Sir, – I have cycled to work as a doctor for most of my career. During my training, I worked in more than 15 teaching hospitals across Dublin, Cork and Waterford, and abroad in New Zealand and France. Through it all, the bicycle was often my means of getting to and from shifts, including on-call shifts.
I was never late. A bicycle allowed me to arrive exactly when I intended, regardless of traffic or delays. After long shifts, it kept me awake, alert and got me home safely every time.
While on fellowship in France, I cycled each morning through the Louvre on my way to work – a nice memory and another reminder that cycling is not simply transport, but a source of joy and connection to the world around us.
I can honestly say the bicycle is the best means of transport I have ever used. It improves physical health, mental wellbeing and quality of life in ways that are difficult to quantify. Our bodies were designed to move, and active transport remains one of the closest things we have to a “magic pill” for health.
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That is why seemingly simple infrastructure, such as a secure and well-designed bicycle shed, matters. It sends a message that cycling is welcomed, supported and normalised.
Well done to University Hospital Kerry and the HSE for recognising this. Small investments in active transport can have outsize benefits for health, wellbeing and community life. – Yours, etc,
Dr Vincent Wall,
Consultant anaesthetist,
St Luke’s,
Cork.
