Dungarvan Cycle Club A Proud History

It is reported that the world’s first cycling race took place in Paris in 1868 over a 1,200meter course, however, it didn’t take very long for Dungarvan to catch up. Dungarvan Ramblers Cycling Club was founded in 1869 by Richard Edward Brenan, a Postmaster based in Grattan Square who was also a printer and bookseller.

News obviously had not spread to Dungarvan about the Paris race the previous year because in 1903 The Cyclist’s Guide to the South-East was published and had the following observation:

‘In the Co. of Waterford we claim the oldest cycling club in Ireland, the Dungarvan Ramblers C.C., started in 1869. In that year the first cycle race for a Challenge Cup was held in this or any other country, and it was won by Mr. R. Edward Brenan, the present Postmaster of Dungarvan, who is as proud of the trophy as if it were a collar of gold’.

The Cup was lost for many years until it was found in 1984 and donated to the County Museum where it currently resides.

Fast forward to 2019 and Dungarvan Cycling Club is one of the largest in Ireland with a strong membership of over 170. We are proud of our history and the role generations of Dungarvan cyclists before played in the foundations of the sport in Ireland.

Aims & Objectives

The Aims of Dungarvan Cycling Club are:

• To organise and encourage all aspects of cycling.
• To cooperate closely with other sporting organisations.

Our Club Objectives are:

• To provide coaching for beginners and to encourage more cyclists to take up the sport.
• To enter competitions at all levels of the sport to provide for all standards to compete.
• To run club evening and weekend events.
• To run a juvenile league to ensure that new cyclists will continually join the club.
• To advertise DCC and its activities so that people in the locality are aware of these.