30 Years Ago…

As you may or may not know 2018 is the 30th anniversary of the formation of our club. To mark this we will try to put together, throughout the year, some old memorabilia of the early days of the club.

1988 was a year of hardship in Ireland . Emigration was at an all time high and commentators were saying Ireland was doomed. Charlie Haugey was Taoiseach. Paddy Hillery was president and interest rates were in double figures.

On the bright side Ireland beat England in Euro 88. Meath beat Cork in the football and Galway beat Tipp in the hurling.
In March 1988 Sean Kelly won Paris Nice for the 7th time in a row and in May of that year he won the Vuelta España .
Phil Cassidy represented Ireland in the men’s team time trial at the Summer Olympics in Seoul along with Cormac mc Cann , John Mc Quaid and Stephen Spratt.

Meanwhile…

Tom Ryan and myself both separately had bought new bikes and decided we would meet together and go for a spin one Sunday morning.
We met at 10 am in Tesco car park and headed off to Blessington. I had a religious streak in me back then and was a reader at mass. I was due to read at 12.30 mass that morning. So figured on a short spin. 

Heading out toward Blessington we didn’t really know what was in front of us. Well I didn’t. Tom did, cause he lived out that way.
I think everyone now is familiar with that road and know what a curse of a road it is .
By the time I got to Blessington I was completely knackered and wondered how I would get home again. I thought I never get back in time for mass. But with a struggle and encouragement from Tom I made it by the skin of my teeth.

Undaunted, we persisted and then Tom heard of this new cycling club that was starting up in Naas and we decided we would front up and join in.
The following week we met up with Tom Keenan, Aine halfpenny, Marion Cronin and John Morrison. Between us we became the bones of what is Naas Cycling Club. Later came Hugh Durnin and Donal Buckley and others who formed what is theclub as we know it today Below I have reprinted the first financial meeting of the club which took place on this day in 1988
Below is the first treasurers account of the club dated 19th February 1988. Enjoy the read.

There is also a very well designed membership card of the day. Membership was £10 for the year and half price if you had a son or daughter who wanted to join.