By Tommy Campbell, Irish Independent, Evening Herald, Sunday Independent
Bray Wheelers Cycling Club is unique in the sense that it is the only club in Ireland that has a club house. The premises are based on the higher Dargle Road in Bray and they have been there since the late '60's.
According to new public relations officer for the club, Michael O'Donnell, "We are moving to the Southern Cross end of the town. The move has been on the cards for a while, but all the legalities have now been sorted out and we hope all going well to be in situ in the New Year. The old club house served us well, but we will be moving to a state of the art building which hopefully will show the true professionalism of the club that was formed in 1949.
"It is intended to formulate a campaign to attract anyone who enjoys cycling, whether it is leisure or racing. In this day and age, all associations associated with sport are intent on growing their numbers and we in the Bray Wheelers will be no different. The club has a strong tradition of success and that is the foundation we will be building on."
O'Donnell is looking forward to the challenge of his brief as PRO for a club that is steeped in the finest traditions of the sport, both at competitive level and administration. He is no stranger to success, having tasted victory in the Junior Tour, but his abiding memory is winning the 'Shay Elliott' memorial back in the mid '90s. In a way Elliott was the pioneer for Irish cycling, but ultimately it was Kelly and Roche who were O'Donnell's role models.
