Belfast Cycling Pioneers Honoured

Two Belfast men have been honoured with a plaque detailing the "pivotal role" they played in the development of modern cycling, the City Council has said.

On the eve of the Giro d’Italia, inventor John Boyd and cyclist Willie Hume have been commemorated with the plaque, which was unveiled by Lord Mayor of Belfast Máirtín Ó Muilleoir.

In 1887, Scottish-born veterinary surgeon and inventor John Boyd Dunlop developed the first practical pneumatic tyre when he fitted inflated tubes of sheet rubber to the rear wheels of his son’s tricycle.

Two years later on 18 May 1889, renowned cyclist Willie Hume, captain of the Belfast Cruisers’ Cycling Club, used the tyres in competition for the first time and won all four races at the Queen’s College Sports.

Hume went on to win multiple races across Ireland and England, establishing their use as a standard for the sport.

Now, 125 years later, a plaque has been unveiled near the spot where the event took place, on the Ormeau Road. Among those who took part in this morning’s ceremony were 75 pupils from Scoil an Droichid and Harding Memorial Primary School, who have been taking part in Sustrans’ Active Schools Travel Programme.

An Ulster History Circle 'Blue Plaque' marks the site of Dunlop's workshop in May Street in the city, and his image appears on the Northern Bank £10 note.

(IT/MH)