Kevin Interviews Local Legend Dan Curtin

By KEVIN O’CONNOR Special Olympian 2003 & 2023 & 2023 Person of the Month

When you were young did you always want to be a cyclist?

Yes, I did.

How did you get involved in competing?

I was friendly with Mick Duggan and Connie Moylan and a few more. They were the elders in cycling in Kanturk at the time. I was asked would I go cycling and I said yes.

How did you set up the a club in Kanturk?

I felt that the youth needed to get involved in cycling. Any young person I saw with a bike, I asked them to get involved in cycling. And I got back on the bike myself again!

Was it easy to get members was there interest in cycling?

No, not easy to get youth involved at the time. Once we got started, the interest grew, as we were winning.

When did you begin competing in events?

1968, I was a bit old.

Is there a lot of training? How many times a week?

Club training is 3 evenings a week in summer. 1 morning on a Sunday in winter.

Who sets up the stages for competing?

It’s a group effort, Joan Curtin does entries and results, club members Sarah, Pat, Angela and Nicholas Tarrant get the course ready. Dan and Pat manage the night stages…..

Do you travel a lot to compete?

Yes, all over the world. Spain, France, Austria, Belgium, UK, Italy, South Africa. We’ve also travelled the length and breadth of Ireland…100 times!

What is the biggest competition you have taken part in?

Club wise - World championships, Paralympics, Olympics and Youth Olympics. For myself- the famous Rás.

Are Eddie Dunbar and Sam Bennett your most successful cyclists?

Yes. However, the club has produced 5 professional riders. Archie Ryan, Josie Knight, Eddie Dunbar, Sam Bennett, and Dillon Corkery. No other cycling club in Ireland has had that many professionals.