Against the backdrop of the Troubles at home and the tragic siege at the 1972 Olympic Games, some Irish cyclists put everything on the line in Munich.
Maybe even their lives.
“It never dawned on us that we could be shot or mistaken for terrorists or whatever,” admits Pat Healy. “I don’t think we knew much about what a terrorist was at that time.”
Healy is among those whose story is told by Green and Gold, RTE’s Documentary on One that will be broadcast tomorrow.
It shines a light on the remarkable story of how Irish sport and politics collided at those Olympics 48 years ago.
He wasn’t the only one, as a bitter civil war in Irish cycling came to worldwide attention in dramatic circumstances.
Since 1947, the UCI recognised Cumann Rothaiochta na hÉireann (CRE) as having jurisdiction in the Republic, while the Northern Ireland Cycling Federation (NICF) looked after affairs north of the border.
Then there was the NCA – a group led by prominent republicans that believed in a 32-county organisation.
The NCA was expelled from the UCI, sparking scuffles with the CRE at the World Championships in 1955 – and protests at the 1956 Olympics.
In 1972, the association wanted to make another major statement.
“As I always said, I wouldn’t sell my soul for 30 pieces of silver by changing over to an association that I didn’t believe in,” said John Mangan, who was Healy’s National Cycling Association (NCA) team-mate. “I believe in 32 counties and that’s it.”
The NCA had struck earlier that summer on ICF Tour of Ireland’s opening stage from Dublin to Athlone.
Kieron McQuaid was part of a breakaway of around 16 riders.
“I remember seeing a bit of a sheen on the road,” he recalled. “It was a shine of little gold tacks that had been put there by supporters of the NCA or NCA people.
“These were their ways of making their case known.”
Then in Munich, competing on the four-man CRE team, McQuaid watched as three riders entered the race from the woods.
He said: “The first thing I thought was they must be local bike riders.
“But I ended up being behind one of them and noticed he was wearing a white jersey with a green and gold band.
“I thought: ‘Oh my God, we’ve got three NCA riders in the bunch’.
“On the hill, the next lap, as we came near the top of it I saw, just in front of me, (Noel) Teggart being pushed from behind into the crowd. And held.”
At the time, Teggart claimed that Mangan had instigated a 15-man pile-up and had held him for a couple of minutes in his last competitive race.
In the fall-out, seven NCA members were arrested – three who delayed the race start as they distributed leaflets, and the four who joined the race.
Mangan says: “At least our protest got the three associations together and talking together.”
