The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Castleisland to miss out on stage end as Rás Tailteann is postponed
CASTLEISLAND suffered its second major sporting loss this week following on from the closure of the Castleisland Golf Club. On Friday Cáirde Rás Tailteann announced its decision to postpone the 2020 Rás Tailteann due to Covid 19 which was due to return to the roads of Ireland in June 2020 after a hiatus in 2019. The race was due to have a stage end in Castleisland bringing with it a major financial boost to the town. Castleisland has hosted numerous stage ends over the decades.
“Considering the nature of the public health emergency Ireland and the world is currently dealing with and the progressive evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Cáirde Rás Tailteann has decided that it is in the best interests of everyone associated with the event and the wider public to temporarily postpone the 2020 event from its planned start date on June 10th next,” said Eugene Moriarty, the 2020 Race Director.
Listowel native, Moriarty, is no stranger to the Ras Tailteann having participated in this iconic event on a staggering 21 occasions since he took up the sport in 1984 with Listowel Cycling Club. He has a string of minor finishing stage successes to his credit. Followers of the sport will remember the final stage end of the 1999 Ras Tailteann on O’Connell Street, Dublin where he was pipped on the line for a stage win after an incredible race around the streets of Dublin.
A full time athlete from 1996 to 2005, Moriarty is now on the board of Cycling Ireland and is based in Holland.
Cáirde Rás Tailteann will continue to monitor the situation and provide any updates that may be relevant as more information becomes available. “We had capped the Ras at 175 cyclists representing 35 team with 10 teams coming in from outside Ireland. The standard of these teams would be similar to our own Irish rides. We will continue to work with Cycling Ireland to promote the event on any suitable date that may become available before the end of the 2020 season. We will reassess the situation in the first week of June and release a formal update thereafter.”