UCD Cycling Club: Club Honours 2009

On the 6th November 2009 in the UCD sports centre, the UCD Cycling club awards night took place. It was well attended by current and past members as well as friends of UCDCC. In particular the club was very grateful to Lynn Foster, for attending and presenting the Brian Lennon Memorial award.

The award was created in his honour in 2007, to take the place of the 'Rider of the Year' award. Brian Lennon joined UCD CC’s FIC team in 1996/97 having previously helped UCD win the 1996 Inter-varsity Road Race Team Championships by claiming an individual bronze medal.

In 1997, the 1st Category rider won both the Newbridge GP and Stage 2 of the Dublin Bus 5-day and was runners-up in another three - 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. He finished an incredible 6th in both the Senior National Road Race Championship and the National Under-23 Championship 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 and served as Club Captain the following year.

Sadly Brian passed away in 2004. His funeral mass was packed with his former UCD CC team mates and his peers from the wider cycling community who were present to show their final respects to a rider whose performances and attitude did much to enhance the reputation of the Club as well as promoting the sport in general.

Brian Lennon was posthumously inducted into the Club’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2007. His endearing, genuine, easy going personality will forever live in the memory of those who had the pleasure of knowing him and it was fitting that the Club’s top award was renamed in his honour in 2007.

The club is delighted that Lynn Foster, Brian’s partner at the time of his passing, was in attendance and kindly agreed to make the presentation to this years award winner.

Brian Lennon Memorial Club Rider of the Year: Cait Elliott

Club Scholarship student, Cait Elliott, was voted ‘Best domestic lady’ by her peers at the Cycling Ireland awards in December for her exploits over the course of the 2008 season, A week later she claimed victory in Round 4 of the Super Cross Cup which took place in St. Anne’s Park in Dublin. Her talent was recognized by the Athletic Union Council who agreed to purchase a new bike for her so as to help her to add to the two national titles she had already won for the Club.

Cait, who was on erasmus in Liechtenstein from April to June, finished narrowly outside the top 20 in a number of top class international races in the Racer Bikes Cup Series, which is the national XC race series of Switzerland. Cait returned to Ireland to successfully defend her National Elite Cross Country Championship title. She followed that up by winning the opening round of the 3-race K-Capital Challenge Series finishing ahead of most of the men in the process. In August, Cait took the UCD jersey to the UK to take 1st place in the Brighton Big Dog. She returned to win round 2 of the K-Capital challenge in the Carrick Mountains in Co. Wicklow. In September, she finished an impressive 8th in the final round of the British National Points Series, which was held in Plymouth. The star studded field included a former Olympic, World and European Champion and seven nationalities were represented in all. Her season came to a successful conclusion as she comfortably made it a hat-trick of K-Capital Challenge wins and thereby wrapping up the series overall.

The reigning National Cross Country and National Marathon XC Champion was a recipient of an Athletic Union Council Sports Achievement Award earlier this year and she was later awarded a Sports Scholarship for the 2009/10 college year. Cait becomes only the second rider in the Club’s history to have won the ‘Brian Lennon Memorial Club Rider of the Year Award’ on more than one occasion.

Special Achievement Award: Ciarán Ó Conluain

Ciarán Ó Conluain competed with distinction in the Gorey 3-day claiming a top 10 placing on Stage 3. He was upgraded to S2 during the season based on a series of impressive results.

He was a runner-up in the Des Hanlon Memorial, 2nd B in both the Phoenix Park race and in the Brendan Carroll Memorial in Stamullen. He was 4th in both the Betty Darcy and O’Rourke road races and was placed 8th in Ballivor. In all, he has competed 46 times in UCD colours this year.

Ciarán comfortably claimed the top placing in the UCD Road Racing League, which consisted of a 17 race series. However he had to settle for the runners-up spot in the Club Road Race Championship.

Ciarán Ó Conluain received an Athletic Union Council Sports Achievement Award earlier this year and is a very deserving and popular victor of the UCD Cycling Club’s Special Achievement Award.

Mountainbiking Achievement Award: Rory Beirne

Rory Beirne was the Club’s sole competitor on the national Down Hill circuit during the 2008-09 college year. The senior category competitor was granted a Club Scholarship based on his fine showing for the college over the previous 12 months.

Unfortunately, his early season was effectively put on halt after he separated a shoulder in a pre-season training incident. His comeback race saw him compete in round 3 of the National Points series in Rostrevor, Co. Down in May in which he finished a creditable 16th. Round 4 of the NPS took place in Cahir in June and Rory demonstrated some fantastic form to finish 3rd. He followed that impressive ride with a 4th place in the Senior category at the National Down Hill Championships in July. He was 6th in Round 7 of the NPS in Rostrevor in late September despite suffering an untimely puncture. His season closed in White Horse Wood, Co. Waterford in October with the final NPS race. However there was no let up in his bad luck as he suffered a sprained ankle in a high speed collision with a tree during his practice session.

It was without doubt a testing season for Rory. Yet he can be proud of his efforts and has the honour of becoming the first member of the down hill section in the history of the Club to be awarded the Mountainbiking Achievement Award.

Ladies Achievement award: Louise Moriarty

Louise Moriarty retained her Sports Scholarship status again this year. Her early season plans evaporated due to a mixture of final year pressure and a freak commuting accident in which she broke her wrist. However, she returned to competitive action in June and claimed 9th in a bunch sprint finish in the National Road Race Championships in Dunboyne.

The following month she competed in the National Track Championships in the knowledge that her lack of condition would hamper her chances of successfully defending the 4 titles she won the previous year. Louise took a bronze in the sprint competition. She was also 5th in the 3km pursuit, 4th in the 500m TT and 8th in the 12km scratch race. Later that month, Louise was runner-up in the 12km scratch race for the Eamon Ceannt Trophy.

Louise returned to the winners’ enclosure in Donore in August by claiming victory in the Brendan Campbell Memorial.

In September, she travelled to Kerry to defend her Rás na mBan title. She finished 7th overall and was 3rd in the Points classification. She was 2nd and 4th on stages 4 and 1 respectively.

She received an Athletic Union Council Sports Achievement Award for her sporting endeavors for the college during the year.

Louise is the deserving winner of the Ladies Achievement Award for the second year in succession.

Volunteer of the Year: Niall Dwyer

Niall Dwyer Captained the Club in 2008/09. He was successful with his bid to have UCD reinstated into the inter-club road racing league involving St. Tiernan’s CC, Lucan CRC, Orwell Wheelers and the Irish Road Club.

He finished in the top 20 in the Brendan Carroll Memorial in Stamullen. Niall competed in the Gorey 3-day, Kanturk 2-day and in the Ballinrobe 2-day. He was 16th in Stage 1 in the latter and finished a very respectable 31st overall.

Niall Dwyer finished 3rd in the UCD Road Race Championship and was overall runner-up in the Club Road Racing League.

UCD Cycling Club finished close runners-up (out of 62 UCD clubs) in the 'Elite Club of the Year' category at the annual Athletic Union Council Awards. Niall was ever present at Club training spins and acted on the needs of his senior riders while always taking the time to encourage new members. He has contributed enormously to the success of the Club both on and off the bike and is a very deserving winner of the 2008-09 Volunteer of the Year Award.

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