Whatever happens Saturday, these Armagh lads will cycle back from Kerry

Maurice Fitzgerald, Jim McCarthy, Darren Mallon and Jason McGahan at the launch of O'Connell's GAC Sponsored cycle from Cahersiveen to Tullysaran

Armagh football folk have a long journey ahead of them this weekend. No matter where in the Orchard County one sets off from, Killarney’s Fitzgerald Stadium is a minimum four-and-a-half-hour drive. 

And as for the return leg, the length will be heavily dictated by the final scoreline and the mood that flows from such. They’ll either float or trudge home.

For one club in the county, O’Connell’s Tullysaran, Saturday’s sink-or-swim Sam Maguire fixture will not be their sole journey to Kingdom country this summer.

A group of club members will make the even longer drive to Caherciveen in early August. The return leg will be undertaken on two wheels, a 460km-fundraising cycle to assist in a significant club facelift.

The start-point of the cycle and the name of the fundraiser itself - the Liberator Tour - is almost self-explanatory. If you haven't already copped it, the Armagh club takes its name from the Liberator himself, Daniel O’Connell.

The emancipator, mind, is not the club’s sole connection to Kerry. One of Tullysaran's leading sons, Jason McGahan, is long ensconced in the Kingdom as Kerry GAA’s Head of Athletic Performance.

Indeed, it was he, his namesake Colm, and fellow club committee member Damien Smyth who cooked up this fundraising idea.

But before getting into the 460km-cycle and who’s been brave enough to commit their saddle, Damien Smyth sets out what and who they’re fundraising for.

“2026 is the first year in the club's 137-year history that we’ll play at senior level. So with that, we have a greater need for better facilities. We've outgrown our current facilities in terms of the increased number of teams we’re fielding and the commitments that come from that.

“We're trying to put a development plan in place for the club to upgrade the club rooms, upgrade the pitches and everything around them, put in gym facilities, put in a wall ball, put in facilities around the club so that the youth can use the grounds, be it for basketball or whatever, and just bringing the facilities around the club up into the same grade as the footballers. Senior club, senior facilities.

“Of the two fields we have, our main field didn’t open until late April. Because of the weather, it was out of bounds, and that then put serious pressure on our training field. We were having to go around to beg, borrow, and steal to get a place for training, so ideally, we want to have an all-weather pitch where we can accommodate in-house all our teams and their training needs.” 

Now, to the game souls who will pedal the 460km from Caherciveen to said clubhouse. At present, there are 19 signed up. 

The journey back up the road will stretch over three days. The cycle’s opening leg, on August 6th, is a 160km spin from South Kerry to Limerick. 

Mullingar is the destination at the end of day two, before reaching home sweet Tullysaran on August 8.

Readying the local peloton is Colm McGahan.

“I have a plan for how long we want to be on the bike and how long we actually stop in each place, and it's roughly between eight and nine-hours total every day. So as long as we don't get too carried away at the tea stops, as we’re calling them, it's well achievable,” Colm explained.

“With the group we have, we started off with some people that had never really cycled before. They wouldn't have done probably any more than 10 miles. We’re working to a programme and we’re well ahead of our programme.” 

Last word to Smyth and a reminder of what it’s all for.

“This fundraising is going to go into the development of the club. We'll probably never see the benefit out of this, but our children will. The same as what our parents put in place for us, it's just trying to grow it and make it that the club is the focal point of the community.” 

Those wishing to make a donation can do so here.