Ten years ago, cycle campaigning groups across Ireland joined forces to create an umbrella organisation with the aim of advancing cycling at a national level. The federation is Cyclist.ie - the Irish Cycling Advocacy Network and it comprises around 25 groups. These span urban and rural utility / transportation cycling advocacy organisations (with Dublin Cycling Campaign one of the lead members), community based greenway groups, bicycle festivals, and other groups such as Cycling Without Age, Stayin Alive at 1.5, Love 30 and the Irish Heart Foundation. Cyclist.ie is a member of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition of civil society organizations, and also the member for Ireland of the European Cyclists’ Federation. Cyclist.ie’s Honorary President is Prof. Donal O’Shea, the obesity expert and lead for the government (in the Department of Health) on obesity as a problem for society.

At our April public meeting, some of the most active members of Cyclist.ie will give an insight into the work of the national (or island-wide) body. On the one hand, Cyclist.ie focuses on national level policy-making, funding for cycling, legislation and law enforcement issues, and media debates around cycling - and it synthesizes inputs from all its member groups; on the other hand, Cyclist.ie’s work is centred on supporting member groups as they seek to influence policies and plans at a local level. Most recently Cyclist.ie, partnering with Green Schools Ireland, has started a three year international “Erasmus+” project on sustainable transport and thus is forging links with campaigning groups in Spain, Denmark and Lithuania [see here for our story on this - https://cyclist.ie/2019/04/cyclist-ie-in-erasmus-at-corella/].

We look forward to welcoming you to this special public meeting which will give you a flavour of the wonderful diversity of cycling advocacy work happening all around Ireland - and the latest news on the Erasmus+ cycling project.

In the image above are Allison and Justin from the Clonakilty Bicycle Festival with members of Biciclistas de Corella at last week’s Erasmus+ meeting of cycling campaigners and students in Corella in Spain.