Campaigners handover “official” bicycle to South Dublin’s Mayor -- IrishCycle.com

South Dublin County Council’s Mayor was given the “official” mayoral bicycle in a handover ceremony at the Clondalkin Civic Offices on Wednesday morning.

The Dublin Cycling Campaign arranged for the Mayor’s bicycle to be handed over to Mayor Cllr Peter Kavanagh, (Independent) by the outgoing Mayor, Cllr Ed O’Brien (Fianna Fáil).

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The group said it hopes it will become an annual tradition as it has become in the Dublin City Council area. Providing mayoral bicycles was started as a counterbalance to car companies providing mayors with “official” cars for use in their term of office in Dublin City.

The Mayor’s bicycle is a Dutch-style city bicycle provided at cost price by the Dutch Bike Shop in Lucan and funded by Dublin Cycling Campaign and its supporters. The “official”

Cllr Kavanagh said: “Tá an-áthas orm an rothar seo a ghlacadh ó Fheachtas Rothaíochta Átha Chliath agus táim ag tnúth le casadh ar muintir Átha Chliath Theas nuair a bheidh mé ag rothaíocht timpeall Cluain Dolcáin agus áiteanna eile sa Chontae. I’m delighted to accept this bicycle from the Dublin Cycling Campaign Group.”

He added: “I look forward to meeting the people of Clondalkin and other places in the County as I put it to good use. It will certainly be handy on my regular trips around the local area. I also intend inviting all Councillors to take the Mayor’s Bicycle out into their communities for charity events and to promote cycling in the County.”

Kevin Baker, Chairperson of the Dublin Cycling Campaign, said: “We’re delighted to present the Mayor with his bicycle. Cycling has become so important for so many people during this pandemic and we appreciate the leadership of councillors like Peter Kavanagh who use a bicycle as their habitual mode of transport, and the work being done by South Dublin County Council and its Cycle South Dublin Programme to make cycling safer and more attractive for people of all ages and abilities.”

“The official bicycle provides the Mayor with a sustainable mode of transport that is efficient, healthy and emissions-free. As we face up to the climate crisis the official bicycle offers the ideal transport solution to our Mayor. The bicycle is a visible manifestation of a new era where officials in authority lead by example in efforts to tackle climate change,” the campaign said.

IMAGE: Cllr Peter Kavanagh Mayor of South Dublin, Cllr Ed O’Brien (Former Mayor of South Dublin) and Kevin Baker (Chairperson Dublin Cycling Campaign) with members of Dublin Cycling Campaign and the bicycle which was donated by them at the Civic Offices in Clondalkin.

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