Kelly Murphy
Cycling
BIOGRAPHY
Kelly Murphy represented Ireland as part of the women’s team pursuit at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – the first time Ireland had ever qualified in the event.
The quartet of Murphy, Lara Gillespie, Mia Griffin and Alice Sharpe set a new national record of 4:12.447 in the qualifying round but finished 9th, missing the next round by just 0.242 seconds. Murphy’s Olympic journey is one of sport’s more unlikely stories. Born in Birmingham to Irish parents – her father Gerry from Roscommon and her mother Ellen from Dublin, who happened to have grown up as neighbours – she only took up cycling in her mid-twenties as a means of commuting, using a bike to cut a 90-minute public transport journey to university in half.
Two weeks after completing a PhD in brain imaging and cognitive neuroscience at Aston University, she received an unexpected call from Cycling Ireland. She has since won four Irish Time Trial titles on the road. Ireland was the only one of the ten qualifying nations without a home velodrome, with the squad doing the bulk of their training at the Cycling Ireland base in Mallorca.
OTHER CYCLING ATHLETES
CYCLING NEWS
PERFORMANCE ROUND UP – May 2026
A Month of Milestones, Momentum and Major Performances Team Ireland athletes delivered a powerful run of results across May and early June, producing historic wins, breakthrough performances and consistent podium finishes on the world stage. From Diamond League history in Shanghai to Nations Cup victory in Italy, and from European medals on the water to [...]
In The News – June 8th 2026
Strong Irish Performances in Rome as English and Healy Impress, Gillespie Makes Cycling History Irish athletes produced a series of standout performances across athletics and cycling this week, with Mark English and Sarah Healy delivering impressive runs at the Rome Diamond League, while Lara Gillespie achieved a historic milestone on the roads of Italy. Mark [...]
IN THE NEWS – JUNE 2ND 2026
In another strong weekend of results, Irish athletes delivered on the world stage. Rowing: Three Medals for Ireland at World Rowing Cup I Rowing Ireland made an impressive start to the international season at World Rowing Cup I, returning from Seville with three medals and a series of strong early‑season performances across the squad. Medal [...]
IN THE NEWS – MAY 25TH 2026
In the News – Team Ireland Round‑Up 25th May 2026 Irish athletes delivered standout performances across multiple sports this week, with personal bests, podium finishes and major milestones on the international stage. Sailing A superb week in Croatia saw Eve McMahon win U23 gold and finish fourth overall at the ILCA European Championships. In the [...]
Dan Kennedy RIP
Today, a man whose guidance helped shape generations of Irish athletes, including several Olympians, was laid to rest. Dan Kennedy, known to most simply as “DK”, was far more than a PE teacher. He was a mentor, innovator, coach and trusted voice whose influence stretched quietly but profoundly across Irish sport for more than five [...]
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
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