McCarthy
Broom Wagon Pat Halpin
Finish Manager John Colleran
Finish Assistant & DJ Keith Hoey
Stage Coaster The Stagecoaster Crew.
Barrier Providers Burren Cycling Club (Pat O’Donoghue; Anthony O’Hollaran)
Ballyvaghan Paddy Fahy / Pat O’Donoghue
An Garda Síochána
Superintendent Derek Smart; Superintendent Seamus Nolan
An Garda Síochána on the race
Sergeant Daragh Molloy; Sergeant Paul Slattery; Garda John Reidy
Marshal Crews& Local Support
Burren Cycling Club Pat O’Donoghue; Paddy Fahy and all at Burren Cycling Club
Dolmen Cycling Club John Colleran; Philip Colleran; and all at the Dolmen Cycling Club
Clare Crusaders Michael Chandler; Ollie Hayes and all at Clare Crusaders
Rothaíochta na Sionainna Stephen Teeling Lynch & club
Ennistymon Crew Matthew Griffin & Crew
Ennis Crews All the lads (boys & girls)
Engineers
Eamonn O’Dea – Ennis; Eugene O’Shea – Shannon & Cyrill Feeney & Tony Neville – North Clare; Hugh McGrath – East Clare
Clare County Council
GerDollard; Kathy Lordan; Eilish McMahon; Monica Meehan
Ennis Town Concil
Leonard Cleary; Theresa Talty & Catherine O’Hara – traffic department
Race Medical Support
Race Doctor Dr ConorMcGrane
Race Doc Driver Paul Deans
Ambulance Service Clare Civil Defence – Noel Carmody & Crew
Emergency Medical Technician David O’Neill
Towns & Locations
Ennis; Ballyalla; Barefield; Crusheen; Ballyvaghan;
Start Location Days 1 & 5
Inn at Dromoland
Start Location Day 2
Loophead Lighthouse
Signage
Display Signage Brian Walsh; Shay Donnelly – An Post
Chief Signage Manager & Crew Vincent Cronin; Scott Kinsella; Ger Madden; Keith Hoey; Dave Cormack
Sign Poles & Bases Tony Campbell – An Post Rás
Representatives / Podium Presenters
An PostDonal Connell; Barney Whelan; Aileen Mooney
National Dairy council Tony Horan; Zoe Kavanagh
Race Patron Sonia O’Sullivan
Major Cycling Fan Conrad McCullough
Cycling Ireland Denis Toomey
Cycling Leinster Margaret Donnelly and all at Cycling Leinster
Joe Wogan Memorial Ian Wogan
Clare County Council Mayor Cllr. John Crowe; Ger Dollard – Director of Services
IVCA Paul Deans, John Lawless, Paddy Fitzsimons, Ciarán Farrell & IVCA Executive
Failte Ireland Michael Fitzsimons; Marian Leydon
Fixx Coffee Ger Madden
Clare Cycling Ladies Patricia Blake
Clare Sports Partnership John Sweeney
Stage/Press Assistant Caroline Martinez
Entertainment – Quiz
Eddie Lynch
Press, Photography, Social Media
PRO Declan Quigley
Photographer Lorraine O’Sullivan
Social Media Fiona Cooke; Georgie Francis
Web Administrator Julia Phillips
An Post Social Media Communications Feargal Purcell; Joe Murray; Angus Laverty
Media
StickyBottle.com Conor Lally
Irishcyclingphotos Barry Sutton; Karen M Edwards; Tommy Campbell;
Local Media Clare Champion; Clare Herald; Clare People; Clare FM
National Media Irish Independent – Ger Cromwell, Ciarán Lennon; Irish Times – Shane Stokes; RTE.ie; Her.ie
Race Manual
Race Programme layout & design Zinc Design
Race Programme Print Manager Stephen Mangan – An Post
Race Commentary
Race Commentary Declan Quigley
Race Commentary stage 4 Fiona Cooke
TV
TV Director/Producer Declan Quigley
TV Camera Wojciech Musial; Dónal Glackin
Accommodation
Accommodation Officer Fiona Cooke
Hotels Inn at Dromoland; Rowan Tree Hostel;
Catering Hassett’s Bar, Barefield; Logues Hotel, Ballyvaghan.
