John Lackey (cyclist)

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John Lackey, from County Longford, Ireland, was an Irish road racing cyclist, and later cycle sport administrator and race organiser, holding office at club and national level in Irish cycling for more than 20 years, including more than a decade directing the Tour of Ireland multi-stage road race.

County Longford County in the Republic of Ireland

County Longford is a county in Ireland. It is in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Longford. Longford County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county was 40,873 at the 2016 census. The county is based on the historic Gaelic territory of Annaly (Anghaile), formerly known as Teffia (Teathbha).

Irish people Ethnic group, native to the island of Ireland, with shared history and culture

The Irish are a nation and ethnic group native to the island of Ireland, who share a common Irish ancestry, identity and culture. Ireland has been inhabited for about 12,500 years according to archaeological studies. For most of Ireland's recorded history, the Irish have been primarily a Gaelic people. From the 9th century, small numbers of Vikings settled in Ireland, becoming the Norse-Gaels. Anglo-Normans conquered parts of Ireland in the 12th century, while England's 16th/17th-century (re)conquest and colonisation of Ireland brought many English and Lowland Scots people to parts of the island, especially the north. Today, Ireland is made up of the Republic of Ireland and the smaller Northern Ireland. The people of Northern Ireland hold various national identities including British, Irish, Northern Irish or some combination thereof.

The Tour of Ireland was a bicycle stage race held in August, which ran for 35 editions over a 56 year period. Irish rider Seán Kelly recorded the most wins, four.

Contents

Life

John Lackey came from Soran, between Killoe and Ballinalee, Co. Longford. [1]

Killoe Parish in Leinster, Ireland

Killoe is a parish in County Longford, Ireland. The parish of Killoe is located approximately 6 miles north of Longford Town, and is home to Cairn Hill or Carn Clonhugh - the highest peak in County Longford.

Ballinalee

Ballinalee is a village in north County Longford, Ireland. It is situated on the River Camlin, and falls within the civil parish of Clonbroney.

Racing career

Lackey began his cycling career with the St. Mark's club in Dublin, where he had moved for work, in 1951. He started by touring, then pursuing time trials, and then mass-start races, winning his first attempt in that discipline. [2]

He later cycled with Tailteann cycling club, and was for some years its captain. [1]

He won more than 200 races, primarily in Ireland. He won the Grand Prix of Ireland in 1953. In the Tour of Ireland, he finished in 1954 as one of just 15 from a field of 108, was twice third in the general classification, and came second, by only 42 seconds, in 1955, when the tour ended in Longford. Lackey also won the first Tour of Wicklow. [1]

He was selected for and rode in the 1954 Route de France (a 10-day amateur stage race) Irish national team, [1] and the World Road-racing Championships in Denmark in 1956. In 1957 was selected to ride in and captain the all-Ireland team for the World Championships in Belgium. [2]

In 1961 he became the first rider from Ireland to win the Tour of the North (in Northern Ireland). [1]

Cycling and race administration

Having held various club and Dublin County Board offices, he was elected as massed-start (road racing) secretary of the internationally recognised cycling federation, the CRE, in November 1960, for the 1961 season. [3] He held that role on the C.R.E., and a similar role on the Irish Cycling Federation, executive committees, over several years.

After his racing career, Lackey became a key organiser of stage races in Ireland, including the Tour of Ireland, of which he was director for 14 or more years. [1] [4]

Personal life

Lackey, a Protestant, [5] was married to Doris Lackey, a former national women's cycling president. He lived his later life in Dublin and near Blessington in Co. Wicklow, and retired as joint Managing Director of Kelly's Builders Providers of Thomas St. Dublin, in early 1990. He died in early November 1990. His funeral was at Cloughlea and his ashes were interred at Glasnevin. His brother William "Bill" Lackey also cycled. A son, Ian, later spent a period as Garda Superintendent for Lackey's home area in Longford.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Doherty, John (19 May 2017). "John Lackey - forgotten Longford hero?". The Longford Leader. p. 20. Soran which sprawls the parishes of Ballinalee and Killoe... in truth he was a Killoe man. ... Route de France 1954 ... winner of over two hundred races ...first winner..Tour of Wicklow
  2. 1 2 "From Soran to fame (in All the Sports)". The Longford Leader. Longford Town. 27 July 1957. p. 2.
  3. ↑ "C.R.E. Executive Council". The Irish Times. 28 November 1960. p. 4.
  4. ↑ McArdle, Jim (8 November 1976). "ICF agree to support new unity moves". The Irish Times. p. 3. John Lackey (Tailteann) was re-elected as Tour of Ireland organiser
  5. ↑ Healy, Graham, with Allchin, Richard (2011). Shay Elliott: The Life and Death of Ireland's first yellow jersey. London and Norwich, UK: Sports & Publicity and Mousehold Press. p. 36. ISBN   1874739595.
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