Hall of Fame

The Hall of Fame award was initiated to mark the 10th anniversary of the UCD Cycling Club. It aims to pay special recognition to students and graduates who have excelled for the Club either sportingly or administratively for a period of greater than one year.


2008-2009 Hall of Fame: John Walsh

John Walsh took over as Club Captain in 2004 and immediately made it his priority to inject fresh drive into what was a Club at its lowest ebb in years. His enthusiasm led to the setting up of probably the most impressive Sports EXPO stand in the Club’s history and the increased membership led to an instant revival of Club fortunes. The traditional weekend spins, which had somewhat fallen by the wayside the previous year, returned with great regularity. As the months progressed and the training became more intense a squad of 6 or 7 emerged, and they formed the core of the UCD road team for the coming season. John enlisted the help of Cycling Ireland coach, Paddy Doran, who gave valuable insights and helpful advice to the team.

Belfield was used to stage a round of the national cyclo-cross season in September ’04 and Walsh ensured that he didn’t miss out on competing in the first cycling race ever held on the UCD campus.

John Walsh was part of the UCD team that captured the 2005 inter-varsity cross country team title in Crag Wood in Limerick in the most comprehensive manner in inter-varsity history on what was considered a technically and physically demanding course. He was also part of the 2005 road ’varsities which took place in awful conditions in Sligo with UCD fielding seven entrants. Having being part of the earlier mountainbiking success, John set himself the personal ambition of completing a unique inter-varsity team double but unfortunately the team just fell short. However he remains one of the few UCD students to have competed in both codes. He also competed in the 2007 and 2008 road inter-varsities but unfortunately team success eluded the Club on both occasions.

He was the recipient of the Club’s Special Achievement Award and Volunteer of the Year Award in 2004/5 for the massive effort he put in throughout the college year both on and off his road and off-road bikes.

He held a Cycling Ireland licence with UCD from 2004 to 2008 and competed numerous times with UCD during this period but his lasting legacy to the Club is surely the effort he put in to almost single handedly revive the Clubs flagging fortunes in 2004/05 from the relative state of dormancy of the previous year to the efficient and progressive Club that has continued to this day. It gives me great pleasure to present the 2008-09 Hall of Fame Award to John Walsh.


2008-2009: David Lane

David Lane joined UCD CC in 1996/97 and in his opening race for the college shocked the Irish cycling world by claiming an outstanding victory in the 46-mile Mid-Eastern Region (M.E.R.) Category 1, 2, 3 League race at the Boot Inn.

David will probably be best remembered for the central part he played in both of the Club’s most famous stage race teams to date. He played a starring role in the 1997 Gorey 3-day International Stage Race which saw UCD capture the team prize ahead of English team, Milton Keynes and 37 other Club/Regional teams which were represented. David also competed for UCD in the 2001 and 2002 Rás Tailteann 8-day international stage races. He was joined by Andrew O’Carroll in 2001 and 3 guest riders from Sorrento CC and the following year he competed alongside his brother Alan and Timothy Ahern and 2 guest riders. Remarkably, UCD CC was the only Club team to complete the Rás with all five starters in 2002.

David also sampled considerable success at intervarsity level. He led the road team in the 1999 inter-varsities and won an individual bronze medal in both the road race and time trial and finished second overall.

During his time with the Club David has served as Club Captain in 1998/99, Club Secretary twice (1997/98 and 1999/2000) and PRO twice (2000/2001 & 2001/02).

David was voted UCD rider of the Year in 2003/04 – probably helped by the fact he won a stage in the Tour of Newry - and he has won the Special Achievement Award (formerly Club League) on a record 4 occasions (98/99, 99/00, 00/01, 03/04). He was voted Volunteer of the Year in 1999/00. He was a recipient of UCD’s Sports Achievements Awards in 1997 and 2004.

David gave 8 years of uninterrupted service to UCD CC making him the longest serving competitive member in the history of the Club. Given the amount of time he devoted to the Club in terms of committee duties coupled with his outstanding competitive record, David Lane is a well deserving recipient of the 2008/09 Hall of Fame Award.


2007-2008: Andrew O’Carroll

Andrew O’Carroll is the only person to date to have acted as Club Captain twice – a feat he achieved in 2000/01 and 2001/02. During his first term he won the Christy McManus Memorial. He was a member of the first UCD team to compete in the Rás Tailteann international stage race in 2001. He joined forces with David Lane and 3 Sorrento CC riders to compete under the banner of UCD/ Sorrento. He displayed a high level of high level of consistency throughout the racing season and captured the Club’s Rider of the Year Award in 2001 as a result. He was awarded a Sports Scholarship in 2002 on the basis of the promise he showed the previous season. He won the Club League title later that same year and competed for UCD CC until the 2003/04 season and during this time he was a member of the National Under-23 Development Squad. The 2007/08 Hall of Fame winner is Andrew O’Carroll.


2007-2008: Dermot O’Dwyer

Dermot O’Dwyer joined UCD CC in 1998 and immediately began racing with the FIC affiliated team. In March 1999, he was runner-up in the sports category of the Intervarsity Mtb Championships, an event he helped to organize with Brendan Kilbride and Oisín Boydell. As the Club entered the new millennium, Dermot was elected as Club Captain. The following year he acted as Club Secretary and won the Mountainbiker of the Year Award for his performances during the season. He remained as a senior member of the Club’s Executive Committee for the third consecutive year in the role of Junior Treasurer and he won a bronze medal at the Intervarsity Championships at Roundwood. The 2007/08 Hall of Fame recipient is Dermot O’Dwyer.


2006-2007: Noel McGlynn

Noel joined UCD Cycling Club in its maiden year (1994/95) and was a member of the inaugural college team to compete on the F.I.C. (Cycling Ireland) circuit. He acted as Club Treasurer in 1995/96 where he helped secure substantial external sponsorship for the Club. The following year saw him unanimously elected as Club Captain.

He was part of the winning team in the 1995 and 1996 Intervarsity Road Race Championships, and was also a member of the successful Intervarsity Mountainbike team in 1996. Noel captained UCD to its first ‘open’ team victory in the 1997 Gorey 3-day International Stage Race in which English team, Milton Keynes finished as runners up. In all 38 Club/Regional teams were represented. His top 20th position overall significantly helped the team claim the team prize.

He won the 1996/1997 Club League Championship. He was twice awarded the UCD Sports Achievement Award and has also received the Colours award in 1996.
After 5 years racing in UCD colours, Noel left the Club, gained promotion to a 1st category and successfully completed the Rás 2003 and 2007.


2006-2007: Brian Lennon

Brian Lennon joined UCDCC from St. Tiernan’s in 1996/97. He had previously helped UCD win the 1996 Inter-varsity Road Race Championships, where he collected an individual bronze medal.

The Senior 1 Category rider’s UCD career got off to a flyer when he finished 5th in the prestigious 72-mile Beechmount Cup. His end of season palmares included 2 race wins – the Newbridge GP and Stage 2 of the Dublin Bus 5-day. He was runners-up in the Beggan Trophy, the Dick Comerford Memorial and the M.E.R. League race at Ballymun. He won a bronze medal in the M.E.R. RR Championship and took the Overall Runners-Up spot in the M.E.R. League.

Brian finished an incredible 6th in the 110-mile Senior Road Race Championships at Carrick-on-Suir and repeated that feat in the National Under-23 Championships a week later.

Brian finished the season ranked 8th in the country and was unanimously voted ‘Club Rider of the Year’ for 1996/97. He received a Sports Achievements Award from UCD’s Sports Governing Body for his exploits with the Club. He was elected to the position of Club Captain in 1997/98.

Sadly Brian passed away, without warning, in April 2004. His funeral mass was packed with his former UCDCC team mates and his peers from the wider cycling community who were present to show their final respects. Brian Lennon remains the most distinguished cyclist to have donned the UCD jersey and his performances did much to enhance the reputation of the Club as well as promoting the sport in general. However, it was surely Brian’s endearing, genuine, easy going personality that will live in the memory of those who had the pleasure of knowing him. Rest in Peace.


2005-2006: Brendan Kilbride

Brendan Kilbride introduced mountainbiking to the Club in 1995/96. Along with Paul Tansey, he became the first U.C.D. rider to compete in F.I.C. mountainbiking events in 1997. In 1998, the pair promoted an F.I.C. mountainbiking event in Cairns Hill in Sligo. He also staged the inaugural Intervarsity Mountainbiking Championships, which were held in Ballinastoe Wood in Roundwood, Co. Wicklow. It proved such a resounding success that he repeated that feat in 1999 & 2002. He worked for a couple of years with Cycling Ireland and co-ordinated National Bike Day in 2003. He also served as a member of the Cycling Ireland national mountainbiking commission.

He won the Club Mountainbiking Award on 4 occasions (1995-96, 1996-1997, 1998-1999 & 2002-2003).

Brendan Kilbride was elected as Club Vice-President in 2001/02 and oversaw the first mountainbiking scholarship that year. He has remained as Club Vice-President to this day.


2004-2005: Maoilíosa Ó Dubhthaigh

Maoilíosa Ó Dubhthaigh, a.k.a. Mil, along with his brother Cormac, co-founded UCD CC in 1994. He was Captain in 1995/96 and was twice Club Secretary. He represented the Club as an executive member of the Athletic Union Council (U.C.D. sports governing body) for a number of years. In 1997, he convinced his sporting mentor, then UCD Director of Sport, the late Dr. Tony O’Neill, to include the Club in the sports scholarship programme. Beneficiaries of this coveted award include David McQuaid (1997-2001), Andrew O’Carroll (2001/02), Ollie Gray (2001/02) and Louise Moriarty (2006/07). He initiated Club scholarships in 2001/02 and Timothy Ahern was a worthy recipient that year, while Andrew McQuaid reaped the financial benefits in 2004/05.

He won the Club racing league in 95/96 and was a member of two successful intervarsity and colours teams in the mid 90’s.

He was instrumental in securing sizeable external sponsorship for the Club in 1996, and successfully sought funding to enter a UCD team in the 2002 Rás Tailteann. In 2006, he convinced college sporting authorities to back him finically over the purchase of two Club Mountainbikes.

In 1997, he was received UCD’s highest student honour – The UCD President’s Award - for his contribution to college sport. It is an honour which has seldom been bestowed on someone in the sporting field.

Mil has acted as Club Senior Treasurer since 1997 and in 2001 was elected Club President, a position he holds to this day.


2003-2004: Cormac Ó Dubhthaigh

In 1994, Cormac Ó Dubhthaigh recognised the demand for a competitive cycling club within the college and, along with his brother Maoilíosa, co-founded the UCD Cycling Club. His aim was for UCD students to represent their college at the highest level in the country.

Cormac was a clear winner of the inaugural Club league. He captained UCD to intervarsity team success in 1995 winning an individual medal in the process. He played a big part in helping UCD retain the title in Limerick the following year. He captained the successful 1995 colours team and was twice awarded UCD Sports Achievement Award for his success. He competed on the national circuit for a number of years and almost single-handedly put the Club on the cycling map. He was voted ‘UCD Cyclist Rider of the Year’ in 1995, but persistent knee problems limited his racing thereafter. Cormac Ó Dubhthaigh acted as Club President from 1995 until in 2001.