TRUE GRIT FOR TONY
GARDAI REMEMBER COLLEAGUE ON MEMORIAL
Hailstones, driving rain, unseasonable chill and even a busted knee were no match for the cyclists who went from Blackrock to Ballina for the Tony Golden Memorial Cycle last week.
After months of planning, the 61-strong group, mostly made up of Gardai, set off from Blackrock community centre, close to where Gda. Golden, who was murdered in Omeath in October last year, shared a home with his wife, Nicola, and three young children.
The idea for the memorial cycle came from Gda. Golden’s colleagues, who wanted to do something for their friend’s children and the money raised on the cycle will go towards the kids’ college education.
Nicola, along with Gda. Golden’s daughters, Alex and Amy, were joined in Blackrock by his brother and the four of them led the cyclists up Main Street. Before starting the cycle properly, the group, along with Gda. Golden’s family, went to his grave at St Paul’s, Heynestown where a minute’s silence was held in his memory.
The cyclists headed towards the first stop point, at Shercock in Cavan before cycling towards Butlersbridge where it had been organised for them to eat at the Butlersbridge GAA club by a Cavan-born Garda taking part in the cycle. One of the organisers, Blackrock-based Garda Declan Whelan, said the soup and sandwiches provided were ‘extremely welcome and delightful’ after the group hit cold weather and rain in Carrickmacross.
At the end of the first day, the cyclists made it to Drumshambo, Co. Leitrim around six hours after they headed off and 140kms from the start point. They were accommodated at the Lough Allen hotel, who provided dinner, bed and breakfast for the group.
Gda. Whelan explained: ‘ One of the women taking part in the cycle, who is an experienced cyclist, clipped the wheel of her bike on the one in front and fell. She refused to go to hospital and we found a GP in the area who put stitches in her knee there and then.
‘Instead of sitting it out, she carried on and completed the whole route, even though her knee started bleeding again towards the end of the final day.
‘She showed true grit, as did another female cyclist whose knee was injured and swelled up. She sat in the van for a little while and as we were going over the Ox Mountains, close to Mayo, I saw the van stopping, and she took her bike from the back and started peddling in the hailstones.
‘Everyone showed a lot of determination to finish it’.
The following day, the group was joined by a number of Gardai from Gda. Golden’s home town of Ballina, including the town’s superintendent Joe Doherty.
And Gda. Golden’s former GAA team, the Ballina Stephenites, were out in force, joining the group for the last 10kms, which was led into the club facilities by Gda. Golden’s brothers Sean, Dave and Ken. They were joined by more than 100 members of the GAA.
Gda. Golden’s mum and dad, Breege and David were at the club to welcome everyone and Mr Golden handed out finishing medals to all those who had taken part.
The group was taken to the Ballina Manor Hotel where dinner was served, offering those who were involved in this memorial cycle the opportunity to remember Gda. Golden, to swap stories about him and pay tribute to him.
Gda. Whelan said the months of pre-planning paid off in the end. He said: ‘We want to thank all the sponsors and those who stepped up to the plate to take part. There was a lot of organising involved and thankfully there was a great committee of 18 people who each had jobs to do and fulfilled their duties in this regard.
‘Each participant and member of the support crew paid for their own expenses, accommodation etc’.
And Nicola told Gda. Whelan how pleased she was that everyone who had taken part had made it to Ballina and back safely. She was particularly glad of the ‘ little touches’ - the red and green of Mayo on the cyclists’ journey and the picture of Gda. Golden attached to each bike.
Gda. Whelan said: ‘Everyone said that when the legs got tired, all they had to do was look down and see Tony and they found the energy to go on’.