Into the East - The lazy cyclist's account

The weekend’s Into the East went extremely well. Peter Sheridan and I had the cushy job of meeting the cyclists and the various council representatives en route. But there was no cycling for us we had the luxury of doing the route in by car.

I did get to meet most of the cyclists during the weekend and no-one I spoke to had a bad word to say. Even with the hills around Rathfriland, the word on the ground was challenging!

The cycle commenced at Dundalk Institute on Saturday morning at 9am. Most of the cyclists were chomping at the bit to get away as he sun was shining and there was a great fun atmosphere. The 500 or so cyclists set off in high spirits. Cllr Jim Lennon (by the way girls- a single farmer) was on top form and made the usual remarks about the early start and coming back to Louth for a longer visit). Anyway his remarks were sincere and he wished everyone well on their challenge.

I caught up with the cyclists next at Rathfriland Community Centre, where Cllr Elizabeth Ingram took the time out of her busy council official duties to meet the cyclists. She encountered a few of her fellow council workers but with their cycling gear on they were hard to recognize!

A shower or two of rain at Rathfriland was a welcome respite from the heat but again there were no real complaints. This was the official lunch stop so the cyclist stocked up on sandwiches, bananas and chocolate bars – necessary fuel for the rest of the day’s cycling.

As they left the centre, they ascended the hill into the town with grit and determination.

As we made our way to Rostrevor, we could see that their was great camaraderie between the cyclists – people were cycling together, stopping to help one another and generally just enjoying the event. 

The next pit stop for Peter and me was Newry. The volunteers at Parc Esler, had a bit of a task to get the cyclists to stop – many of them were keen to get to the end so they could watch the rugby, the Lyons v South Africa. Others, including Bruce Holdstock from Ballymena and his South African son-in-law Kevin Doyle, decided to watch the game in Newry (needless to say it was Kevin who had the bigger smile on his face as they cycled the last 40 miles).

The cyclists then followed the picturesque route to Carlingford, the beautiful costal town overlooking the lough. From there they made their way back into Dundalk.

Back at the institute, all the cyclists crossed the line with a look of relief and exhilaration. Day one had been completed.

Later that evening, most of the participants gathered at the Fairways Hotel for the celebration dinner. The dinner was followed by a comedian (the less said about him the better) and a disco. And yes people did get on the floor to dance! There was also an impromptu session from some members of the Cross-border orchestra, a project that had been supported by Co-operation Ireland a few years ago.

Sunday morning came around very quick. Nearly everyone was ready for the off at 9.00am.  I got a lift in the lead vehicle with Anne and Diane, two keen amateur radio enthusiasts. Diane’s boyfriend was also in the car. He had completed the first day (his first time on a bike in years) but decided against day two. He too is involved in the amateur radio scene. Sitting in the car, I realized the importance of this job. They were aware of everything that was happening over the weekend and could co-ordinate all responses.

I left them at the Boyne Visitors Center or rather at the canal field, which was about 300 yards from the centre. This was the official lunch stop on day two and a great bunch of people provided refreshment for the cyclists.

Thankfully it was a very dry day as it would have been a nightmare in the rain.
Cllr. William Carey met us at the site, where he chatted to some of the cyclists. He also was able to give me the lowdown on the history of the area. He was also very keen that next year the cycle should take in more of County Meath. Something I have passed on to the powers that be.

From the Boyne site, I got a lift with another of our amateur radio crew. By the end of the journey, I was up-to-speed on the details of radio transmitters, call signs, phonetic alphabet and everything in between. And sitting in a car with a driver who has a wooden leg in definitely not for the faint hearted!

Thankfully we arrived back at base in one piece. Most of the cyclists had already finished but there were still a couple of hundred srill out on the route. Family and friends waited patiently for the return of their loved ones and when they finally finished there were smiles all around.

Everyone was thrilled with the experiences and everyone had their certificate to prove they completed it.

The Co-operation Ireland team waited to the very end to ensure every person was accounted for. Then the clean up commenced. Terry, Winnie, Janet and Tanya helped by Karen and myself ensured everything was as they found it.

There then began the journey home and the plans for next year’s challenge.