Territorial politics and Irish cycling

Abstract

This paper explores a particular sporting activity in which the complexities of the relationship between the two parts of Ireland, and between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, are vividly illustrated. Originally, cycling in Ireland was organised by two internationally recognised bodies, the Irish Cycling Federation (founded 1954) in the Republic and the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation (founded in 1949) in Northern Ireland. Alongside these was a third body, the National Cycling Association (founded in 1932), which operated on an all-island basis. Tensions between the three organisations were overcome in 1979 by a tripartite agreement, under which a new, internationally recognised all-Ireland body, the Federation of Irish Cyclists, appeared five years later. But this did not end the matter, and the paper discusses the failure of Northern Ireland Cycling Federation members to endorse this solution, the resulting split, and continuing efforts by that organisation (both before and after the 1998 Good Friday agreement) to define itself as a British- rather than an Irish-linked body.