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Team Erasmus hosted by Irish Cycling Campaign!

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The hosts of the previous Erasmus+ Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project trips that Irish Cycling Campaign took part in set incredibly high standards with their stimulating programmes and by looking after their guests so well, so we were a little nervous in ICC in devising a Dublin programme that could match the quality of the previous ones. We were keen to ensure that everyone had rich and educational experiences of our capital city and surrounds.

But with the help of many fabulous volunteers from ICC – and, in particular, members of our Local Group, Dublin Cycling Campaign – we assembled a diverse programme that responded to the four big themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations. 

In this article, four of our active volunteers – Damien, Allison, Phil and Hugh – each provide a summary of the four core days of the programme, with further inputs and photographs shared by other ICC members.

There are many to thank for their support with the programme, but we wish to pay a special thanks to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the city, and also to the staff of Dublin City Council for the loan of their Cycling Without Age trishaw which made a massive difference in terms of making our events fully inclusive for all of the Erasmus participants.

Friday 11 Oct [Damien Ó Tuama and Allison Roberts]

The Tailors’ Hall Session
The Dublin leg kicked off in the lovely Tailors’ Hall on Back Lane after the visitors walked (and wheeled) their way over from the Generator Hostel on Smithfield Square where the group of 45 persons stayed.   

Mairéad Forsythe, Chairperson of Irish Cycling Campaign, gave the formal welcome on behalf of ICC. She was followed by ICC’s National Cycling Coordinator, Damien Ó Tuama, who shared some of the history of the 300+ year old Tailors’ Hall, and introduced the group to the work of An Taisce and Irish Cycling Campaign. He also gave the group some insights into what’s happening with the Active Travel plans in Dublin City, and into the latest news on the development of the capital’s cycle facilities (as shown on the map below, kindly provided by the City Council).

Hugh and Chifly with the latest iteration of the Dublin City Cycle Network map

Following this local scene setting, each of the six partner organisations who had travelled to Dublin gave a mini-update on the latest news from their cities and towns.  

Students from IES Alhama introducing their school and the latest news from Corella

Crucial to any visitor landing into Ireland is getting a grasp of the local lingo, and Hugh Raftery from Dublin Cycling Campaign shared some essential Hiberno-English phrases and descriptors of the Irish weather as shown here.

Hugh with the first of his posters listing the essential descriptors for the types of rainy conditions that students might encounter on their trip

The morning session concluded with two very interesting presentations which responded squarely to two of the overarching themes of the project.

Firstly, Przemek and Greg from Merchants Quay Ireland spoke to the students and the teachers about the work their organisation does. In essence, Merchants Quay Ireland, a registered charity that supports people affected by homelessness and addiction, offers food, advice, health care, mental health support and addiction services. It offers accessible and effective services in a non-judgemental and compassionate way. 

The second mini-workshop was delivered by Solene from Voice, an Irish environmental charity that empowers individuals and local communities to take positive action to conserve our natural resources. Solene, pictured below, is working on the ”Fabric of Change” project, which is all about helping consumers understand the impact of their clothing choices on the environment, and empowering them to make more sustainable decisions. The attendees certainly came away from her session with a much clearer understanding of how fashion is one of the most polluting industries worldwide, creating major social and environmental issues.  

Solene Schirrer from Voice

A Walking Tour of the City with Alita
Irish Cycling Campaign was thrilled to have Alita Rivero to lead the walking tour of Dublin City. Alita is an Argentinian Dubliner who produced and edited the monthly Dublin Cycling Campaign newsletter for almost 10 years, and has a wonderful knowledge of the lanes and lore of the city. The group sampled many slices of the city as shown in some of the photos below. 

Alita Rivera (on the right) leading the walking tour at St. Patrick’s Park – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

The walking tour included a quick visit to Drury Street Bicycle Parking Facility – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

A mini-stop on the Millennium Bridge – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

The trishaw and Bloomin Crumlin’s e-cargo bike made everything easier for our tour around the city – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

Dinner in Blas Café (Allison)
We gathered at the Blas café (located in an old chocolate factory!) for our evening dinner, and were greeted with Irish tunes played by Brendan (on the uilleann pipes) and Joe (on guitar) – as pictured below. Hassan, our host and chef, put out canapes of little breads with beetroot hummus and then a buffet for us all to dig in. Everyone was hungry! The potatoes, chickpeas and salad (and chicken for the meat lovers) were all delicious, as were the dips, yoghurt and jalapeno. Definitely worth a visit if you haven’t been there! See https://www.blascafe.ie/. 

Joe and Brendan entertaining the guests

A live sample from the session – Footage kindly provided by Karen Keogh from Newtown School

After dinner, we headed back to the Generator Hostel, where Ari and I were able to bunk in with Libya and Aroa, teachers from the Estella team. 

Hugh and Damien receiving home grown melons from villa Maria and other edible gifts from Corella! 

Saturday 12 Oct – Cycle Tour to Howth via Mud Island & Bull Island Nature Reserve [Allison]

On Saturday we woke early and enjoyed a buffet breakfast in the basement of the Generator hostel. Ari & I had brought up Clon Bike Fest t-towels which we had just enough for all the teachers and adults 🙂  

Clockwise from front left – Ari, Chifly, Margarida, Edmundo, Tono and Cristina

At 9am we headed outside where rental bikes arrived from Irish Cycling Safaris (thanks Marion!) and River Cycles (thank you Paul!). The students and teachers chose their bikes and took a lap of the square to check the fit and brakes! Between the crew staying at the Generator Hostel and the 15+ Irish Cycling Campaign marshals, we had a full team of around 60 of us on bikes ready for the trip. Ari & I opted to marshall the rear of the bike convoy, along with Paul Corcoran from ICC on his cargo bike.

A brief encounter with Luke Kelly en route! – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella

Alita from Dublin Cycling Campaign – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella

We wove our way east alongside the Liffey and navigated lots of traffic lights, buses and drivers. When we reached the Convention Centre, we headed north towards our first stop at Mud Island Community Gardens. We spent about two hours at the gardens, looking around and learning about the project and the various wild herbs there as well as all around Ireland – from the importance of beauty and roses in treating shock (they were used as decoration for post-traumatic stress centers post war for soldiers), to alder as an important anti-bacterial, nettles as an important activator for the lymphatic system, and plantain as the best cure for nettle stings and good for healing wounds and digestive health!

Ari and I are still talking about the man who gave us the tour (Aaron Foley) and how he rubbed nettles all over his arms saying “they are only painful because we have been taught to think that” while he was covered in stings! After we got back to Clonakilty, Ari got a bunch of nettle stings and tried out the “it doesn’t really hurt it only tingles” tactic and it seemed to work!  

Aaron Foley explains the importance of biodiversity in our world – Photo by Allison

Playtime in Mud Island with Danielle and Snoobles (Photo by Denis)

We learnt that the Mud Island Community garden was on an old dumping ground and only after years of appeals to the Council was it handed over to become a community garden. It now thrives as a social and inclusive space run completely by volunteers. After the tour, we had a load of sandwiches delivered from the nearby Cloud Café and set off then to continue onwards on our cycle.

We headed north along the City Centre to Clontarf cycle route and then onto the coastal cycleway. This was a great easy and flat cycle – with one good downpour that soaked us all but then the sun came straight out again! Next stop was Bull Island – an area of particular national importance for its dunes and biodiversity. We were very grateful to have with us Karin Dubsky, the Coordinator of Coastwatch Ireland, and Dave Tilly, a very knowledgeable local man with a particular understanding of how the intertidal zone functions and changes. So many birds and other creatures depend on the dunes there for food and nesting.

Ari and I had to then cut our visit short and we made our way for the last few kilometres to Howth for a Dart to Tara Street, and then cycled back west along the Liffey, and onto the train back to Cork!

Bull Island sea shells – Photo – Biciclistas de Corella

En route on the coastal cycleway – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

Photo Credit – Damien Ó Tuama

Meanwhile the rest of the Erasmus gang finished up their tour with Karin and David, and made their way to Howth for fish and chips at Wrights of Howth. After the bikes were collected, the crew continued their multi-modal day’s journeys by DART back to the city and then by foot (and tram) to the Generator.  

A big thanks from Irish Cycling Campaign to all of our marshals who helped out over the course of the day. They were: Alina, Alita, Allison, Ciarán, Damien, Deirdre, Denis, Hugh, Mairéad, María, Patrick, Paul, Phil, Rory and Siobhán. 

Sunday 13 Oct – Wicklow Day [Phil]

Nine AM was our pick-up time to be brought by coach to visit Beyond the Trees in the Avondale Estate in Co. Wicklow. The morning was overcast and pretty cold for a mid October day, so being well wrapped up was a good call.

Avondale House and Estate is the birthplace of Irish independence pioneer, Charles Stuart Parnell. It is also the home of Samuel Hayes, a man ahead of his time. Not only did he write Ireland’s first book devoted to trees, but he also realised that the native forests of Ireland were disappearing. He knew the solution was in afforestation and managing woodlands, so he set about creating a forest park on his land. After nearly 300 years since Hayes’ time, many of the trees survive today and are in a healthy and mature state. It’s through this forest where a 1.4km long treetop walk and viewing tower has recently been built and where we began our guided tour.

Photo – Phil Murray

Beautifully constructed from locally sourced wood, the treetop walk has a gentle gradient but at its peak is 23 metres off the forest floor. It’s designed to be fully accessible for all ages and abilities. One of the elderly members of our party who has mobility issues availed of a wheelchair provided by the guide.

As we made our way along we were told stories of the history of the estate as well as the forest and wildlife. Bats were found living in the attic of the estate house during renovations. As a protected species, provision was made to allow the bats to easily get in and out via small openings in the sloped roof. We also learned of the reintroduction of birds of prey such as the red kite and the return of the red squirrel – the native Irish squirrel that was pushed out by the invasive grey squirrel. It is believed that the hunting skills of the pinemartins have reduced grey squirrel numbers and thus allowed the red squirrel to regain its territory.

At the end of the walkway we arrived at the spectacular 38m high viewing tower. This huge and impressive structure – like the walkway – used locally sourced timber and was accessed by a gently sloping walk-way. 11 levels up to the top and we were met with a beautiful autumnal view of the local Avondale forest, rolling green fields and distant mountain peaks. Wicklow’s highest peak at 950m, Lugnaquilla was easily visible in a north-western direction.

Photo – Phil Murray

There were two options to descend the tower: take the walkway eleven levels down, or else take a high-speed (13 second long) option via a stainless steel tube slide. Needless to say, almost our entire group took the slide including our eldest and least mobile member. Some of the younger members took the slide a few times.

Photo – Phil Murray

Following a delicious lunch on site, a group of us went on a one-hour walk around the grounds. Taking us through mature forests, past an old train line and along the banks of the Avondale River it was a fitting end to a highly enjoyable day immersed in nature.

Aroa, Libia and Phil – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

The day did not end with the Wicklow trip though. After getting back to the Generator, the crew headed to upstairs in Slattery’s on Capel Street  for some traditional grub, Dublin style. After the day outdoors and all the walking, their food went down well. 

Monday 14 Oct – Lord Mayor’s Reception / Further City Explorations [Hugh]

Our final day kicked off with a visit to the Mansion House in Dublin and to meet James Geoghegan, the 356th Lord Mayor of Dublin. In what has now become an annual tradition, the Dublin Cycling Campaign presented the Lord Mayor with a bicycle for use over his term of office – see the separate Dublin Cycling Campaign story on this here. The group were delighted to get the chance to meet him outside the Mansion House.

Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign 

Photo – Dublin Cycling Campaign 

We were welcomed into the Oak Room of the Mansion House, with an extended meeting with the Lord Mayor. He told us about the history of the Lord Mayor’s office. We then presented him with some gifts from Spain and Poland.  

Photo – Courtesy of Dublin City Council

Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, addressing the Erasmus guests

A symbolic gift from Corella – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

While in the Oak Room, we had a “Science Buzz” presentation by Michael Grehan. Michael is a Science Teacher from Belvedere College Dublin, and he demonstrated how physics is key to getting around by bicycle and to exploring the world around us. His demonstration was a real treat for both the teachers and the students. 

Michael Grehan demonstrating the gyroscopic effect! Photo – Carlos Isaba

In the afternoon, the teachers and adults met in the café of the National Gallery for the Coordinators meeting of the Generations Cycling for Inclusion and Climate Action project, while the students had some free time to explore the city further. Later in the afternoon then, we gathered at Foster Place for a Bike Disco organised by An Taisce to celebrate Climate Action Week, and the students had a chance to participate on a multi-person bike bus as shown below. 

Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

End of the Bike Disco outside of the offices of An Taisce on Foster Place – Photo – An Taisce

The four day / five night Learning / Teaching / Training trip finished up that night in the Generator Hostel with the awarding of certificates to all of the hard working participants, and with singing and mingling running late into the night.  

In Conclusion

Over the course of the four full days, participants engaged with each of the overarching themes of the project: climate action, sustainable transport, social inclusion and intergenerational collaborations. ICC hopes that the activities undertaken will spur both students and adults to explore and act on these topics in greater depth over the coming years.

Another benefit was, of course, in forging stronger bonds and friendships between all of the project partners. It was a pleasure for ICC to host and to reconnect with our friends from Spain, Portugal, Poland, Waterford and beyond! We are already looking forward to travelling to Estella in Navarra in 2025 for the final Learning / Teaching / Training trip. 

Irish Cycling Campaign wishes to thank our volunteers for their help with organising multiple aspects of the planning and execution of the programme – and particularly all of our marshals assisting on the group cycle on the Saturday. Thanks also to Dublin Cycling Campaigner Miren-Maialen Samper, who herself is from San Sebastian Donostia, who popped along over the course of the few days to welcome the crew in several languages. 

Finally, we wish to pay a sincere thanks again to the Lord Mayor of Dublin, James Geoghegan, for his warm welcome to the Mansion House, and indeed to Dublin City Council’s staff for their support with many elements of the trip. 

————————

Note

A summary video on the whole trip assembled by Biclistas de Corella can be viewed here: 


More photos on the trip are available within:

Links to stories on the previous trips and project website:

Official project website: 
https://www.erasmuscyclingschools.com/ 

Chifly and Hugh – Photo Credit – Biciclistas De Corella

EU Posts, International Posts, Irish Posts

Inexplicable Bikes-Not-On-Ferries Policy Highlighted

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Elaine Baker from the Cycling Cloughjordan group in County Tipperary is taking a stand about the issue of Irish Ferries not allowing push bikes on the Pembroke to Rosslare ferry, despite allowing motorbikes and motorized vehicles on board. Cycling Cloughjordan is part of the Irish Cycling Campaign organisation. 

In her series of video blog posts, filmed on Sat 17 to Sun 18 February 2024, she tracks her experience of trying to bring her folding bicycle on board the service from Pembroke having been visiting friends in South Wales, with a view to sailing into Rosslare and then travelling on back home to County Tipperary. 

In this first video, filmed en route by bus to Pembroke, she explains her rationale for wanting to take the direct ferry to Rosslare – and thus avoiding the much more carbon intensive mode of flying. 

In the next video, she reports on the refusal of the company to let her on board with her bicycle – despite there being no good reason for the rule itself.

In the third third video here, filmed at 2.30am on a wet morning, she elaborates on the absence of any logic in allowing motorbikes on board the ferry but not allowing bikes without motors on board. Despite spending several hours at the ferry port talking to many different staff members, she was offered no sensible reason for why push bikes were not allowed on the ferry. 

And in this forth video, filmed with the early morning birds audible in the background and after she was asked by staff to leave the dark and fairly desolate area, she observes the ferry she was supposed to be on leaving the ferry port with motorbikes on board. 

At the time of posting this article here, Elaine was en route to Holyhead in North Wales – which is quite a circuitous route by train from Pembroke. 

Two updates further on Elaine’s journey – video #5 here and video #6 here, both from Holyhead port at around 5.30pm and 6pm respectively. In these videos (screen shot below), Elaine highlights that one of the two sailings from Holyhead around 8pm / 8.30pm would be taking foot passengers and cyclists, whereas the other one wouldn’t be.

At the time of updating this article (8.30pm on Sunday night), Elaine should have left Holyhead and be en route to Dublin Port…… after a very long and circuitous journey. 

Elaine  and Irish Cycling Campaign would like to make it a condition of the licences issued to ferry companies that any ferry which carries passengers who travel with a car or motorcycle should also be mandated to carry people on bikes and foot passengers. They can put limits on the total number of passengers of course and the total weight / size of vehicles, but they should not be allowed to carry larger vehicles but not the smaller ones.

Irish Cycling Campaign is fully behind Elaine’s activism on this issue. If we want to encourage less carbon intensive travel and therefore less flying, it should be safe, easy and permissible to take bikes on ferries and to continue journeys by bike and rail, or bike and bus.

We will add further updates to this story in due course. 

More at:

https://www.facebook.com/cyclingcloughjordan/

EU Posts, International Posts

Partnership for Active Travel and Health – COP 28 Letter signed by Cyclist.ie

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As Cyclist.ie has called for throughout its campaigning history, we need bold action to promote walking and cycling as part of the process of decarbonising our transport systems.

As COP28 takes place in Dubai, Cyclist.ie is proud to be joining hundreds of NGOs in signing a joint letter from The Partnership for Active Travel and Health to call on world leaders to promote active travel in facing the climate crisis – but we need more to join our open call!

Active travel delivers more than any other transport mode when it comes to sustainable development and climate action. If more people were enabled to walk and cycle safely, it could reduce transport emissions by as much as 50%!

Yet, the recent PATH report on the climate plans of UNFCCC countries – see here – reveals that only eight countries have properly linked walking and cycling with their climate plans!

Join us and call for bolder action by signing PATH’s COP28 letter.




Dublin, EU Posts, Irish Posts

Cyclist.ie and Cycle Friendly Employer Ireland Forge an Alliance

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Cyclist.ie is delighted to announce a collaboration with Cycle Friendly Employer Ireland. CFEI is the only official provider of the EU-standard Cycle-Friendly Employer programme in Ireland. Developed by the European Cyclists’ Federation, the programme is aimed at getting more people on bikes and cycling to work. Together, Cyclist.ie and CFEI support the development of more cycle-friendly routes nationwide and more funding opportunities for cycling. 

Cyclist.ie is the national cycling advocacy organisation for Ireland. At present it has 35 member groups countrywide in both urban and rural areas, and engages systematically with national level government departments and agencies, and with local authorities through its local groups. Cyclist.ie was founded in 2008 to advocate nationally for better cycling conditions, and built on the work of its member organisations, some of whom had commenced cycle campaigning over 30 years ago (as reported here). Cyclist.ie is the member for Ireland of the European Cyclists’ Federation and has engaged closely on European transport policy formation, through the ECF, for many years. Cyclist.ie is also a member of the Irish Environmental Network and The Wheel (Ireland’s national association of charities, community groups and social enterprises).    

Cycle Friendly Employer Ireland is part of the European Cyclists’ Federation’s Cycle-Friendly Employer Consortium. Its goal is to help employers create cycle-friendly workplaces for their team, increase cycling confidence nationwide and encourage behaviour change to support Ireland’s green transition.

CFE is part of Ireland’s Sustainable Mobility Action Plan. Participation in the CFE scheme helps to:

  • Decrease carbon emissions
  • Reduce transport costs
  • Lower employee absence and improve wellbeing
  • Demonstrate one’s commitment to the environment and sustainability
  • Attract and retain talent and customers

The collaboration between Cyclist.ie and CFEI will work to increase awareness amongst companies / organisations in Ireland of the CFE certification framework, and of the campaigning and advocacy work of Cyclist.ie which is helping to reshape transport policy and culture in Ireland. 

On the announcement of the alliance, Mairéad Forsythe, Chairperson of the Board of Cyclist.ie, said 

“We are at an extremely exciting time in the development of cycling in Ireland. Cycling advocacy plays an integral and important role in influencing how progressive transport policy is developed, and Cyclist.ie is leading the way in recasting transport policy at local and national levels. But companies and other organisations also have a crucial role in influencing how employees commute to work – so Cyclist.ie is delighted to team up with Cycle Friendly Employer Ireland and help to shape how companies think about the development of local transport plans and the provision of cycling friendly infrastructure.”   


Meanwhile, Michael O’Boyle, CEO of Cycle Friendly Employer Ireland, said

“Companies and other organisations are now recognising the multiple benefits of having a healthy workforce with more employees cycling to work. It reduces emissions and is cheaper for employers and employees, and improves health outcomes. CFEI helps employers to measure their current cycle-friendliness and implement effective, actionable strategies to help more employees to cycle to work. 

Our services include bike pool schemes, insurance, maintenance support and facilities consultation, as well as building community within and between cycle-friendly organisations.

Individual action can have a big impact and we are delighted to team up with Cyclist.ie to promote cycling throughout Ireland.”

All in all, the alliance between the two organisations is a positive move for cycling development in Ireland. Both organisations look forward to seeing – and to contributing to – the development of a strong cycling culture countrywide.

More information at:
https://cyclist.ie/
https://www.cyclefriendlyemployer.ie/

Dublin, EU Posts, Irish Posts

Cyclist.ie Gathering and DCC 30th Birthday Weekend

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Last weekend cycling campaigners from Cyclist.ie groups / branches across the country descended on Dublin to re-energise each other ahead of what we expect will be a busy next 12-18 months of campaigning. 

The Tailors’ Hall Gathering (Saturday 30th Sept)
Representatives from many of our 35 groups landed into the lovely Tailors’ Hall (An Taisce’s HQ) for a day of debating our campaigning priorities for 2024. We were delighted to have two representatives (Clare and Keelan) there from the newest local group, Gorey Pedestrian and Cycling Association – and with other delegates having traveled from as far away as Skibbereen, Sligo and Gort. And we were even more delighted that Mná na h-Éireann were out in force, with slightly more women attending the meeting than men – and even more women attending the cycle on the Sunday (see below).    

The Gathering was especially important since our network of groups had not met since before the pandemic – and there is nothing like meeting in person to have proper debates with one’s peers.  

Cyclist.ie Chairperson Neasa Bheilbigh setting the scene for the day – Photo credit: Dave Tobin

To start the day off, we were treated to ten short talks show-casing successful campaigns and initiatives at a local level. These included talks on:  

  • School streets in Galway [Reg Turner, Chair of Galway Cycling Campaign]
  • Community garden cycles, Miren Maialen [Dublin Cycling Campaign]
  • Biodiversity themed pedal parades – see poster below [Claire Anne Tobin]
  • Limerick’s e-Bike scheme [Dave Tobin, Limerick Cycling Campaign]
  • The Salthill cycleway [Kevin Jennings, Galway Cycling Campaign]
  • Rural Collective / Rural Vision [Jo Sachs Eldridge, Leitrim Cycling Festival]
  • Cycling campaigning in County Meath / Navan [Dave Anderson, Navan Cycling Initiative]
  • Building alliances with health professionals [David Timoney]
  • Campaigning experiences in Skerries [Michael McKenna, Skerries Cycling Initiative]
  • Cycling Without Age successes [Clara Clark, Cycling Without Age]
  • Love 30, latest news on speed limit reductions [Muireann O’Dea, Love 30]
  • Cycle training and cycle campaigning [Ruth Bullough, Cycle Sense, Skibbereen]

Jo Sachs Eldridge (Cyclist.ie Executive Committee) speaking about the emergence of the Rural Collective Group – Photo credit: Dave Tobin

Claire Anne Tobin and Conor Cahill’s Pedal Party Parade poster as displayed on the day – see also https://www.instagram.com/pedalpartyparade/ 

There then followed two engaging sessions – one, gathering our thoughts ahead of the 2024 Local Elections; and the second, exploring the nature of crises and what it means for an advocacy body to be ‘crisis-fit’. 

Ger O’Halloran (Dublin Cycling Campaign) reporting back on the breakout session – Photo credit: Damien Ó Tuama 

All in all, there were some rich discussions and learnings from the event which we are now digesting, and which the Executive Committee will analyse in more depth over the coming weeks. 

How many Brompton bikes can you store in a historic fireplace? Photo credit: Siobhán McNamara

Dublin Cycling Campaign’s 30th Birthday (Saturday 30th Sept)
The timing of our Gathering was chosen so as to synchronise with Dublin Cycling Campaign’s big 30th Birthday celebrations. As explained in the press release issued ahead of the party, Dublin Cycling Campaign “emerged in 1993 in response to the systematic omission from official transport thinking of cycling as an essential part of the urban transport system. Cycling, and indeed walking, had essentially been cut out of all of the ‘serious’ transport strategies and investment programmes for several decades”. 

The party brought together members and friends of the Campaign going back in time – and we were fortunate enough to have some gorgeous black and white photos from the 1990s taken by Photographer Jim Berkeley on display for the day – many thanks Jim! Additionally, seven of DCC’s 13 Chairpersons over its three decade span came along, and elected politicians from an array of parties at Council, Dáil Éireann and European Parliament levels popped in over the course of the evening to mark the occasion. 

A huge thanks to DJ 25Seán who played some fine dancey tunes upstairs in the hall – the perfect way to unwind after a day of meetings! 

DJ 25Seán mixing it up for the guests – Photo credit: Miren Maialen 

Excitement all round at the party! – Photo credit: Will Andrews

Dodder Cycleway Spin (Sunday 1st October)
To top the weekend off and wipe the cobwebs away on Sunday morning, Mairéad Forsythe from Dublin Cycling Campaign led a lovely spin along the Dodder Greenway from Rathfarnham to Kiltipper Park where all the gang enjoyed a picnic – as per the photos below. 

Rendezvous point #1 at the Grand Canal: Photo credit: Katleen Bell Bonjean

The Cyclist.ie / Dublin Cycling Campaign gang at Balrothery weir on the Dodder Cycleway – Photo credit: Katleen Bell Bonjean.

Mary Sinnott and Katleen Bell Bonjean from Cyclist.ie’s Executive Committee enjoying the picnic – Photo credit: Katleen Bell Bonjean.

Anne Nospickel and Snoobles taking a break in Kiltipper Park – Photo credit: Katleen Bell Bonjean

Cyclist.ie wishes to thank all of the organisers for their work in making the weekend happen – and all of the delegates and party people for contributing to the events. We also thank An Taisce, The Tailors’ Hall Tavern, and The Right Catering Company for the venue and the fine food served on the Saturday. 

We look forward to the next Cyclist.ie in-person gathering which, we hope, will be west of the Shannon in Spring 2024! 

Damien Ó Tuama
03 October 2023

Note: featured image at the top of this page taken by Jessica from The Right Catering Company

EU Posts, Irish Posts

European Cycling Declaration announced by EVP Timmermans at CIE Summit 2023

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Cyclist.ie is delighted to hear of the ambitious news on cycling (as below) from Brussels. Cyclist.ie is the member for Ireland of the European Cyclists’ Federation and an active player on the European stage through the ECF.

Today, at the Cycling Industries Europe Summit, European Commission Executive-Vice President Frans Timmermans, announced that the EU institutions will complete an ambitious cycling plan this year, including commitments to increase funding for infrastructure and industrial growth. This follows a resolution passed by the European Parliament in February which called on the Commission and Member States to take actions to double cycling in the EU.

In front of a packed house of industry leaders in Brussels, Timmermans was joined by MEP Karima Delli and Belgian Transport Minister Georges Gilkinet representing the Parliament and Member States. Both confirmed that the proposed Cycling Declaration will be inter-institutional, representing the EU’s highest level of political commitment for cycling.

Saying that Europe must have a role in supporting cycling, Timmermans announced the declaration saying: “I am announcing an initiative to boost the bike in Europe. The Commission will propose a European Cycling Declaration and invite the Parliament and Council to join and make this an interinstitutional agreement. We will include principles for supporting cycling, along with access to tools and funds. This will ensure our citizens will not only have the right to cycle on paper, but access to support. European instruments must be used to double cycling in Europe!”

Timmermans also welcomed the adoption of the recent European Parliament resolution on developing a European Cycling Strategy, calling it a “huge democratic mandate for cycling”, making his job in the European Commission easier. With momentum for more European support for cycling building, he said that now is the right time for a Declaration, saying that this “is the way”.

Tony Grimaldi, President of CIE responded positively to the announcements, thanking Timmermans, Delli and Gilkinet for their leadership on the Declaration, especially Karima Delli for the strong collaboration with the European cycling associations that created ambitious targets for the cycling plan, doubling the level of cycling in Europe and creating one million new, green cycling jobs.

Speaking to the attendees, Grimaldi said: “Today we are proud that the three EU institutions are coming together at the CIE Summit to announce their latest plans for an EU Cycling Declaration. The CIE Summit has become an essential milestone for all our cycling stakeholders to come together and share what we can do for Europe.”

He continued: “However, today is not the day to say “job done”, today is when we take the next steps. The Commission must now produce a final EU Cycling Declaration that takes concrete actions to deliver these goals, and we in the cycling industry will show again that we are the greenest, smartest, most reliable partners in the European Mobility Ecosystem.”

Jill Warren, CEO of the European Cyclists’ Federation said: “ECF welcomes today’s announcement that the Commission will act on the Parliament’s resolution and elevate cycling to a strategic priority. As part of this, more funding for high quality, safe cycling infrastructure will be key to doubling cycling levels in Europe.”

In the detailed announcement for the EU Cycling Declaration, Frans Timmermans said that the Commission will produce a vision for cycling by the summer, supported by detailed proposals on the actions to be taken to deliver the plans. This must include funding for infrastructure, a review of regulations and support for cycling industries in the EU’s industrial strategies. It is expected that the Parliament and European Council of Member States will complete their review of the plan by the end of 2023.

For more information, see https://www.ecf.com/

EU Posts, International Posts, Irish Posts

Cyclist.ie Taking Part in Erasmus+ Project – Volunteers Sought

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Cyclist.ie has been successful with an Erasmus+ funding application to the European Commission, where we are one of seven partners collaborating on a brand new and exciting three year project. The name of it is Generations Pedaling for Inclusion and Climate Action or, in its abbreviated form, GenCy4In&ClimA. 

For those less familiar with it, Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. We are delighted with this news as it will enable us to deepen our connections with organisations doing good cycling / environmental advocacy work in several European countries, and to help nurture a new generation of cycling campaigners in Ireland. 

This story on our website summarises what the project is about, while this presentation (prepared by the lead organisation) provides more information on the partners (from Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Poland) and on the exchange trips happening in 2023, 2024 and 2025. And you can check out the brand new project website here (still under construction). Note that the main project themes (and work packages) are centred around Social Inclusion, Climate Action, Intergenerational Relationships and Cycling Promotion – all core campaigning areas for Cyclist.ie.   

Overall Project Coordinator: Toño Peña (in the whiteT-shirt) with his colleagues from the IES Alhama School

At this point, we want to find out if there are active members of our network who are interested in being part of the project. There will be a few different ways to get involved.

  • Firstly, we will need one or two people, in addition to Damien, to attend (at least some of) the online Project Team Meetings, where we all check in with each other (say, over 1 to 1.5 hours) and plan the next strands of the project. These meetings typically take place once every month or six weeks or so.

  • Secondly, we will be looking for participants to partake in, what are called, the LTTs (“Learning and Teaching Trips”) over the coming years. Cyclist.ie will be looking to send, maybe, 4/5/6 people on each trip (lasting 4 full days plus a day’s travel at either end – i.e. 6 days away in total per trip). The essence of these trips is doing multiple (mainly outdoor) learning activities with lots of people from different countries.

    The draft schedule of trips is as follows:
    – Corella (in Navarre, in the north of Spain), late March 2023
    [Update note of 31.01.2023. Dates still to be confirmed. Also a possibility that this trip will take place around / during the week commencing Mon 24 April. Will be confirmed ASAP.]
    – Waterford, last week in June 2023
    – Azambuja (just north of Lisbon, Portugal), Oct 2023 (date TBC)
    – Wodzislaw (in the south of Poland), Oct 2024 (date TBC)
    – Estella (also in Navarre, near Pamplona in the North of Spain), June 2025 (date TBC).

  • Thirdly, when the crew come to Dublin (sometime in late 2024) for the LTT, we will need plenty of helping hands to formulate and run a diverse programme with a focus on cycling advocacy / events, especially targeted at a youth / younger adult audience. The programme can plug into some events that we might be running anyway – all to be figured out. A decision about the date of the Dublin LTT meeting in 2024 will probably need to be made by mid/late 2023.

  • Forth, there will be blogging work to do in between the LTTs. This will include penning stories for the project blog (reporting, for example, on what is happening in Ireland on various cycling advocacy fronts and linking to articles on https://cyclist.ie/ and https://www.dublincycling.com/), proofing articles drafted by those without English as a first language, posting articles and social media pieces about the LTT trips to our own platforms, and other bits and pieces.

  • Finally, we will need a hand on the admin and project management side – mainly around making sure we get a good spread of our people attending the LTT trips, and keeping a careful track of expenses etc. This item links back to the first one above (on Project Team Meetings). 

We are assuming that we may have more people interested in taking part in each LTT than there will be spaces available, so the Cyclist.ie Executive Committee (EC) is developing a fair and simple system to figure out who goes on the trips (and acts as ambassadors for Cyclist.ie). In Appendix I below, you can see the criteria we propose to use to assess applications (for the first trip anyway – we may tweak it subsequently). We also wish to flag it up here that we will require everyone going on trips away to be Garda Vetted in advance because five of the seven partner organisations are secondary schools. We will formalise the process around this soon, but in the meantime you might like to check out this ‘Garda Vetting’ web page.  

As above, the first LTT will take place in Corella in the North of Spain from Thu 23 to Tue 28 March inclusive. [Update note of 31.01.2023. Dates still to be confirmed. Also a possibility that this trip will take place around / during the week commencing Mon 24 April. Will be confirmed ASAP.]

The trip will comprise four full days of activities, plus a day for travel at either end) and we expect we will be sending, maybe, 4, 5 or 6 people from Cyclist.ie on the trip. The trips will be fully paid for – to include travel, accommodation, food and all of the various indoor and outdoor activities. Note that with the new ferry services from Ireland to the north of Spain, which now take foot passengers and cyclists, we may look into weighing up the pros and cons of traveling over land and sea, as against flying, from the perspective of low carbon travel (but we will also consider the travel time and costs involved for each option, and hence the numbers of delegates we can support).

Members of Biciclistas de Corella (local cycling campaigners) at an event in Corella Town Square

We are now seeking expressions of interest (EoI) from potential participants in attending this first LTT in Corella at the end of March, which promises to be an action-packed trip!

We ask that you submit a short letter of application (no more than two pages long) which explains why you would like to go on the trip and which responds to the criteria listed in Appendix I below. Please email [email protected] by latest Tuesday (night) 7th of Feb 2023 with your letter attached.

A sub-committee, comprising reps from the Cyclist.ie Executive Committee and from the board of DCC CLG / Cyclist.ie, will assess the applications, aiming to revert to (successful) applicants ASAP so that we can book our travel arrangements without delay.  

Please discuss this opportunity with colleagues in your local cycling advocacy group as soon as possible. If you have any questions on any of the above, please email Damien by 6pm on Wed 25 Jan. Note that if there is lots of interest in the project or questions on the above, we may organise a special Zoom meeting (most likely during the week commencing Mon 30 Jan). 

Many thanks. 

Damien

Dr. Damien Ó Tuama
National Cycling Coordinator, Cyclist.ie http://cyclist.ie/ and An Taisce https://www.antaisce.org/
The Tailors’ Hall
Back Lane
Dublin D08 X2A3
Ireland
E:  [email protected] 

Appendix I – Criteria for Assessing Applications for Partaking in the first LTT trip to Corella in Spain 

CriterionFurther Details / Background / ExplanationMarks (out of 100)
1.Member of a Cyclist.ie Member GroupThe current list of groups is here. Please confirm that you are a member of your local cycling advocacy group – and include a copy of a short email from your group Chairperson or Coordinator confirming that (i) you are a member of that group and (ii) your Chair / Coordinator supports your application for being an ambassador for Cyclist.ie on the LTT.  Mandatory
2. Active in your local groupPlease describe in your letter of application what you have been active in within your own cycle campaigning / advocacy group, particularly over the last year. Extra marks for those who have been on the organising / Executive Committee of the local group and/or of Cyclist.ie.   35
3.  Enthusiasm, experience working with younger groups and broader skills!  The Erasmus+ trips are very much convivial gatherings of diverse people, brought together under common themes – in this case social inclusion, climate action, intergenerational relationships and cycling promotion / advocacy. If you are especially sociable / easy to get along with, or perhaps you play an instrument or sing a song or do a dance, or have experience working with younger groups (maybe in outdoor settings), please let us know in your application! These ‘softer skills’ are valued a lot in this project where it’s all about nurturing exchange between diverse groups. 35
4. Younger adults Erasmus+ focuses particularly on the youth and younger adults (see here), so we are especially keen that within the Cyclist.ie delegation we have at least some members who are under 30 years of age. Let us know if you are under 30 (but also 18 years or over). 10
5. Language SkillsThere are partners on the project from Spain, Portugal and Poland so it would be advantageous if you have (even basic) conversational Spanish, Portuguese or Polish. Please let us know in your application. 10
6. Organised / Can help out with some basic adminBesides the trips themselves, there is an amount of admin support work to help to manage the project well – plus a need to post lively / informative web articles and blog posts. Let us know in your letter of application if you are prepared to help out with this and/or if you have experience writing articles of various types. You will receive guidance and training on this as needed / appropriate.10
Additional Criterion to be used in assessing all applications collectively, after the initial individual assessment has been completed
7DiversityFor this project, we are keen for the Cyclist.ie delegation to be diverse in every sense of the term. We are especially keen to have a good spread of active members of our network from all around the country, both urban and rural, with a good gender balance and mix of backgrounds. Do please tell us a bit about yourself in your application! To be considered before final team is chosen
EU Posts, International Posts

Developing and Cycling EuroVelo Route 1

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On Tuesday 15 November 2022 (8pm), Cyclist.ie and Dublin Cycling Campaign will jointly host a very special online public meeting on the topic of EuroVelo Route 1 (EV#1) in Ireland, also known as the Atlantic Coast Cycling Route. You can register to attend here (with registrations closing at 6pm on Tue 15 Nov).

EV#1 is the long distance signed cycling route running along the coasts of Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England, France, Spain and into Portugal (see below and here), and it is one of 17 EuroVelo routes being developed across Europe as coordinated by the European Cyclists’ Federation.   

The emerging EuroVelo network

We will have two extremely well qualified presenters on the night. 

Firstly, we will have Doug Corrie from Sport Ireland who works with their Outdoors unit. Doug has spent the last number of years liaising and engaging closely with the 10 Irish Local Authorities, through which the route runs, so as to identify the optimal route.

While the signing of the route is now nearing completion, the route itself will evolve over the coming years as new greenways come on stream and other interventions are advanced by local Councils. This will improve the cycling experience and widen its appeal to a more diverse set of users. At the presentation, Doug will explain the context around the development of EV#1 and the main considerations in identifying, signing and improving the route. 

Doug Corrie from Sport Ireland

Our second speaker, Florence Lessard, will be tuning in live from the North Coast of Quebec, having recently returned to Canada after cycling almost the complete EV#1 Irish route. Her journey ran from Rosslare, County Wexford, and on through the counties of Waterford, Cork, Kerry, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Derry and Antrim – and finishing up in Belfast.

Florence will share her experiences of cycling EV#1 and camping along the way. Some images giving a taster of her trip can be seen below. Florence has cycle toured widely in Quebec and also has considerable hiking experience including in the national parks of New Zealand.

Florence Lessard on her journey in Ireland.

The event will take place online (at 8pm Irish time and 3pm Quebec time) on Tue 15 November 2022. You can register to attend via this link here. 

For more on the EuroVelo European Cycle Route Network, see here. 

EU Posts, International Posts, Irish Posts

Cyclist.ie at World Cycling Alliance 2022 AGM

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Cyclist.ie is part of the World Cycling Alliance through our own membership of the European Cyclists’ Federation. 

We were delighted that two members of Cyclist.ie’s Executive Committee attended the (fully online) Annual General Meeting of the World Cycling Alliance earlier today (Tuesday 18 October 2022) – Damien Ó Tuama (National Cycling Coordinator) and Will Andrews. 

The World Cycling Alliance comprises the overarching groups in each continent of the world, and it was fantastic to see cycling advocates from South Africa, Nigeria, Brazil, India, Australia and over a dozen European countries at the meeting. 

The WCA’s major achievement recently was the last-minute change to the transport resolutions made at COP 26 in Glasgow in November 2021. The WCA joined other environmental groups and secured a brief, but crucial, inclusion of active trave in the final Declaration:

We recognise that alongside the shift to zero emission vehicles, a sustainable future for road transport will require wider system transformation, including support for active travel, public and shared transport, as well as addressing the full value chain impacts from vehicle production, use and disposal.
[The full Declaration can be read here.]

Before WCA’s intervention, the ambition had been wholly aimed at promoting electric car roll-out.

Having such measures set and agreed at global level helps us all advocate for improved provisions, even down to local level where, for instance, unsustainable and counter-productive roads and traffic management projects are being backed by local politicians. 

Likewise, WCA membership can give credibility to those in emerging economies who want to promote cycling and sustainable transport in the face of car-biased urban planning policies.

Other initiatives of WCA include: 

* Promoting World Bicycle Day on June 3rd – for the background on this see here;

* Encouraging the UN General Assembly to pass Resolution 76/255, which calls for all governments to promote and encourage cycling as transport;

* Applying to the UN to be included in all future COP meetings.

The World Cycling Alliance 2022 AGM elected a member from each continent to its Board, and selected a new Chair, Graham Watson, who is a former MEP and current ECF board member.

Cyclist.ie looks forward to engaging more closely with the World Cycling Alliance over the coming months and years.

The photo at the top was taken at the (2016) Vélo-city Taipei parade.

Dublin, EU Posts, International Posts, Irish Posts

EUROPEAN SCHOOLS AND CYCLING ASSOCIATIONS PARTNER IN A NEW ERASMUS+ PROJECT

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We have terrific news in Cyclist.ie in that we have been successful with an Erasmus+ funding application to the European Commission where we are partners with six other organisations on a project focused on cycling, inclusion and climate action. This project will build on our previous involvement in an Erasmus+ project which was led by the same dynamic group of cycling advocates and teachers from Corella in Spain as is leading on this project. You can read the full press release here. 

Four countries. Seven partners. Three years. €250,000. These are some of the key figures of the Erasmus+ project Generations Pedaling for Inclusion and Climate Action or, in its abbreviated version, GenCy4In&ClimA. 

It is jointly coordinated by IES Alhama and Biciclistas de Corella (Navarra, Spain), who have partnered with four secondary schools: Zespol Szkol Ponadpodstawowych (Wodzislaw Slaski, Poland), Escola Secundária Azambuja (Ribatejo, Portugal), Newtown School (Waterford, Ireland) and a third partner from Navarra (Spain),  Tierra Estella High School. Additionally, Cyclist.ie –the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network, the organisation which encompasses associations all around Ireland  promoting everyday cycling, is on board as a partner.

This new project builds on from the Sustainable Mobility, Sustainable Community project, which between 2018 and 2022 made many achievements such as a developing a Cycling Without Age chapter and running 400 rides for elders and people with disabilities in tricycles, creating several cycling trails, publishing a blog with more than 350 entries, and organising four successful training and learning trips to Navarra, Dublin, Copenhagen and Lithuania (and much more!). However, the current project includes not only five new partners, but also new contents that fall into five categories or work packages (WPs):

  • Coordination and implementation of the project (WP1): management of activities, budget, online and onsite meetings, blog, dissemination, eTwinning, etc.
  • Social inclusion (WP2): embellishment/regeneration of neglected urban spaces and creation of Erasmus boards with the activities of the project in the five secondary schools.
  • Climate action (WP3): vegetable gardens and tree nurseries, tree plantations, nature clean-ups and environment weeks.
  • Intergenerational relationships (WP4): “Cycling Without Age” (CWA) tricycles, rides and courses, walking and cycling intergenerational excursions and cooking workshops.
  • Urban cycling promotion (PT5): DIY bike repair workshops, cycling trails, etc.

These five work packages will be developed in the four countries, by the seven partners and for the three year duration of the project. Additionally,  there will be two international Learning / Training / Teaching meetings per school year in order to meet the project objectives: Corella and Waterford (Ireland) in 2022-23, Azambuja (Portugal) and Wodzislaw Slaski (Poland) in 2023-24, and Dublin and Estella in 2024-25.

A further strength of the GenCy4In&ClimA project is its connection with the community. The project’s methodology is based on three premises: firstly, the students and volunteers become Erasmus ambassadors and lead the different activities; secondly, it runs according to a merit-based, transparent and public process; and thirdly, it aims to nurture strong relationships with local entities such as nursing homes, parents’ associations, local Councils, and other associations.