Sad news with death of cyclist, Gene Mangan
Kerry legend was youngest ever winner of Rás Tailteann 70 years ago
There is sad news in sporting circles today, in the year that Meath prepares to again host the final stage of the Rás Tailteann, of the legendary Kerry cyclist, Gene Mangan, who won the 1955 staging of the event.
Gene became a national sporting sensation in 1955 by winning the Rás Tailteann at the age of 18, and as the youngest ever winner, became one the greatest cyclists in the history of the race.
One of Mangan’s greatest performances came in the fifth Rás Tailteann, which is considered to be the greatest race to date. The memorable moment from that race came as the participants raced toward Glengariff. Mangan’s fellow Kerryman and teammate Mike Murphy crashed and damaged his bike. Without one moment’s hesitation, Mangan jumped from his own bike and handed it to his team-mate and with it he handed over whatever chance remained of winning Rás Tailteann. It was a truly magnificent gesture of sportsmanship.
From there on Mangan and Murphy rode together. The last four stages of the Rás saw the Killorglin man perform probably the greatest cycling feat Ireland has ever known. From Tralee to Dublin, it was the fabulous Gene Mangan all the way; a clear-cut winner at every one of the last four stages.
Mangan won countless titles and went on to have a spectacular career. His legend only grew as he continued to compete in the Rás, winning 12 stages in total.
After winning the 1958 Rás he was part an ‘alternative team’ to the official Irish team at the World Cycling Championships, ending in a row, putting Mangan in an Italian jail and making international headlines.
Dublin-based Gene was a work colleague of Seamus Kennedy from Boardsmill who won the Rás in 1978, and was also a great friend to the late Kerry journalist, Con Houlihan, visiting the famous GAA columnist in his Dublin nursing home in his latter years.
In 2022, memorabilia relating to Gene Mangan was been donated to Kerry Library in the form of two albums of newspaper cuttings put together in the 1950s by Gillian Mangan, younger sister of the legendary Killorglin cyclist. Apart from documenting Gene’s early career, the albums also record the glory days of Kerry cycling in the 1950s and ’60s that also include Paudie Fitzgerald’s Rás win in 1956 and Mick Murphy’s in 1958, as well as the all-important Kerry team wins.
Gillian Mangan donated the albums to Kerry Library hold them for public access in the Kerry Local History & Archives in Tralee. Her collections begin in 1954 when Gene was 17 years old and becoming prominent in cycling circles. “I was seven years younger than Gene and he was a hero in my eyes. I got all the papers and cut out anything to do with Gene and stuck them into old account books. I’m delighted that they will now be preserved for use for future generations,” she said.
Kerry County Librarian, Tommy O’Connor noted that it will supplement the very scarce copy of Gene’s biography that Kerry Library holds: ‘The Gene Mangan Story', written by Seán O’Neill and published in 1959.
Deceased, a native of Sunhill, Killorglin, Co Kerry, who lived in Churchtown, Dublin, died peacefully at Orwell Nursing Home, Rathgar. He is survived by his wife, Maeve; family, Niamh, Sheana, Deirdre, Eoin, Orla and Colm; sister Gill, sister-in-law Una, son-in-law Joe, daughters-in-law Joan and Joan and Orla’s partner Carlos; grandchildren and partners Ciaran and Luana, Daragh and Chanleap, Conor and Louise, Niall and Chloe, Killian, Kerri, Saibh, Aifric and Eanna, his niece Tara, his extended family and many friends. He was predeceased by his sister, Colette.
Gene is reposing at Fanagans Funeral Home, 5/6 Lower Main Street, Dundrum, Dublin 14 between 5pm and 7pm on Friday 28th March. Requiem mass at 11am on Saturday 29th March in the Church of the Annunciation, Grange Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 followed by burial at Mount Venus Cemetery, Rathfarnham.