Cyclists grin and Beara it
The Beara Peninsula was highlighted in all its glory last weekend when 4,500 cyclists took to its hills.
The ninth Ring of Beara Cycle on Saturday saw sunshine and warm temperatures as cyclists completed a choice of 110km or 140km routes that started and finished in Kenmare Town, and incorporated the stunning terrain of the Beara Peninsula.
Participants cycled around Beara, passing through Ardgroom, Allihies, Castletownbere, Glengarriff and Eyeries, and stopping off at various points for refreshments and rehydration. Many completed the route on electric bikes, making use of this opportunity to tackle the challenging hills, and keep up with friends and family!
Several charities and community groups are set to benefit from this year’s Ring of Beara Cycle, with an estimated total of €50,000 to be distributed amongst Castletownbere Development Association (CDA), local schools and youth groups on the Beara Peninsula, Kenmare Special Needs Group, Kenmare Family Resource Centre, Palliative Care Group Kenmare and St John of God. Since its inception, the Ring of Beara Cycle has donated over €400,000 to local charities.
The Ring of Beara Cycle delivers the busiest weekend of the year to the peninsula, with the influx of riders and their supporters resulting in over 8,000 bednights locally, local job sustainability, and contributing over €5 million in direct expenditure to the local economy.
The Ring of Beara Cycle takes the impact it makes on the Beara Peninsula very seriously. By working with local organisations and businesses, the event brings a fabulous, celebratory atmosphere to the area, as one of the most popular cycling events in the country resulting in the busiest weekend of the year for local business and tourism.
In addition to the adults’ cycle, a popular and important part of the Ring of Beara Cycle is the kids’ cycle. This happy and fun event is free for kids between 3rd and 5th class, and around 200 children took part this year in the 2km loop route of Kenmare Town, with each small cyclist receiving a coveted finisher’s medal.
The Ring of Beara Cycle Committee thanked all the local organisations, community groups and sports clubs who helped with the marshalling of the event, the food stops and at the finish line, in addition to everyone who came out to support and welcome the cyclists.
The Ring of Beara Cycle is already looking forward to holding this event again next year, with a provisional date of Saturday 25 May 2024.