Kerry’s first Critical Mass

In glorious weather around 60 cyclists took to the streets of Tralee on the last Friday of June as part of the first Kerry’s inaugural Critical Mass.

Critical Mass is a mass bicycle ride that takes place on the last Friday of each month in cities around the world, with further events planned for the last Friday of each month throughout the summer.

Critical Mass

Cycling is more than transportation, it is transformation, do you want safer more vibrant streets and towns, an easy way to reduce carbon emissions all while keeping fit and healthy ?

Then get on you bike and celebrate Bike Week for a leisurely cycle around Tralee.

Meet up in the town square from 6pm for a 6.30pm departure for a leisurely cycle around town.

This event will will take place in during Bike Week and as far as we are aware this will be the first Critical Mass in Kerry.

What is Critical Mass?

Critical Mass is a mass bicycle ride that takes place on the last Friday of each month in cities around the world.


Everyone is invited!
No one is in charge!

The Freedom Machine

There are a worrying number of “ists” in society today – racists, sexists, and even fascists – who’d have thought they’d make such a comeback?! For her debut one-woman show, Elaine Gallagher has decided to focus on a positive “ist” in society – the cyclist

The Freedom Machine is a hilarious audio-visual stand up show, which celebrates 100 years of women’s suffrage by exploring the revolutionary bicycle. Co-Director of “The Comeback” feature film (Filmbase). Writer for “The Mario Rosenstock Show” (RTÉ). This work premiered at Smock Allies: Scene + Heard 2018.

 

As part of National Bike Week Kerry Cycling Campaign presents The Freedom Machine a new show from Elaine Gallagher which explores the parallels between cycling and feminism using a mix of stand up comedy and audio-visual inserts.

The history of cycling mirrors the history of feminism in a fascinating way. As the call for women’s suffrage grew towards the end of the 1800’s, so did women’s use of the bicycle, and both were seen as threats to the established social order. The notion of women traveling around unchaperoned was at best challenging, and for many unacceptable and dangerous. Is it any wonder when bicycles were a source of unprecedented liberty for so many women, or as Susan B. Anthony called it, “a freedom machine”.

Elaine’s show will chart the origins of the bicycle and its role in granting freedoms to women, including its significant role in female suffrage. It will also explore the parallels between cyclists and women, and motorists and men, i.e. motorist/male entitlement, being subject to abuse and potential violence, lacking the safe facilities that we need in this day and age, and so on.

This is a free event (limited spaces) and will take place at O’Donnells, Mounthawk, Tralee, Co. Kerry on Friday the 29th of June at 8pm.

For those interested in cycling to this event a group will be meeting at 7.15 in Tralee town square for a leisurely spin out along the Tralee-Fenit Greenway.

This event is supported by:

Who is Dervla Murphy ?

As part of National Bike Week Kerry Cycling Campaign presents Who is Dervla Murphy ?  a new documentary which explores the life and the renowned Irish touring cyclist and travel writer Dervla Murphy.

Murphy is best known for her 1965 book Full Tilt: Ireland to India With a Bicycle, which chronicles her overland cycling trip from Ireland to India via Europe, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Dervla Murphy is Ireland’s most prolific travel writer who for five decades has traveled the world alone and with her daughter Rachel. A fiercely independent woman who turned her back on societal conventions at a time when few were as brave, she observed and recorded the world with wonder and curiosity, and an astute political sensibility.

But, Who is Dervla Murphy?

This new documentary explores the woman behind the words in an interview which shows her personal life to be as fascinating as her extensive journeys. The minutiae of life at home in Lismore and journeys abroad with her grandchildren provide an intimate backdrop to interviews with Dervla, her daughter Rachel, her publisher John Murray and fellow travel writers Manchán Magan and Michael Palin.

This film is a free event (limited spaces) and will take place at Kerry County Library, Tralee, Thursday  16th of June at 6.15pm

Watch the Trailer:

This event is supported by:

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