The death of a family member due to road racing did not make the Dunlop family stay away from motorcycle racing. The Dunlop name is synonymous with motorcycle racing. In every motorbike racing event in Northern Ireland, it is almost certain that a Dunlop will be participating in it. 3 Dunlop family members died because of road racing: Joey Dunlop, Robert Dunlop, and Robert’s son, William Dunlop.
The Joey and Robert Dunlop Memorial Gardens are located at the corner of Castle Street and Seymour Street, Ballymoney, County Antrim. Joey Dunlop memorial garden was officially opened In May 2001 and the Robert Dunlop Memorial Garden was opened on 8 May 2010 by Ballymoney Borough Council. The two memorial gardens are connected by a small path.
When visiting Ballymoney and the weather is sunny and the temperature is not too cold, I usually sit on this memorial garden bench for lunch. The garden is always kept clean, and the flowers and plants are also neat. Every time I'm there, I observe that there are always people who come to the memorial garden to pay their respects to Joey and Robert. Joey Dunlop's name is legendary in the world of motorsport and the fans are legion. Below I give a brief description of Joey and Robert Dunlop.
Joey Dunlop (his full name being William Joseph Dunlop OBE), known affectionately as ‘King of the Roads’ was born in Ballymoney in 1952. Joey started his racing career in 1969. He won very many motorcycle races in his career. Here are some of them:
Isle of Man TT: 26 wins.
Ulster Grand Prix: 24 victories.
North West 200: 13 victories.
Formula TT world champions: 10 victories (1,2 and 3 champions)
And many more championships that he participated in with various finish rankings.
In 2015, In a poll run by the Belfast Telegraph, its readers voted Joey Dunlop Northern Ireland's Greatest Sports Star ever.
In 2016 he was voted by Motorcycle News as being the fifth greatest motorcycling icon ever.
Joey Dunlop died in Tallinn, Estonia, in 2000 while leading a 125cc race (he had already won the 750cc and 600cc events) on Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit. Northern Ireland television carried live coverage of his funeral. An estimated fifty thousand mourners, including bikers from all parts of Britain and Ireland and people from all backgrounds in Northern Ireland, attended the funeral procession and his burial.
Robert Dunlop (his full name being Stephen Robert Dunlop) is the younger brother of Joey Dunlop and was born in 1960. He started his professional racing career in 1981. Robert Dunlop won the 1983 Newcomers 350 cm3 Manx Grand Prix. Over his career, he finished on a TT podium 14 times. On 8 February 2005, he was the first person to be elected to the "Irish Racer Magazine Hall of Fame". Robert Dunlop died on 15 May 2008 after suffering severe chest injuries in a crash during a practice session at the North West 200.
The son of Robert Dunlop, William Dunlop who was also a professional motorcycle racer, was also killed as a result of a racing incident. William Dunlop’s statue was added to the Memorial Garden in Ballymoney.
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