The Tour of Ireland (
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
: Turas na hÉireann, known from 1985 to 1992 as the Nissan Classic) was a
bicycle stage race held in August, which ran for 35 editions over a 56-year period. Irish rider
Seán Kelly recorded the most wins, four.
The first Tour of Ireland race debuted in 1953 and ran until 1957. It was revived in 1965 and ran until 1985. In 1985 the 5-day ''Nissan International Classic'' took over as the Tour of Ireland. This lasted for 8 years until 1992. The race returned 15 years later, in 2007, as the Tour of Ireland and was part of the
UCI Europe Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
. The organisers confirmed on 1 June 2010 that the 2010 race would not take place due to a financial shortfall, and as of 2019, there is no further news of a revival.
History
Origins, 1950s
The original ''Tour of Ireland'' was a cycling stage race run in Ireland between 1953 and 1984, and organised by the internationally-recognised governing body, Cumann Rothaíochta na hÉireann (CRE), later reformed as the
Federation of Irish Cyclists. In 1953 the
Irish Government
The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.
The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...
initiated
An Tóstal, a cultural festival, and asked all Irish
sporting bodies to participate. As part of this the CRE ran a four-day Tour of Ireland. With sponsorship from An Tostal, Aspro and
Hercules cycles
The Hercules Cycle and Motor Company Limited was a British bicycle manufacturer founded on 9 September 1910 in Aston in England.Company registration 111679: Companies House – http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
The name Hercules was chosen for ...
, the event was known as the Tostal Tour and was a big success throughout most of the country, although it was said to have "had a hard time in the NCA heartlands of
Kerry
Kerry or Kerri may refer to:
* Kerry (name), a given name and surname of Gaelic origin (including a list of people with the name)
Places
* Kerry, Queensland, Australia
* County Kerry, Ireland
** Kerry Airport, an international airport in Count ...
" There is limited information about the race available on the internet and no book has been written about the event. The inaugural edition was a 4-day race won by Brian Haskell from John Perks and A Walker.
Seamus Elliot
Seamus "Shay" Elliott (4 June 1934 – 4 May 1971) was an Irish road bicycle racer, Ireland's first major international rider, with a record comparable only to Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche. He was the first Irish person to ride the Tour de Fr ...
who later won a stage and wore the yellow jersey in the
1963 Tour de France finished tenth overall. Briton
Brian Robinson who also won a stage in the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...
finished fifth in this first edition. According to Alf Buttler, an amateur cyclist during and after the second world war the leader’s jersey was purple and the race continued but as a seven-day race the following year, 1954, beginning on Thursday 29 April. The 1954 race was covered by
J B Wadley and photographer Bill Lovelace for The Bicycle magazine and a full report appeared in the 5 May issue. Bernard Pusey (England A team) won from Seamus Elliott (Ireland A team) and Tony Hoar (England B team). According t
Bray Wheelers an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
cycling club from
Bray,
Wicklow
Wicklow ( ; ga, Cill Mhantáin , meaning 'church of the toothless one'; non, Víkingaló) is the county town of County Wicklow in Ireland. It is located south of Dublin on the east coast of the island. According to the 2016 census, it has ...
, the event continued until 1957.
First revival, 1960s
The tour was revived in 1965. During the seventies the race was known as the ''
Raleigh
Raleigh (; ) is the capital city of the state of North Carolina and the seat of Wake County in the United States. It is the second-most populous city in North Carolina, after Charlotte. Raleigh is the tenth-most populous city in the Southeas ...
Dunlop Tour of Ireland''. The event continued to 1984. Winners during this period include Doug Dailey (1971, 1973), Liam Horner (1972), a double Olympian,
Tony Lally
Anthony Lally (born 26 October 1953) is an Irish former road-racing cyclist, who competed in the individual road race event at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Life
Lally comes from Cabra, an inner suburb west of central Dublin.
Cycling career
Lall ...
(1974), a 1980 Olympian and the youngest ever winner at age 20, Pat McQuaid (1975, 1976; later UCI President), Angel Arroyo (1977), runner up in
1983 Tour de France
The 1983 Tour de France was the 70th edition of the Tour de France, run from 1 to 24 July, with 22 stages and a prologue covering a total distance of The race was won by French rider Laurent Fignon. Sean Kelly of Ireland won the points classifi ...
, John Shortt (1978) and Ron Hayman (1979) who was followed home by
Phil Anderson, Stephen Roche and Robert Miller in 2nd, 3rd and 4th.
Nissan International Classic, 1985-1992
The Nissan International Classic was then organised from 1985 until 1992 which it appears took over from the Tour of Ireland. The Nissan Classic was referred to as the Tour of Ireland by the famous
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
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 ...
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche (; born 28 November 1959) is an Irish former professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de Fr ...
during the 1987 edition.
The race was organised by the Events Group and was sponsored by
Nissan
, trade name, trading as Nissan Motor Corporation and often shortened to Nissan, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automobile manufacturer headquartered in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. The company sells ...
; Alan Rushton was the race controller and future President of the UCI,
Pat McQuaid
Patrick "Pat" McQuaid (born 5 September 1949 in Dublin, Ireland) is an Irish road racing cyclist.
He had a strong amateur career and a brief professional period, before moving into race promotion and administration in Ireland and globally, s ...
, was the race director. It was a hugely successful event that captured the spirit and imagination of the race going public who stood at the side of the road in vast numbers. The event occurred during the golden age of Irish cycling when
Sean Kelly and
Stephen Roche
Stephen Roche (; born 28 November 1959) is an Irish former professional road racing cyclist. In a 13-year professional career, he peaked in 1987, becoming the second of only two cyclists to win the Triple Crown of victories in the Tour de Fr ...
were at the height of their success in European cycling. Kelly dominated the Irish event by winning four of the eight races. Roche won two stages in the first edition and finished second in the 1987 edition while wearing the rainbow jersey of world champion but never won the event. The event used the most famous 'wall' in Ireland – the steep ascent of St. Patricks Hill in
Cork city
Cork ( , from , meaning 'marsh') is the second largest city in Ireland and third largest city by population on the island of Ireland. It is located in the south-west of Ireland, in the province of Munster. Following an extension to the city' ...
as the finale of a stage in almost every edition of the event. Other areas that the event regularly visited included Kelly's hometown of
Carrick-on-Suir
Carrick-on-Suir () is a town in County Tipperary, Ireland. It lies on both banks of the River Suir. The part on the north bank of the Suir lies in the civil parish of "Carrick", in the historical barony of Iffa and Offa East. The part on the so ...
in
County Tipperary
County Tipperary ( ga, Contae Thiobraid Árann) is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Munster and the Southern Region. The county is named after the town of Tipperary, and was established in the early 13th century, shortly after th ...
,
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street () is a street in the centre of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, running north from the River Liffey. It connects the O'Connell Bridge to the south with Parnell Street to the north and is roughly split into two sections ...
in
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
and
Eyre Square
Eyre Square (; ga, An Fhaiche Mhór, also known as John F. Kennedy Memorial Park) is a city public park in Galway, Ireland. The park is within the city centre, adjoining the nearby shopping area of William Street and Shop Street. Galway rail ...
in
Galway
Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...
. The race used to finish on
O'Connell Street
O'Connell Street () is a street in the centre of Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, running north from the River Liffey. It connects the O'Connell Bridge to the south with Parnell Street to the north and is roughly split into two sections ...
in
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
after doing many laps of a circuit in the city centre.
Third revival, 2007-2009
After a break of fifteen years, it was announced that the event was returning to Ireland in early 2007 and sponsored by
Fáilte Ireland
Fáilte Ireland is the operating name of the National Tourism Development Authority of the Republic of Ireland. This authority was established under the National Tourism Development Authority Act of 2003 and replaces and builds upon the functions ...
and called the ''Tour of Ireland''. This event was organised by the Events Group and Shadetree Sports and the route of the race took in many of the same areas that the Nissan Classic covered. Just like the 1987 edition of the Nissan Classic, the Tour of Ireland started from Kilkenny Castle. The first stage used St. Patricks Hill in Cork city in its finale. The five-day stage race concluded on 26 August and was won by
Stijn Vandenbergh
Stijn Vandenbergh (born 25 April 1984) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2007 and 2020 for the , , and teams.
Born in Oudenaarde, Vandenbergh, as a first year professional, won the first sta ...
of Belgium.
Lance Armstrong
Lance Edward Armstrong (''né'' Gunderson; born September 18, 1971) is an American former professional road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist. Regarded as a sports icon for winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999 Tour de ...
&
Mark Cavendish
Mark Simon Cavendish (born 21 May 1985) is a Isle of Man, Manx professional Road bicycle racing, road racing cyclist who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . As a Track cycling, track cyclist he specialises in the Madison (cycling), madison, po ...
took part in the
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
edition, which was shortened to a 3-day event due to the economic downturn.
The organisers confirmed on 1 June 2010 that the 2010 race would not take place due to a financial shortfall, but that they hoped it will return in 2011. It was due to take place from 18 August to 22 August 2010.
Past winners
References
External links
Official Website of the Tour of Ireland*
ttp://www.cyclingarchives.com/wedstrijdfiche.php?wedstrijdid=407 Tour of Irelandat cyclingarchives.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tour Of Ireland
UCI Europe Tour races
Recurring sporting events established in 1953
1953 establishments in Ireland
Super Prestige Pernod races