Mike O'Donoghue Signs Autographs On his Return To Carlow After Winning The Rás

Carlow County Museum announces a new exhibition 'Mike the Man of the Rás '73'. This is a special temporary exhibition to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of Carlow man Mike O'Donaghue winning Ireland’s great bike race the Rás Tailteann in 1973. The exhibition will be launched during the An Post Rás visit to the town on Friday May 24^th and will run until the end of October.

Mike is the only Carlow man to have won the Rás and he was the first cyclist from the South East to do so. With his distinctive Carlow tri-colour jersey Mike was one of the most recognisable cyclists of his era. Mike was also the first Irish cyclist to have a sponsor, Carlow’s famous mineral water company Corcoran & Co. Ltd. In 1964 aged just 19 Mike took on the challenge of the Ras Tailteann for the first time. The first stage of that Rás was from Dublin to Carlow. Mike finished an impressive sixth that day and eventually sixth overall. Most of the Rás Tailteann races were then over ten days and many stages near or over 200kms in length. During his time competing in the Rás he won it in 1973, was second in 1972, was twice fourth and he won a total of nine stages. He won his first stage in 1965, in 1969 he won three stages, a stage in 1971 and in both 1972 & 1973 he won two stages. In both 1965 and 1969 he won stages into his home town of Carlow.

To commemorate this sporting achievement the 2013 An Post Rás will have a stage finish and start in Carlow town. On Friday May 24^th over 170 riders will cycle just over 154kms from Mitchelstown, Co. Cork to the finish line on Barrack Street in Carlow Town. This will be the second longest stage of this years An Post Rás with the cyclists passing through counties Cork, Tipperary, Kilkenny and Laois. The cyclists will descend from Killeshin onto the northern relief road then onto Dr. Cullen Park Road, turn right onto Green Lane and then onto the finish line on Barrack Street. The lead riders that afternoon will be reaching speeds of near 50kms per hour on the final sprint. The riders will be expected in Carlow from approximately 2.30pm (traffic restrictions will be in place). On Saturday May 25^th at 10.30am after a parade from the Greenbank car park, around by Courtplace and down Dublin Street the cyclists will depart from the Post Office on Burin Street passing along Kennedy Avenue, Barrack Street, Staplestown Road and onto the Tullow Road. The peleton will travel across the county and into Tullow and will head towards Shillelagh. The stage end will be in Naas via after they have climbed the Wicklow Mountains!

Ballon native Eddie Dawson will again be this years An Post Rás Assistant Race Director, a position Eddie has held for many years. Eddie rode the Rás in 1969, he was Mike O’Donaghue’s manager in the 1973 Ras and he has been involved in many aspects of Irish cycling since the 1960s.

Thanks to Carlow Town Council, Carlow County Council and the Carlow Sports Partnership who assisted Carlow County Museum in securing the arrival of the An Post Rás into Carlow town. The exhibition 'Mike the Man of the Rás '73' will run from May 24^th to October 31^st 2013, free Admission to the Museum.

Mike O’Donaghue, Carlow in the Phoenix Park en route to winning the Ras Tailteann on Sunday July 8th 1973 after cycling 1,474 kilometres around Ireland.