Funeral due on Wednesday for tragic motorcyclist Benny McIlhatton after death on rural Antrim road

He died after a two-vehicle road traffic collision on the Magheramore Road outside Ballycastle on Saturday at about 5.30pm.

His blue Suzuki motorcycle and a silver Volkswagen Jetta collided, and he died at the scene.

He was 44.

Two other people were taken to hospital.

From Tullyview in Loughguile village, a funeral notice for him describes him as being the “dearly loved husband of Shauna, much-loved father of Caolan and Brandon, beloved son of Sean and Mary, dear brother of Tanya, Shaun, Damian and the late Martin, Aidan and Angela… dear son-in-law of Sean and Diane and a dear brother-in-law and uncle”.

It adds that his remains will leave his home on Wednesday at 10.30am to St. Patrick’s Church, Loughgiel for 11.00am Requiem Mass.

Callers are welcome from 2pm to 10pm.

Donations in lieu of flowers, if desired, to Air Ambulance N.I. c/o DJM Robinson & Son, 121, Culcrum Road, Cloughmills. BT44 9DT.

The message ends: “Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on his Soul.”

Mervyn Storey, former DUP MLA for North Antrim, now a councillor, said the wider McIlhatton clan were well-known around the region, adding: “So young – it’s just so sad. It’s very, very tragic.”