By Kyle White Belfast Newsletter
A statue in memory of Ulster road racing star William Dunlop was unveiled on Friday in the Joey and Robert Dunlop Memorial Gardens in Ballymoney.
The permanent memorial, created by renowned Scottish sculptor David Annand, was uncovered by William’s brother Michael and his mother, Louise.
A dedicated Working Group led by Ian Paisley MP ensured the life-size bronze artwork came to fruition thanks to kind donations from a number of benefactors.
One of the most popular riders in road racing, William tragically lost his life aged 32 following a crash in practice at the Skerries 100 in County Dublin in 2018.
His partner, Janine Brolly, and uncle Jim were also in attendance, along with a large crowd of supporters who gathered to watch the unveiling.
William’s statue stands next to that of his father Robert, who was killed at the North West 200 in 2008.
Liam Beckett, who was part of the Working Group for the project, said: “I’m very proud of what the Council has done to provide this but obviously we’re all here with heavy hearts today.
“We had a cross-section of people in the Working Group led by Ian Paisley Jr and we were all able to put our views forward and have our say on what the statue should be like, and I think as you can see here today it turned out fabulous.
“It’s a great focal point for people to come to Ballymoney and pay their respects to William and the Dunlop family. Make no mistake about it, the Dunlops are the absolute best at what they do but sadly life can be cruel and this sport is very unforgiving, so I have mixed emotions,” he added.
“There’s a fantastic turnout here today and they have come from far and wide to see the statue being unveiled on a very cold day. It’s testimony to how popular William was.
“If William had been here today he’d have been hiding somewhere because he didn’t like crowds, he was a typical Dunlop and was so modest and humble, and he’s sadly missed to this day.”
Ian Paisley MP said the specially commissioned statue would help preserve William’s name “forever”.
“It has been an honour to be a part of this project, and work alongside Janine and William’s extended family to make a vision of a lasting memorial become a reality,” he said.
“William will never be forgotten in Ballymoney or across the road racing community and this statue will preserve his name for forever.
“He was a much-loved son of Ballymoney, a member of one of our greatest ever sporting dynasties and while today’s events are tinged with sadness they also service as a lasting reminder to all of us about the special person he was, and a man who held his family and his sport so close to his heart.”
A multiple winner at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix, William was one of Irish motorcycle racing’s top riders and his untimely death has left a huge void in the sport.
His younger brother Michael continues to fly the flag for the legendary Dunlop dynasty and is the third most successful rider ever at the Isle of Man TT with 19 wins, seven behind his uncle and all-time record holder Joey.
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