Killarney

<h3>The Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle &#8211; which will this year run on Saturday July 2 &#8211; is celebrating its 40th anniversary.</h3>
However, this year numbers are limited to 8,000 cyclists for the first time.
Back in 1981 a small group of Killarney cyclists had an idea to cycle the Ring of Kerry to raise money for charity.
It has since grown to be Ireland&#8217;s largest one day charity cycle event and has raised over &euro;17 million for 160 charity and voluntary community organisations.
&ldquo;Today the vision hasn&rsquo;t changed but the enormity and success of the event has grown exponentially,&rdquo; said event PRO Cathal Walshe.
&ldquo;This fundraising event brings together thousands of cyclists making it a powerful and meaningful impact for people in need across our communities.&rdquo;
The event has changed considerably since its foundation.
&ldquo;We have come a long way from those early days when cyclists dusted off their push bikes, no helmets or lycra then, and you were doing well if you had a gear on your bike,&rdquo; said Acting Chairman Tony Daly.
&ldquo;Van loads of volunteers would follow and with buckets in hand they would collect up to &euro;15,000 on the day.&rdquo;
<h3>LIMITED</h3>
In the past over 10,000 participants took part in the 170km event. As a result of safety concerns this has been reduced to a maximum of 8,000 this year. The restricted numbers will also allow organisers to better manage event catering.
Also, there is a significant number of registered cyclists already on the books from the deferred 2020 and 2021 events.
&ldquo;We know there will be pent up demand for this year&rsquo;s cycle, so it will be a case of &#8216;the early bird catches the worm&rsquo; so cyclists need to be on the ready when registration opens at 12 noon on Valentine&rsquo;s Day!&rdquo; Cathal said.
<h3>Charities</h3>
The six charities to benefit from this year&rsquo;s Ring of Kerry Charity Cycle have been named.
Breakthrough Cancer Research and the Irish Community Air Ambulance are the two main beneficiary charities chosen this year.
Local charities are: Ard Ch&uacute;ram Dementia Centre Listowel; Banna Rescue C.R.B.I Unit; C&uacute;namh Iveragh Respite Home for adults with special needs and Down Syndrome Kerry.
&ldquo;We hope we can raise a &euro;1,000,000 for the nominated charities,&rdquo; Tony said. &ldquo;The cycling community of Kerry and beyond are so thrilled and so looking forward to coming back and feeling the energy and excitement of the day. It is always such a special time, perhaps best described as a carnival for cyclists and their families and the many volunteers who gather year after year to be part of this great day.&rdquo;
The registration fee for 2022 is &euro;100 plus a 3.5% service fee.
For more information or to register visit: www.ringofkerrycycle.ie.

Pedal power as Ring of Kerry Cycle returns and celebrates 40 years

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