Paul "Paudie" Fitzgerald (5 December 1933 – 3 December 2020) was an Irish

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

. He won the

Rás Tailteann Rás Tailteann (; "Tailteann Race"), often shortened to the Rás, is an annual international cycling stage race, held in Ireland. Traditionally held in May, the race returned after a hiatus in 2022 as 5 day event held in June. By naming the rac ...

in 1956. He was also known for a failed attempt to represent

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

at the

1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...

Early life

Fitzgerald is a native of

Lispole Lios Póil (anglicized Lispole) is a Gaeltacht village in County Kerry, Ireland. It is on the Dingle Peninsula, 8 km east of the town of Dingle and 40 km west of Tralee on the N86 National Secondary Route. Transport Bus Éireann servi ...

Career

Fitzgerald started his career at grass track racing. His first big win was a race from Dublin to Galway to Dublin, for which he won a

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

for a bicycle light. Fitzgerald competed in the first Rás, in 1953. In the 1956

, Fitzgerald won two stages and the overall prize.

1956 Olympics

Fitzgerald, along with

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

and Tom Gerrard, attempted to compete for

at the team road race event at the

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. They were chosen by the 32-county

National Cycling Association The National Athletic and Cycling Association (NACA or N.A. and C.A.), from 1990 the National Athletic and Cycling Association of Ireland (NACAI or NACA(I)) was a federation of sports clubs in the island of Ireland practising athletics or bicycl ...

(NCA), which was not internationally recognised (instead, there was Cumann Rothaíochta na hÉireann and the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation). They aimed to "gate-crash" the race, remove

Union Jack The Union Jack, or Union Flag, is the ''de facto'' national flag of the United Kingdom. Although no law has been passed making the Union Flag the official national flag of the United Kingdom, it has effectively become such through precedent. ...

flags and extinguish the

Olympic flame The Olympic flame is a symbol used in the Olympic movement. It is also a symbol of continuity between ancient and modern games. Several months before the Olympic Games, the Olympic flame is lit at Olympia, Greece. This ceremony starts the Olympic ...

; they succeeded in none of these, but did attract international attention to the NCA's plight.

Later life

Fitzgerald retired from cycling in 1957. He ran a hardware shop, Fitzgerald's Homevalue, in Dingle. He was married twice and has seven children; Gaelic footballer Paul Geaney is one of his grandchildren. He lived in

Dingle Dingle (Irish language, Irish: ''An Daingean'' or ''Daingean Uí Chúis'', meaning "fort of Ó Cúis") is a town in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The only town on the Dingle Peninsula, it sits on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coas ...

and was President of Dingle Cycling Club and organised "Ride Dingle" a new Dingle-based cycling race. Fitzgerald died on 3 December 2020, aged 86.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fitzgerald, Paudie 1933 births 2020 deaths Year of birth uncertain Irish male cyclists Rás Tailteann winners Sportspeople from County Kerry