Ben Healy's achievement of wearing the yellow jersey marks a milestone in Irish cycling history, the first in 38 years. Cycling in Ireland has evolved, significantly influencing society since the invention of the pneumatic tyre by John Boyd Dunlop in 1888. This technology revolutionized cycling and made it a key mode of transport throughout the country. Bicycles increased connectivity, reduced rural isolation, and impacted historical events. By the 1930s, they transformed social life, evidenced by personal stories of people cycling to communal gatherings like dance halls.
The combination of the pneumatic tyre and the safety bicycle led to a boom in cycling. This new model was the iPhone of bicycles at the time.
Bicycles have left their mark on Irish history, playing a crucial role in everything from grocery deliveries to the 1916 Easter Rising that put Ireland on the path to independence.
By the 1930s, bicycles became the key mode of transport in every parish in Ireland, dramatically changing the social life of ordinary people.
Peggy McLoughlin recalled: "When the dance was over, we headed on our homeward journey on our less-than-roadworthy bicycles... hoping we wouldn't encounter any Garda."
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