Talented cyclist killed in car crash in Co Meath

THE MAN who died in a single-car crash on Sunday night in Co Louth has been named as Paul Healion (31), Kilmessan, Co Meath. He was one of Ireland’s leading racing cyclists and had won five national titles.

Mr Healion, originally from Dunboyne, Co Meath, had been selected for the Irish team for the Tour of Ireland professional cycling race which begins in Co Wicklow on Friday.

He would have ridden against some of the biggest names in the sport in the three-day event, including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and Britain’s Mark Cavendish, who won six stages in this year’s Tour de France.

Mr Healion was alone in his car when it crashed into a tree and burst into flames on the Glack to Drumconrath Road near Ardee at 10.30pm. Recently married, it is understood he was driving from Dundalk to his home in Kilmessan.Gardaí are investigating.

Cycling Ireland’s high performance director Phil Leigh described Mr Healion’s death as “devastating”.

“We keep thinking it’s a nightmare and that we’re going to wake up but that’s obviously not the case. It’s an awful time for everybody in cycling and just tragic for Paul’s wife [Ann] and family. Paul was very much in our plans for the next Olympics. He was an extremely strong rider with a super turn of pace. We’d had a training camp for the Tour of Ireland recently and he was at the top of his game going into that race.”

Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen extended his sympathy to Mr Healion’s wife and family. “His untimely sudden death in a week when everyone was looking forward to his performance in the opening stages of the Tour of Ireland makes it all the more poignant and difficult to come to terms with.”

Mr Healion had competed on the Irish team in the FBD Insurance Rás in May and took victory in a bunch sprint at the end of the 159km stage six into Castlebar, Co Mayo, beating multiple Tour de France stage winner Jaan Kirsipu of Estonia into second place.

The popular competitor followed up that win four weeks later with victory in the national championships criterium, a short fast event held on tight urban circuits.

Mr Healion had won five national titles including two in the criterium, one in the pursuit event on the track and two in road time trials.

He was one of the best cyclists in the country for the past decade and had taken a string of victories in major domestic events including the Tour of Ulster and Kerry’s Rás Mumhan, both stage races. He was a member of the Irish track pursuit team that narrowly failed to qualify for this year’s world track championships in Poland and was central to Cycling Ireland’s plans to qualify a team for the 2012 London Olympics.

He had competed for Ireland in world cup track events both as part of the 4km team pursuit and in the 1km individual event.

He was riding for South Dublin Cycling Club this season but had previously cycled with the Pezula and Murphy Gunn/M Donnelly/ Seán Kelly professional teams.