About Us
West Ireland Cycling is run by husband and wife team, John & Siobhan Kennedy and staff from our bike shop and home in the heart of Galway City. The business is part of a long family tradition, spanning 3 generations, of providing bike services to the local people and visitors to this part of Ireland. We consider ourselves really lucky to be able to share our passion for cycling, and combine it with our love of Irish culture and heritage to bring you an authentic, enchanting and fun cycling adventure in Ireland.
John, pictured left, was born in Galway, grew up in Mayo and spent his youth exploring the west of Ireland during family holidays.
“I love to witness the transformation in our guests, from greeting them at the beginning of their adventure, watching them grow in confidence and wonder as they explore the Irish countryside, and meeting them at the end to understand what they have learned about Ireland. The most common and interesting part for me is always the new perspective on life that people take home with them, after visiting Ireland. It makes me really grateful for what we have here. Not only the beauty of the natural landscapes and wild coastline but also for the friendly and welcoming nature of the local people, our guests meet along the way”.
Siobhan, John and the kids outside our bike shop in 2020.
Matt is our shop manager and expert head mechanic. There is no bike problem he cannot solve! He moved to Ireland from Poland in 2005 for what was supposed to be a short, mini adventure overseas. He liked Galway so much, almost 20 years later he is still here. Despite his youthful appearance, Matt is an expert bike mechanic with over 20 years hands-on experience servicing all types of bikes. He lives here in Galway with his young family and will be happy to welcome into the shop to show you some of our new stock. In his younger days he raced with the Polish cycling team but he had to give it up because Galway was too much fun 😉
Matt O, or ‘new’ Matt as we like to call him, joined our team in 2019. A genuine bike enthusiast, he zips around Galway so quick, if you blink you may miss him. New Matt is a gifted mechanic and his ever helpful attitude is very popular with our customers.
Business history
The business was originally started as a bike shop on the University grounds in Galway by Siobhans’ Great Uncle Jimmy in the 1970’s under the name ‘Europa Cycles’. Jimmy was an enterprising guy and was involved in setting up many businesses in Galway, one of which was Aer Arann, the local regional air service to the Aran Islands which still exists today. He also ran a small newsagents in Salthill and even rented our deckchairs on the beach with his good friend Colm Powell from the. music shop.
Jimmy ran the bike shop in the University for decades and was passionate about bikes and especially introducing the local people to the joys of bike riding. Many of Galway’s locals have fond memories of purchasing their first bike in Jimmys neighbourhood bike shop when they were young.
A pioneer in the cycling tourism field, Jimmy was fluent in Gaelic (Irish language) and was passionate about all aspects of Irish culture and tradition. There was nothing he loved more than bringing people cycling in rural Connemara long before Cycling Tourism became a ‘thing’, and long before the internet age.
Jimmy worked in the bike business well into his 70’s in the early 2000’s when he was joined by his nephew Liam Codd.
Liam, a very charismatic man, brought the business into the digital age and launched a cycling holiday website, bringing West Ireland Cycling into the modern era. From here the business grew rapidly, and Liam became well known and well loved by people all over the world for his passion for cycling and introducing people to the joys of cycling holidays in Ireland. An avid animal lover, Liam is remembered well by the locals in Galway with his dog Hatchi by his side.
Sadly, Liam passed away suddenly in 2016 which came as a huge shock to his family and friends. Without Liam at the helm, the business closed down with the loss of staff, stock and premises.
Shortly after Liams passing, the business was revived by his niece Siobhan and her husband John, who had recently returned to Ireland with their 3 young children from Australia.
John was born in Galway and grew up in Mayo, and settling down in Galway was always a life goal. Siobhan, a native of County Tipperary was only too happy to move to Galway, one of the best cities in the world.