Europe Triathlon

Irish terrestrial TV channel TG4 a Gaelic language station, will be screening former Galway Triathlete Richie O’Donnells documentary ‘O Brother! Ca bhfuil tu?’ . This sports documentary on the eclectic sport of triathlon screens on friday 8th June at 9.30pm.

Triathlon has exploded as a participation sport in ireland in the last few years, from a hard core 600 or so 5 years ago struggling to fill the 8 or nine races on the calender, there is now 3-4 races every weekend all over the country, with popular races filling up within 20 minutes of their opening on-line for entries by the 2,500 members of Triathlon Ireland and almost that number again n once of triathletes and oversees competitors. Once seen as the preserve of ultra fit athletes, it is now used by many people recently returning to sport as a goal to focus their Gym routines towards.

Our sceal is about 3 brothers from Templeogue in Dublin, All work 9-5 jobs and participate in this sport. They are Irish speaking, but its not Peig sayers on a bone shaker, its a visceral, seat of your pants roller coaster ride through the energetic preperation and aganising racing that is the world of the Irish Triathlete. The swim start of the race resembles the start of a cork clare match with fists flying as the athletes jostle for a good swim position, after swimming a mile, they jump onto a bike, which for aerodymacics resembles a wedgie machine if such a thing existed, for 40k, dismounting the bike and transforming into a runner you can almost hear the hamstrings object most vehemently,  Then from the comfort of the couch watch the runners grimmace through the agony of the 10k run, to finish in endorfin fuelled euphoria. Who will win? who knows.

But its not all about the sport really, its a documentary about the interaction between brothers, the rivally, the support, the banter, the messin. theres plenty of toned muscle and tight Lycra for the sisters out there too.