YESTERYEARS: Tour de France passes through Carrick-on-Suir - people support Sean Kelly

For our YESTERYEARS feature this week we go back a quarter of a century (July 18, 1998) to what was an iconic week in the sporting annals of Tipperary with the Tour de France passing through the town of Carrick-on-Suir.
The lead story, written by Eamon Lacey, was headlined “Kelly snub angers Carrick” and it detailed how the town had erupted in Tour de France glory the previous Monday, restoring Sean Kelly as the undisputed king of cycling after a controversial ‘Le Tour’ launch snub. His home town, and the legion of cycling fans that descended from all over the country on Carrick-on-Suir, stood full square behind Sean Kelly, angered by his treatement by RTE. The huge gathering were there to witness history but also in tribute to Kelly who had worked so hard for years to bring ‘Le Tour’ to Ireland.

In another front page story Aodhán Ó Faoláin reported that there was major relief in south Tipperary as Kickham Barracks was not included in Defence Minister Michael Smith’s list of army bases to be closed. The Nationalist was reassured by the Department of Defence that the barracks wasn’t one of the six bases on the Minister’s hit list.

Yesteryears: Ultimatum to Tipperary factory workers - sign or the plant closes

Also on that week’s front page we reported that vandalism had been carried out against some of the large flower pots placed around Clonmel on a week when everyone wanted the town to look at its best with the Tour de France passing through south Tipperary. The pots were in place as part of the ‘Clonmel in Bloom’ year and the wanton vandalism, which upset very many residents, was condemned by Clonmel Corporation head gardener Paddy O’Keeffe and the then president of Clonmel Chamber, the late Des Delahunty.

On a very newsy front page we also informed readers that Cashel’s Brú Ború performing troupe were preparing for the trip of a lifetime. They had received an official invitation to bring their internationally renowed traditional Irish show to China. This was announced by the Chinese Ambassador to Ireland, Mr Zheng Jinjong, when he attended a performance at the Brú Ború cultural centre the previous Saturday night.

Also we reported that a major cost cutting drive by South Eastern Health Board management would close 25 surgical beds at Our Lady’s Hospital in Cashel for a month (summer time) and the beds would also be closed for two weeks in December in measures that would save the board £75,000.