Wheelers take the turkey to the castle
December 25 might be the traditional day the turkey gets stuffed, but as far as Lakeside Wheelers members are concerned, the turkey’s big day out is December 27.
The annual club Christmas spin, or the Turkey Trot as it is more commonly known, took place last Saturday in very cold, but sunny conditions. It was slightly less perfect at 10am when the sixty two cyclists gathered full of enthusiasm and all set to shake off the excess of the previous two days.
Due to some overnight frost which was slow to thaw there was a brief group leaders meeting convened and the planned route was changed. At 10.15am three pelotons rolled out from the clubhouse headed directly for Tyrellspass Castle along the N52.
It was decided to mix all abilities across the three groups and this worked very well as it is probably the only day of the year when the A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s cycle together. In the midst of these groups we had riders of all ages ranging from 15yrs old to, well, other riders who I’m sure won’t mind me saying, are a fair bit older.
We also had three generations of one family with Jimmy, Kevin, Tadgh and Siobhan Marshall all rolling out together which is not something that happens every day in Irish cycling clubs.
But Lakeside Wheelers never made a habit of copying other clubs. How many other Irish cycling clubs have had a member who was National Elite Champion, has won a professional race, has held a yellow jersey in a professional race, have had juniors who won several national track and road titles, have had two sisters who represented Ireland at World Championships level, and finally, although the list could go on, how many currently have a rider in the World Tour? Not too many I suspect. Our club has been punching way above its weight for many years now.
En route it was fantastic to see Joe Duffy and Joe Duffy (no, it’s not a typo) photographing and videoing from various points as each group passed. On arrival in Tyrrellspass the staff at the castle was on hand with the most delicious fresh scones, tea and coffee and then, they spoilt us completely with festive mince pies and cream before we left.
In the absence of our Chairman, Mr Pearse Murphy, new club President Jack Nugent made his inaugural speech and thanked the staff at Tyrrellspass Castle for their excellent hospitality, the two Joe Duffy’s for their contributions and finally, the members who turned up in such great numbers to mark this annual event.
Prior to departure, Joe, the photographer Duffy had his work cut out to get everyone into some sort of decent shape for a group photo, but it eventually happened and everyone went on their merry way back to base. With the cold temperatures hanging around it seems the majority if not all riders took the main road back. It was very impressive to see the large peloton cycling along in the hard shoulder in good order.
Happy New Year
With this being the final edition of the Lakeside Wheelers notes for 2025, it only remains to wish every member and his/her family a happy and healthy 2026 and we hope you all stay safe on the bike. Thanks to all members who sent in photos and reports during the year. It makes a big difference and makes the notes more personal.
Thanks to the editors of the sports departments at the Westmeath Examiner and Westmeath Topic for the fantastic coverage they give us every week. Thanks also to the people of Mullingar, Multyfarnham, Dalystown and Castletowngeoghegan and the different organisations who assisted us with our events throughout 2025.
As we go forward into our 50th year, keep an eye out for updates on the various events which will be used to mark this huge milestone in the club’s history. Roll on April 18 for the big Golden Anniversary spin which will be one of the main highlights.
See you next year!