By Aideen Collard
Following on from the Orwell and Wicklow Ladies Leagues, there are two handicapped races on Tuesdays 17th & 24th August 2010 hosted by Swords CC. There will be 10k and 20k options. All levels catered for. For those who have not raced before, there will be an experienced rider with the first group who can provide tips on racing in a bunch.
Sign on at the Ring Commons Sports Centre at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
Entry is €5. A Cycling Ireland licence will be required. A one-day licence can be purchased at sign on for €10.
A map of the race can be found here: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/80503.
This event will be handicapped to give all participants a fair chance.
Refreshments afterwards in the Ring Commons sports Centre.
For further information contact
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on 087 617 2828.
Directions from Dublin city centre as follows:
- If you are coming from the south side or the city, take the M1 North
- Take Exit 5 for Balbriggan and Walshestown
- At the top of the slip road, take third exit off the roundabout and drive over the motorway bridge
- At the next roundabout take the second exit (the first exit is for the Applegreen garage)
- Drive straight through a small roundabout and after a few hundred metres, take a left
- Go around a bad bend, over the bridge and the Ring Commons Sports Centre is on the left-hand side
- Parking and sign on will be here (more than likely in the car park)
If anyone needs directions on the night, they can call Bernie on 087 617 2828.
The Ben McKenna open race signs on at this same venue.
She's a Great Dane - chocolate coloured except for her head which is blackish. Dale phoned when she was walking to the bus to say there was a v. large stray dog with a rope attached to her collar who was looking like she didn't know what to do with herself. I thought, what am I going to do with a v. large dog? So I had a shower and breakfast and then thought I may go have a look - thinking that she'd be gone by that time. I tootled off on my bike to return some bottles to the bottle bank and on the way back went by the place that Dale had seen her. She wasn't there. I didn't expect her to be. So I pootled off home taking a detour through a park I'd never been through and on the other side, there she was outside someone's house. I said hello, she said hello back, so I picked up her rope. I rang the doorbell of the house she was outside of and asked if they knew her. They didn't. Plus they were afraid of big dogs and since they had put out some food and water she'd been hanging around, would I take her? Ok. We walked home and she came in and fell asleep.
I reported a v. large dog found to the Rathfarnam garda station, but put off calling the DSPCA for the day because she looked knackered and I thought she should rest up before the next leg of her journey. Next day I called the DSPCA who were full and couldn't take any more boarders, but suggested I bring her in to check for a chip. As it turns out, she loves the car. Sits in the back beautifully. Except when you're reversing, the only thing you can see is her big, stupid head in the rear view mirror.
The DSPCA found a chip which was traced to the breeder who had sold her to farmer Niall in Longford 3 years ago who sadly, because of a slight sheep chasing problem, had put her on Buy and Sell 4 weeks ago and sold her to Richie from Tallaght (read Jane and Finch). We suspected that Richie (or his wife) had decided that a v. big dog was not for him and dumped her out of a van in a more 'well-heeled' area. So far, no one has contacted the gardai or the DSPCA for a missing Great Dane. You wouldn't think she'd be overlooked, if you were actually looking out for her in the first place. She is a v. big dog.
The DSPCA discretely suggested I replace her collar, gave me a fake tag (she didn't have any tags) and told me to pretend it was mine if Richie decided to make an appearance. She was underweight, dirty, needed a brush and had pressure sores. That was 4 weeks' work from Richie.
Ok. I said.
She's a star. A real people magnet. Dogs in this country all look like they forgot to put their legs on in the morning. The likes of Caddy have not been seen in these parts. Crowds gather.
She weighs 51kg (112 lbs).
