Paudie Fitzgerald

Paudie Fitzgerald[1] was an Irish cyclist. He won the Rás Tailteann in 1956.[2] He was also known for a failed attempt to represent Ireland at the 1956 Summer Olympics.

Paudie Fitzgerald
Personal information
Full namePaudie Fitzgerald
NicknamePaudi, Paudie
BornLispole, County Kerry, Ireland
Team information
DisciplineRoad bicycle racing
RoleRider
Major wins
Rás Tailteann (1956)

Early life

Fitzgerald is a native of Lispole.[3]

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 for a bicycle light.

Fitzgerald competed in the first Rás, in 1953.[4]

In the 1956 Rás Tailteann, Fitzgerald won two stages and the overall prize.[5]

1956 Olympics

Fitzgerald, along with Tommy Flanagan and Tom Gerrard, attempted to compete for Ireland at the team road race event at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. They were chosen by the 32-county National Cycling Association (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 flags and extinguish the Olympic flame; they succeeded in none of these, but did attract international attention to the NCA's plight.[6]

Later life

Fitzgerald retired from cycling in 1957. He ran a hardware shop, Fitzgerald's Homevalue, in Dingle.[7] He was married twice and has seven children; Gaelic footballer Paul Geaney is one of his grandchildren.

He lived in Dingle and was President of Dingle Cycling Club and organised "Ride Dingle" a new Dingle-based cycling race.[8]

Fitzgerald died on 3 December 2020, aged 87.[9]

References
  1. "The great road race robbery (almost)". The Age. 3 December 2006.
  2. Evans, Tadhg (24 May 2018). "Loved interviewing 1956 Rás Tailteann winner Paudie Fitzgerald for this week's Kerryman". Twitter.
    - "PHOTOS: A Glorious Morning For Na Gaeil's Annual Cycle". 22 April 2018.
    - Daly, Tom (26 January 2019). "The Rás: The Story of Ireland's Unique Bike Race". Collins Press – via Google Books.
    - Muircheartaigh, Micheál (26 January 2019). "From Borroloola to Mangerton Mountain: Travels and Stories from Ireland's Most Beloved Broadcaster". Penguin Ireland – via Google Books.
  3. Fogarty, Weeshie (1 October 2012). "My Beautiful Obsession - Chasing the Kerry Dream". The Collins Press – via Google Books.
  4. "PAUDIE FITZGERALD INTERVIEW". www.irishcycling.com.
  5. "Rás Tailteann - 1950's". www.rastailteann.com.
  6. Tomkins, Shea. "Not all Memories from 1956 Melbourne Olympics are Golden". Ireland's Own.
    - Holten, Anthony (1 April 2014). "Of Other Days". Anthony Holten – via Google Books.
    - "Terrace Talk :: Interviews :: Paudie Fitzgerald". Terrace Talk.
    - "An Olympic tale that deserves re-telling". The Kerryman. Ireland. 23 November 2012.
  7. Master, Web. "Fitzgerald's Homevalue". dingle-peninsula.ie.
  8. "'Ride Dingle' unveiled – Ride Dingle".
  9. Mac an tSíthigh, Seán (3 December 2020). "Kerry cycling legend Paudie Fitzgerald dies aged 87". Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ). Retrieved 5 December 2020.
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