On a fast and furious opening 96km stage, Alex Luhrs (Ribble Pro Cycling) took the win from a breakaway trio ahead of his teammate Dan Bigham on day one of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan. Ben Healy (Team Ireland) just hung on to the flying English duo to take third.

Dawn Masses and Easter fires are being held at a number of ancient Christian graveyards and sites in Co Kerry tomorrow, in commemoration of St Luke’s account of the finding of the empty tomb of Jesus “at early dawn”.

Following a brutal battle with the elements racing around South Kerry for yesterday’s third stage of the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, Mullingar man Damian Shaw of the Aquablue team regained the leader’s yellow jersey with an awesome show of strength.