Heavy rain didn’t dampen spirits for the return of the tenth Ring of Beara Cycle on Saturday as 4,500 cyclists completed the 110km and 140km routes starting and finishing in Kenmare and circling the best of Cork’s Beara Peninsula

.

.

. Despite the rain, cyclists reported enjoying stunning scenery through the idyllic villages of Ardgroom, Allihies, Castletownbere, Glengarriff and Eyeries and commended organisers on their handling of the event in such adverse conditions.

Several charities and community groups are set to benefit from this year’s Ring of Beara Cycle, with an estimated total of €50,000 to be distributed amongst deserving groups. Since its inception, the Ring of Beara Cycle has donated over €450,000 to local charities.

In addition to the adults’ cycle, a popular part of the Ring of Beara Cycle is the Kids’ Cycle. This fun event is free for kids between in third and fifth classes, and around 200 children took part this year to complete a 2km loop route of Kenmare Town and a shorter route for tinier tots, meeting to cross the line together and receive their finishers’ medals.

Another key initiative this year for children was the Ring of Beara Cycle’s support for the Cycle Right programme in local Cork and Kerry schools to help get kids up to speed on road safety and cycle best practices. Some 250 students across 8 schools are participating in this initiative, the delivery of which is normally paid for by the schools themselves but is now free thanks to generous sponsorship by the Ring of Beara Cycle Committee.

The Ring of Beara Cycle was also delighted to introduce Recovery Sunday this year for the first time.

A post-event relaxation opportunity the day after the cycle to aid participants’ recovery, it took place on Kenmare Pier on Sunday morning, offering a space for yoga, stretching, sea swimming, a recovery bike ride, coffee and catch-up.

This was a free event and proved extremely popular with participants, encouraging them to stay longer in Kenmare to enjoy the activities.
The Ring of Beara Cycle delivers the busiest weekend of the year to the Peninsula, with the influx of riders and their supporters resulting in over 8,000 bed-nights locally, local job sustainability, and contributing over €5 million in direct expenditure to the local economy.

A huge thank you from the Ring of Beara Cycle Committee is extended to local organisations, community groups and sports clubs who helped with the marshalling of the event, the food stops and at the finish line, in addition to everyone who came out to support and welcome the cyclists.

The Ring of Beara Cycle is already looking forward to holding this event again next year, with a provisional date of Saturday, May 24 2025. Participants can complete the route on electric bikes, or indeed any type of bike they like!