A Club History…..

 In 1960 there were two cycling clubs in Lurgan, Cherrymount C.C.  and Mid-Ulster C.C., both having being started over the previous year or so. Haydn Mulhoulland who had started the Mid-Ulster was invited to take the club into Clann Eireann..which he did, and the Cherrymount lads followed soon after. The first jersies were orange with two black hoops and black trim.

 The first Tour of Armagh took place in 1961, with the Patsy O’Connor Cup, presented by Lurgan butchers for the winner. Patsy O’Connor, a well known Lurgan butcher and cyclist had died a few years earlier. Des Kennedy was secretary from those early days, and he  took over as race organiser from then till the early seventies….Des lives now in Canada, and sitll keeps an interest in our affairs.

 The 60’s

Haydn Mulhoulland was our star rider in the first few years, winning the Ulster Road titles in 1961 and 1962, and he rode the 1962 Ras Tailteann. Maurice Bann-Lavery won all the Ulster grass track junior titles in 1962 as well, and finished his first Ras in 1963.  A few lean years followed, but an influx of new blood gave the Clann numerous successes from 1966 to 1968. Donald Lavery and Pat McGibbon  (both rode the 1967 Ras ) with Colm Totten, Kevin Henderson and some others were the mainstays.

 The 70’s

Jim McConville who had taken up the sport late in 1968 took over as the star rider, ,winning stages in the Ras, taking the Irish road championship in 1974 and representing Ireland in France. Sadly Jim died a couple of years later. Maurice Bann-Lavery rode a few more Ras Tailteanns, as did Damien Brown, Francie Morris, Declan Treanor, Brendan McCartan and Damien Wilson.

Gerard Cavanagh joined the club during that period, raced a bit, and has loyally kept up his connection to this day.

 The 80’s 

By the end of the 70’s, the Clann had become a hotbed for youth cycling.Greg Hogan, Kieran Patterson, Paul Mallon and Kieran Downey were just a few of a very strong youth section. New jersey colours were adopted.. green white and red. The old blue Transit ( it carried 15 bikes and cyclists ) was usually full, and the haul of Ulster and Irish championship medals was plentiful for a time . John News became secretary in this period, and raced in senior events with Fergal Magee, Peter O’Neill, Kevin Farrell Declan Nash and some others…Laurence Downey made the Ras his last big objective before emigrating to Australia…Terence Fitzpatrick was another excellent youth and junior rider who also went Down Under..

 The 90’s

Into the final decade of the last century, a new batch of young cyclists were making their presence felt all over the place…Diarmuid Brown, Sean Lyness and Kevin Hamilton are names remembered. Kieran Downey led an 8 man Clann team to victory in the Newry Three day. A new group of cyclists, notably Andrew Smith, Chris Greene, Andrew Burns and John Bann-Lavery came on the scene. While John Bann-Lavery was able to win Ulster and Irish championship medals at youth and junior competition, as well as being top junior in the British Youth Week and Kerry Week, it was Chris Greene  at senior level who proved his mettle in riding two Junior Tours and four Ras Tailteanns, and won several important road races.

 The New Millenium

The old club colours of Orange and black were resurrected in 2005,by which time Micheal Murray (junior ) and Thomas Martin were raising the standards higher.. Thomas setting new junior time trial records, Michael winning the Irish junior road title, and both wearing Irish jersies at European road and track championships.

The outstanding successes of 2008 were John Heverin's win in the Cycling Ulster T.T.league, and Ciara Mulhoullands trouncing of the boys at the Irish Youth Championships, and her second place internationally in Germany.

 In two years time, the club will be 50 years young..