Imagine a place where everyone gets to do their favourite things – where kids can play, adventurers can camp, advocates can connect and locals feel proud of where they live. This year’s Leitrim Cycling Festival in Cloone created exactly that kind of space – and more.

It wasn’t just the sunshine that brought the magic. It was everything Cloone already has in abundance.

For the kids (of all ages), Cloone offered perfect places to play: tarmaced areas for the obstacle course, slow bicycle races, balance bikes and bike fixing; grassy slopes for the joyful silliness of the sleeping bag challenge and for running up and down hills until your legs ache. The beautiful Bóthar na Naomh that hosted the Scavenger Hunt, Bicycle Orienteering and our Celebratory Launch Cycle. And inside the wonderfully kept Community Centre, rooms were filled with the kids powered disco, the céilí, films, feasting and lots of lovely art workshops.

For adventurers of every kind – some who have been cycle touring for years, some just finding their way – Cloone provided a beautifully mown pitch for tents with stunning views across the hills, miles of “Rothar Roads” to explore, routes mapped out to follow, the sharing of tales of cycling adventures, and pubs ready to quench the thirst after a long day in the sun.

For the advocates, there was time and space to talk, dream and connect – over breakfast, pizza or curry; while cycling to the picnic at Keeldra Lake; during the trad session in Creegan’s; while ‘bragging’ about the small wins; or while being blown away by what a small community like Cloone can achieve when they work together to create something of the quality of Bóthar na Naomh, steeped in history and designed to be used by everyone – walkers, horse riders, racers, obstacle makers, people on bikes and all the wildlife that have made it their home.

For those of us from Leitrim who help make this festival happen, we couldn’t be prouder of our county. And for those even closer to Cloone, we hope you see it through our eyes and love it even more.

Now imagine what it feels like when you straddle all of those identities – a Leitrimer, a grown up kid who loves adventuring and cycle touring, and a passionate advocate for changing how we move through the world – and you’ll understand exactly why we do this!

The list of thank yous is long, and we hope we haven’t missed anyone.

Huge thanks to our generous sponsors, especially Leitrim Sports Partnership Leitrim Tourism The Irish Cycling Campaign Irish Environmental Network Leitrim County Council and Reset Your Rhythm.

Thank you to all the food providers – Pete’s Pizza, Cúl Chistin, Gavin Mitchell, Pat the Baker for generously donating the brown bread and pancakes, Centra in Mohill for donating the raffle prizes, Mae Canning and Kathleen McGarry for the boxty demo, Emily Sachs Eldridge for the always surprisingly delicious mashed potato lemon drizzle cake, and the whole behind the scenes team including Karen Moran, Ann Reynolds, Mary O’Donnell who made sandwiches, Georgina Daly who made the curry, Michelle who led the charge on the boxty breakfasts and Yika Durkin who helped make sure nothing was wasted.

Thanks to all the music makers – the musicians at the trad session (including a sax!), Phil for being the DJ at our kids disco, the Rise the Dust band members (and caller), the céilí dancers with their tap shoes, and John and Katie Clancy who played brilliantly at our breakfast.

Thanks to Madeleine McKeon Murphy, principal of Fatima National School for allowing us to use their facilities, promoting the festival and making sure all the kids had bikes; to Kate Murren for yoga; to Sharon Hughes for generously donating the sound bath; to Seamus Gibbons of Electric Bike Trails for bringing accessible and balance bikes; to Sinéad Mooney for being our hilarious Slow Bicycle Race commentator; to Michelle Hardiman for sharing her inspiring cycling adventures in Japan; to Marta Rutowska for running a brilliant cycle obstacle course; to Sandra Velthius for bringing the octupus, to all our ride stewards, to Molly’s Bar in Fenagh for the use of their speaker; and to the gang of volunteers from Leitrim Volunteer Centre.

Huge, huge thanks to all of the team in Cloone – to Michelle Dimmock for taking a chance on us and making it all happen; Peter Charles for caring so beautifully for the centre and trusting us to use it respectfully; to Michelle McCaffrey for bringing so much calm; to Gerry Keegan for taking on some of the jobs that no one else wanted, to Aoife Keegan for organising the raffle, to Sheila Murtagh for her excellent admin and finance support, to Phil Botting for bike maintenance and everything else he did; to Liam O’Donnell for organising the trad session and céilí; and to Seamus Tiernan for organising the bicycle orienteering and sharing his deep knowledge and passion for Cloone, its history and its future.

Thank you also to everyone who came this year whether it was for the first time or the tenth time (yes, you Dave Butterly!)

From all of the Leitrim Cycling Festival crew – Jo, Laura and Jennie – we can’t wait to see you again next year!

Here is a video of our festival in Tullaghan, 2025: