Cyclists take to their bikes in memorial race for Limerick man
NEWCASTLE WEST Cycling Club are holding the annual PJ O' Riordan memorial race in Limerick this weekend, in memory of their former member and friend.
The race begins at the Community Hall in Athea at 12pm on Sunday and will feature some of the countries' top cyclists.
There are four races on the card and they will run concurrently on the 27km circuit. The circuit itself will take the riders out towards Carrigkerry and looping back around to the village via Knockdown.
PJ O’ Riordan was an active member of NCW CC and raced competitively for the club right up until his passing from cancer in 2020.
The O’ Riordan family remain very much involved in local cycling and have presented a perpetual cup and trophy in his memory.
The testing terrains around the west Limerick village has seen plenty of race action in recent years. It was the backdrop for Ras Mumhan stage finishes in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
The village itself has a long history of cycling and race promotion. It hosted weekends of racing back in the early 90s with some of the strongest domestic racers of the time all competing there.
Teddy Mulvihill was a top junior in the early 90s and he went on to have a successful couple of years on the French development circuit.
Local man Paul Collins took the A3 jersey in this year’s Ras Mumhan and will line up on Sunday as part of a strong NCW team.