Ras Epilogue: Eating the wolf.
Okay, so it's Thursday night, and we're all in a crowded hotel bar in Clonakilty. And I mean all of us. The real Ras is in the same hotel tonight. There's a quite mighty craic. Alan bumps into Emma O'Reilly and gets caught up after many years, a world away from Boulder, Colorado. Paul chats with former Irish Olympian Seamus Downey, his wife, and their friends. Seamus tonight is the proud father of An Post rider Sean Downey, who's kicking ass and taking names in the Ras this year as the top Irish rider, sitting 6th on GC. They're reminiscing with anecdotes and memories of Paul's late dad J.J. Lots of the Race the Ras guys are here too, all having a great time. I'm sitting with Aaron and Brian McCormack, and we're enjoying that ever-so-perilous 'just one I promise' after dinner pint. Slouching at stools at a high bar table next to us is a group of skinny, tan, clean cut and identically tracksuited 20-somethings. Not a Guinnes