Thanks | Rás na mBan

An Post Rás na mBan has come and gone for another year and it’s time to acknowledge the hard work and selfless effort from a huge team of volunteers who have helped make the 2013 edition of Ireland’s premier women’s bike race the best ever.

Operating out of a new race base in County Clare, the event has benefited from enthusiastic local support and a battalion of marshals from the various Clare cycling clubs.

That support, added to a record number of participants representing 12 different nations have helped elevate the event to a new standard and the preparation, presentation and promotion of the event have risen to match it.

This year we’ve been privileged by the assistance of one of Ireland’s true sporting heroines Sonia O’Sullivan who acted as official event ambassador and then lined up for the event as a member of the Munster Team. Her attitude and support were an example to all and we can’t thank her enough.

And we’d like to pay special tribute and express our thanks to Herman Schenk who has been bringing teams from Holland to Ireland for 20 years and who this year organised podium prizes and medals for the riders. Herman is part of the spirit of the race and we thank him for his contribution.

An Post Rás na mBan is a work in progress and the committee 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 26 years of international stage racing for women in Ireland in 2013.

We 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 2013 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.

Thank you again and take a bow, one and all!

Best regards,

Rás na mBan Committee
(Valerie, Declan, Fiona, Scott, Vincent, Dave, Ger)

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:

Classification Sponsors

Points Jersey : National Dairy Council
QOH Jersey: Irish Veterans Cycling Association IVCA
County Rider Jersey: Clare County Council
Stage Winner: Stena Line

Stage Sponsors

Stage 1: Fixx Coffee House
Stage 2: Beast of the Burren
Stage 3: Clare Sports Partnership
Stage 4: Cummins Toyota Car Centre
Stage 5: An Post
Stage 6: Inn at Dromoland

County Rider and Team Trophies

Liam Dolan: @Brightsport.ie

Other

Mary Mulqueen’s Florist – Podium Flowers
Fedaia Bikes – Junior & Vets Prize
Composite Evolution – Neutral Service
Verge Clothing –John Dempsey – Team Verge
Primes – Paul Deans

Other Contributors – Dr. Conor McGrane, Paul Atkinson
Combativity Award – Grange Café

Prizes

Pearl Izumi – Clemence Copie
DID Electrical, Herman Schenk – Bike for Air,
Joe Hollingsworth Bikes,
Fixx Coffee House

Race Patron

Sonia O’Sullivan

Cars

Lead Cars: Cummins Car Centre – Toyota Ireland
Other Race Vehicles:
Swords CC – Pat Halpin
South Dublin CC – Mick Lawless
Black Rose CC – Aidan Reade
Usher IRC – Alice Sherratt / Mick Usher

Buses & Vans

An Post – Michael Burke, Eimear Breen, EilisO’Broin
Cycling Ireland – Susan O’Meara
Olympic Council of Ireland – Martin Burke

Race Officials

Chief Commissaire – Phil O’Brien
Motorbike Commissaire – Peter Flanagan
MororbikeCommissaire (Part II) – Daragh Staunton
Commissaire II – John Breen
Commissaire II (Driver) – Mark Shannon
Commissaire III – Gary McIlroy
Time Keeper/Chief Judge – Tom Keenan
Time Keeper/Chief Assistant – Mick Lawless
Time Keeper/Chief Judge Driver – Richard Casey
Sign-on/ Results &Comm Driver – Alice Sherratt
Photo finish operator – Frank Gibson
Race Announcer & Radios – Oliver McKenna
Safety Officer – Ger Madden
Lead Car 1 – Vincent Cronin
Lead Car 2 – Dave Cormack
Lead Car 3 – John Colleran
Neutral Service Crew 1 – Scott Kinsella, John Griffin
Neutral Service Crew 2 – Gary McDonald, Scott Gerrie
Neutral Service Crew 1 (part 11 – Timmy O’Regan, Martin McDonnell
Chief Motorbike Marshal – John Ryan,
Motor Bike Marshals: – Mark Corcoran, Chris Toner, James McNally, Malcolm Goode, Brendan Boland, Michael O’Meara, Gerry Murray, Sylvester Egan
Broom Wagon – Philip Colleran
Finish Manager – Pat Halpin
Finish Assistants – Timmy O’Regan, Brian Carolan
Sign on Assistants & General – Pauline McKay
Podium Truck – Ken O’Grady MGM Training, Ennis.
Barrier Providers – Burren Cycling Club (Pat O’Donoghue, Anthony O’Hollaran)
Lisdoonvarna – Billy Archbold, Neil Hawkes Butcher’s, Post Mistress
P.A/ DJ – Martin Ginnane, Aidan Reade – Black Rose
Power Supply Day 1 – Al Braden Clare County Council
Visiting Team Liaison – Siobhan Horgan

An Gardaí Siochána

Superintendent Derek Smart
Superintendent Seamus Nolan

An Gardaí Siochána on the Race

Sergeant John Ryan, Garda John Reidy

Marshal Crews & Local Support

Burren Cycling Club – Pat O’Donoghue, Paddy Fahy and all at Burren Cycling Club
Dolmen Cycling Club – Martin McDonnell, John Colleran, Philip Colleran, Neil Bradley and all at the Dolmen Cycling Club
Clare Crusaders – Michael Chandler, Ollie Hayes and all at Clare Crusaders
RothaíochtanaSionainna – Stephen Teeling Lynch & club
Stephen Roche Atlantic Challenge – Paudge Murphy
Ennistymon Crew – Matthew Griffin and crew
Lisdoonvarna Crew – Billy Archbold and crew
Ennis Crews – All the lads (boys & girls)

Road Closure Management – Paddy Fahy – Burren Cycling Club,
John Colleran – Dolmen Cycling Club

Engineers

Eamonn O’Dea – Ennis, Pat Henchy – Gallows Hill, Eugene O’Shea – Shannon & Tony Neville – North Clare

Clare County Council

GerDollard, KathyLordan, Eilish McMahon, Monica Meehan

Ennis Town Council

Leonard Cleary, Theresa – traffic department

Race Medical Support

Race Doctor – Dr Conor McGrane
Race Doc Driver – Paul Deans
Ambulance Service – Clare
Civil Defence – Liam Griffin & Crew

Towns & Locations

Ennis, Lisdoonvarna, Carron, Ballyalla, Barefield, Crusheen, Ballyvaghan, Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus

Start Location Days 1 & 2

Glór – Gemma Carcaterra and all the staff

Child Minders

The Considines

Signage

Display Signage – Brian Walsh, Shay Donnelly – An Post
Chief Signage Manager & Crew – Vincent Cronin, Scott Kinsella, Ger Madden, Philip Colleran, John Colleran, Jason Gormley.

Representatives / Podium Presenters

An Pos – Donal Connell, Barney Whelan, Aileen Mooney
National Dairy Council – Tony Horan
Cycling Ireland – Rory Wyley, Denis Toomey, Geoff Liffey
IVCA – Paul Deans
Clare County Council – Mayor Joe Arkins, Ger Dollard – Director of Services
Clare Sports Partnership – John Sweeney, James Murrihy
DID – Barry Gardner
Burren Cycling Club – Mark Shannon, Sheila Considine
Dolmen Cycling Club – John Colleran
Balbriggan CC Rep – Vincent Cronin

Press & Photography

Photographers/Video – Black Umbrella – Jill Leonard, Adrian O’Connor
Twitter – Fiona Cooke
Web Administrator – Julia Phillips

StickyBottle.com – Conor Lally, Caroline Martinez
Irishcyclingphotos – Barry Sutton, Karen M Edwards, Paul Cooley, Tommy Campbell
Local Media – Clare Champion, Clare Herald, Clare People, Clare FM
National Media – Irish Independent – Ger Cromwell, Irish Times – Shane Stokes, RTE.ie
Race Programme layout & design – Jenny McCauley
Race ProgrammePrint Manager – Stephen Mangan – An Post
An Post Social Media Communications – Feargal Purcell, Joe Murray, Angus Laverty
PR and Race Commentary – Declan Quigley, Georgie Francis
TV Director – Stephen Vickers
TV Camera – Wojceich Musial, Adrian O’Connor – Black Umbrella
TV Sound – Andrew Phayer

Accommodation

Accommodation Officer – Fiona Cooke
Hotels – Inn at Dromoland, Rowan Tree Hostel, Old Ground Hotel

Bars

Cassidy’s Pub, Carron
Hassets Bar, Barefield
Lynch’s Hotel, Lisdoonvarna