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By Sean Moriarty

Killarney has a golden opportunity to stage one of the country’s biggest cycle races and the Killarney Advertiser is launching a campaign to make it happen.

This week the organisers of Kerry Group Rás Mumhan have announced they will not organise the race again in the future. A search will now begin for new race promoters.
The 20th edition of the four-day event was due to take place over its traditional date of the Easter Bank Holiday Weekend, but fell foul to COVID-19 restrictions.
Prior to this year’s event the organising committee, made up mainly of Killorglin Cycling Club members, had decided to bow out and confirmed as much in a statement issued earlier this week.
'The decision to withdraw from event promotion was taken early in 2020. The intention of the organising committee was to announce the decision at the conclusion of the 2020 race, events however overtook the plan', said the statement.

After An Ras, the Kerry Group Rás Mumhan, is the second biggest cycle race in Ireland and regularly attracts entries from semi-professional and national teams.
The rights of the event is owned by Cycling Munster and the provincial governing body has now begun a search to find a replacement organising team.

While the selection process is a complicated matter, it is open to any affiliated club in Munster, and the Killarney Advertiser understands that Kerry Group would continue its sponsorship of the event if it stays in the county.

Both Tralee and Killarney Cycling Clubs are well placed to bid for the event because access to local hotels and classic mountain roads suitable for such an event are already available.

“It would be huge for the club, but it’s a big ask,” said Killarney Cycling Club member and former county champion Connor Kissane. “But if they could step up it would be unreal.”

One of the highlights of Killorglin-based Rás Mumhan was the finish line in the town centre. Thousands of fans and curious locals would gather in Killorglin to watch the spectacle.

“Most of the fans came over from Killarney for the day anyway,” added Kissane. “It would be very special to have a finish on the streets of Killarney."

HAVE YOUR SAY: Should Killarney host the 2021 Rás Mumhan? What suggestions have you for the event?