Cycling Ireland's Star Studded Saturday Topped With World Cup Gold

The Cycling Ireland Awards Dinner, which was held on the Saturday 2nd November, will be remembered as an historical night for Irish Cycling. The annual awards dinner was a true celebration, with cycling heroes past and present gathering for the 25th anniversary of Cycling Ireland. With special guests including legends Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche, along with 2013 stars Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche amongst the 300 guests, the night was topped off by a World Cup win in the Points Race by Martyn Irvine, who was racing in Manchester last weekend.

Cycling achievements past and present were celebrated throughout the night, with interviews with those present interspersed with the presentation of national medals and special awards. Dan Martin was awarded Irish International Rider of the year, as voted by sports journalists, and recently retired Paralympian Catherine Walsh received an award for her outstanding achievements. Interviewees included Darach McQuaid, who is responsible for coordinating next year's Giro d'Italia Launch in Belfast.

Cycling Ireland's newly elected president, Denis Toomey, addressed the guests in his first official function, highlighting the hugely successful year that Irish cycling has enjoyed across all disciplines, both in terms of performance and participation. On the international stage Martyn Irvine's World Title in the scratch race last March, along with his World Cup win on Saturday bookended a year that included stage wins in the Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana and Tour of Britain, Paracycling World Championship medals, World Masters medals and Irish wins in the Junior Tour and Rلs na mBan. An important highlight was Dan Martin's incredible win in the prestigious Liege Bastogne Liege. Toomey also outlined his main objectives for his term as president, with the building of a Velodrome listed as a high priority.

Chief Executive of the Irish Sports Council, John Treacy, was also in attendance, and presented the awards to the newly inducted members of Cycling Ireland's Hall of Fame, which was announced this year in conjunction with the 25th Anniversary of Cycling Ireland.

Throughout the night guests were treated to video and photographic highlights of the 2013 cycling moments, along with footage of Ireland's top cycling achievements over the years, thanks to Black Umbrella Photography, while Declan Quigley was MC on the night.

AWARDS:

Irish International Rider of the Year 2013
Dan Martin
Outstanding Achievement 2013
Catherine Walsh

Hall of Fame
Crinnon, Peter
Christle, Joe
Curtin, Dan
Dignam, Dermot
Donegan, Alo
Donnelly, Bertie
Elliott, Shay
Foster, Morris
Kelly, Sean
Mecredy, Richard James
McCormack, J J
McQuaid, Pat
O' Hanlon, Shay
Purfield, Peter.
Reynolds, Harry
Roche,Stephen
Sherratt, Alice
Toomey, Denis
Watson, Jack
Woods, Isabel

Member Awards:

Volunteer of the Year:
Steven McKenna
Club of the Year:
Omagh Wheelers
Domestic Male Rider of the Year:
Edward Dunbar
Domestic Female Rider of the Year:
Amy Brice
Competitive Event of the Year:
An Post Rلs
Leisure Event of the Year:
Giant's Causeway Coastal Challenge