Club Spotlight – Lucan BMX
Lucan BMX Club members pictured at the 2025 BMX National Championships, hosted at Lucan BMX.
Credit: Fifteen BMX
Arriving at Lucan BMX Club on a drizzly Wednesday afternoon, it’s hard not to be struck by the welcoming energy and the buzz around the track. Riders are on the track while cheerful volunteers are welcoming people in and getting everyone organised – it’s the type of atmosphere that we see all over the country and continues to make people want to come back for more.
This is not by accident, as a club Lucan BMX continues to go from strength to strength. They have a very clear and simple ethos that everyone is welcome. Located in St. Catherine’s Park, Co Dublin, the club has firmly embedded itself, both as a facility and an outlet, especially for children and teenagers in the area.
Chatting to volunteer Hilda Mulrennan and club chairperson John O’Reilly, it’s abundantly clear how passionate they are about the club, and the sport as a whole. They are supported by a strong cohort of volunteers that make sure the club is open and accessible almost every day of the week.
The backbone of cycling, like all sports in Ireland, is volunteers. Both John and Hilda became involved in the club through their children. For Hilda, when her children started riding BMX, she saw how much other volunteers were giving and wanted to play her part.
“I suppose because there are so many volunteers, that were training my son and upskilling him. They were being so good and so generous with their time. I was like what can I do? I don't have any skills in relation to BMX so the only thing I could really do is just dress them so I'm quite happy to do that yeah just get them ready to get onto the track.”
Everyone Is Welcome
The club continues to grow and have members ranging from 3 to 57 years old, showing how BMX can offer something for everyone.
There has been a significant focus on making the club more accessible and encouraging new members to join in recent years. John has reached out and worked with local schools, youth groups and anyone interested in trying BMX. His open approach has helped the club grow and has established it as a much-loved amenity in the local area.
John explained that the ethos is simple “when we're open, we're open for everybody.” His dedication is unmatched; spending almost every day at the track and being on hand to help and coach anyone who needs it.
For Hilda, and other committee members and volunteers, John is the backbone of the club. “We wouldn't have this club only for John. The club might be here, but it wouldn't be of this standard” she explained.
“John is of the mindset, like when you're growing the sport, you're growing it for everybody and it'll benefit everybody in the long run.”
One of the big things Lucan BMX does to make the club more accessible, especially to those who are coming for the first time, is that all the equipment is available at the track so all you have to do is turn up wearing a long-sleeved top and full length trousers.
John has also put in a lot of work to make sure the track is open and accessible throughout the week.
“So now we're open seven days a week, eight sessions in those seven days. It’s run as a community. The kids should all feel part of it.
“The kids get free training on Mondays, on Tuesdays we have sensors in the track, so we charge a euro on Tuesdays to cover the cost. The track is open on Wednesday afternoons and then on Wednesday evenings we have an adult only session because we're trying to get the adults involved.
“Thursdays are the same as the Tuesday sessions, and there is free training on Fridays. And then Saturday the club is open for members and Sunday it's open to the general public to come and try from 1pm - 3pm.”
Bridging The Gap
Earlier this month, Cycling Ireland proudly celebrated Women in Sport Week, highlighting some of the many women and girls involved in cycling. The Sport Ireland initiative encourages more women and girls to take up sport.
As is often the case, the majority of members in Lucan BMX Club are male. However, there are some exceptions, and Hilda and John described how they are starting to see more girls getting involved in BMX.
It just takes one or two girls to pave the way and others will follow. At Lucan BMX, it’s Carly Hayes who has paved the way. Now part of the Cycling Ireland High Performance Pathway Programme and competing internationally, Carly is an inspiration and role model to other girls interested in BMX.
John is undeniably proud when he speaks of Carly’s success, and of the impact her success is having on the next generation. He recalls when she was starting out how he and others at the club gave her the support and guidance she needed.
Facing the challenge of getting more girls involved in BMX and keeping them involved is something that takes a multi-faceted approached. John explained that when there are girls taking part and getting more involved, he and the other volunteers always make sure the girls feel seen. This can be as simple as an extra award after a race or some coaching tips. Creating and welcoming and safe space is essential to encourage all riders to stay involved.
John is quick to build relationships with local schools and youth centres, who often bring groups out for come and try sessions, or organise a block of sessions. These are a great way to get people to try BMX but John explained this doesn’t always translate to long term memberships. They are working to bridge the gap from children and teenagers being brought to the track as part of a programme to them coming on their own or being brought by their parents.
They also experience a rise in memberships throughout the summer months and trying to keep this all year long is a challenge they are working to solve.
“If I can get parents to come here and be comfortable and to chill out and sit, have a cup of tea, have a cup of coffee for the hour the kids are here, then they’re going to come back. I then have to make it that they stay coming back in the winter months” John explained.
John plans to create an indoor space where parents can still see the track and be connected, while also staying warm and dry. John’s attitude of always working to improve the club and track facilities is something that has enabled the club to grow.
Big Plans
John’s enthusiasm is infectious, he is proud of the progress within the club and the improvements to the track but he has big plans for the future.
Long terms the to bring the track up to European Standard. This isn’t something that happens overnight. The track was first built over ten years ago and recently upgrades have significantly improved the facilities. They recently installed lights which have enabled training all year round. In addition to this the track was also widened.
Over the past ten years John has worked closely with Fingal County Council and received support from the Community Sport Facilities Fund, formally Sports Capital Grant funding. The improvements to the track have been steady and consistent. As Hilda described, John is someone who sees a problem and has to fix it!
To find out more about Lucan BMX and keep update to with what’s happening you can visit their website or follow them on socials.
Throughout 2026, we will be travelling the country to chat to clubs across all disciplines to hear about the amazing work happening to keep cycling thriving in Ireland. If you or your club is interested in being part of this series, please email communications@cyclingireland.ie with the subject line ‘Club Spotlight’.