Ministers pay tribute to Caroline Ryan on her retirement from Cycling
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD and the Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan TD today paid tribute to Irish cyclist Caroline Ryan on the announcement of her retirement from the sport.
Minister Ross said “I would like to congratulate Caroline on a hugely successful career in cycling. There are many highlights to look back on including winning Ireland's first ever Elite Women’s World Championship Cycling medal in Melbourne in 2012 and winning the first ever World Cup medal by an Irish female track cyclist in Mexico in 2013. Caroline also won Ireland’s first ever Paracycling World Championship Medals as a pilot for Catherine Walsh in 2009 and she can feel rightly proud of her achievements since first representing Ireland on the international stage in 2008. Caroline has been a wonderful ambassador for Irish sport and I would like to wish her all the best for the future.”
Minister O’Donovan said “I would like to thank Caroline for her contribution to Irish sport and in particular her contribution to Irish women’s cycling. Caroline has had a fantastic career in cycling but she has also been a great supporter of cycling at the grassroots level, being an ambassador for the Cycling Ireland Bike for Life Programme, which has encouraged so many people, women in particular, to take up cycling. I am sure it can’t have been an easy decision for Caroline to retire from cycling but I have no doubt that she will still have a major contribution to make to the sport in the future.”