As the dust is settles on a very colourful and successful Easter weekend Dornan RÁS Mumhan, the committee is in the final stages of wrapping up the post event work – which is all part of what becomes the planning for future events.
The event exists because of many factors that all interact to produce the top quality International event that the Dornan RÁS Mumhan has become.
This involves the four person committee of Castleisland’s John Breen as race director with Milltown man Stephen Daly as the race technical director; Tralee native Sinead Moriarty now living in Mid Kerry is the race secretary and the race publicity is handled by South Kerry’s own Mark Murphy. Following this, many key people are involved such as locals John Riordan and Peter Finn who look after the stage end logistics.
An Army of Volunteers
There is also an army of volunteers stretched between the race organisation and the host clubs on a daily basis.
These host clubs and groups included: Currow Cycling Club; Knocknagoshel Tidy Towns; Abbeyfeale Cycling Club; Killarney Cycling Club; Portmagee Development and Tidy Towns; Ballinaskelligs Community Groups; Waterville Community Groups; Sliabh Luachra Cycling Club; Killorglin Cycling Club and community groups working together with the race infrastructure all make the race what it is.
Add in the great service from An Garda Síochána,; the medical crew; motorbike marshals; service vehicles; the results team and the commissionaire team which referees the race and you have yourself a massive event.
Prizes and Prestige of the Race
Not forgetting the cyclists and teams who obviously put on the show for everyone to enjoy whilst trying to compete for the prizes and prestige the race brings to them.
The financial commitment is massive and the race is funded by our brilliant main sponsors the
Dornan Engineering Group as well as some sub sponsors and grants from the governing bodies of cycling namely Cycling Munster and Cycling Ireland.
All of the people working on the race give up their time every Easter in order for the race to run smoothly and do so on a voluntary basis. It has been said that not only does the Rás Mumhan have the best riders at the event but it also has the best officials.
Castleisland as a Base
“Having Castleisland as a base is also a key factor to the event. It links the start and finish locations of Currow, Knocknagoshel, Killarney, Portmagee, Millstreet and Killorglin with a transfer time of little over an hour maximum,” said race director John Breen.
“The riders then can stay in one base for the whole event and this is seen as an important factor in terms of recovery, sleep, being well fed and generally looked after very well.
“The River Island Hotel and the many bed and breakfasts, Air BnBs and all accommodation available are all booked for the weekend and are very popular with cyclists and officials alike.
Hosting Big Events
“The benefit for Castleisland is that you are bringing a large volume of people to the area who enjoy their visit here.
They all have to eat, shop, buy fuel for their cars as well as taking in some night time refreshments in the town and surrounding areas.
“The feedback we get is that a lot of people particularly the Irish visitors say this is a great touring base for visiting Co. Kerry and they return with their families at a later date,” said John.
“The town has shown, especially through the Patrick O’Keeffe Traditional Music Festival, that it can host big events and I would put the Dornan RÁS Mumhan on a similar footing and it is something we would love to keep in the area,” he continued.
Potential for Event Growth
There is also potential for growing the event further. The publicity the event gets in the media and social media is simply staggering to see the amount of hits the event gets.
“It also showcases the beautiful countryside we have and this looks so good especially on the final review video the race PR team produces.
“There is also a serious international element with riders in this years event from Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Lithuania, Venezuela, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Australia and the Ukraine.
No Government Funding
“The race currently does not receive any government funding and this is something the current committee is going to try and address.
The economic benefit to the area alone would justify such funding and all Kerry politicians will be lobbied for support on this also.
“Anyway, for now, the Dornan RÁS Mumhan for 2025 has finished but the next edition is already been spoken about. Hopefully the base will remain in Castleisland and bring some good publicity and a feel good factor to the town and county,” Mr. Breen concluded.
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