Motorcycling community pays respects to Gerry Barron at service of thanksgiving in Antrim

Gerry, who passed away just a day short of his 76th birthday, was one of those larger-than-life characters who left a good impression on the many people he met over his lifetime.

His parents, Humphrey and Ena originally lived along the Dublin Road in Antrim before moving to Muckamore where Gerry’s fondest childhood memories included watching motorcycles roaring past his home as they competed in the Ulster Grand Prix over the old Clady circuit.

When the races moved to the Dundrod circuit in the mid-1950s, Gerry was more than eager to accompany his father to watch the world’s greatest motorcycle racers. He had truly caught the bug and was destined to take up road racing when the opportunity arose.

Gerry became a skilled mechanical engineer and quickly gained the reputation of being a problem-solver with broken machinery. He was also a keen advocate of recycling, restoring and reusing materials long before it was fashionable.

When he reached the appropriate age and had some spare money in his pocket, Gerry took up road racing in the late 1960s at the same time as other young budding Northern Ireland road racers Tom Herron and Joey Dunlop.

Gerry was a big man who wrestled his Norton 500 single-cylinder machine around the local Irish road races, with 10th place in the 1972 Ulster 500 Road Race Championship representing his best season.

Thanks to world champions Giacomo Agostini and Barry Sheene, motorcycle racers became household names in the ’70s, but Gerry stuck to his trademark old scruffy leathers and crash helmet. His motto was, ‘it was not what you had, it was what you could do with it’.

Gerry also followed Herron and Dunlop’s racing paths when he travelled to the Isle of Man to compete over the famous 37-mile TT Mountain Course. Whilst his idols went on to win many TT races, Gerry’s best result was 10th place in the 1983 Manx GP Newcomers Lightweight race.

And although he didn’t reach the same lofty heights as Herron and Dunlop, Gerry could boast that he fell victim to the same corner that caught out the legendary Joey when he also gracefully slid off uninjured at Sulby Bridge during a race.

That was one of the many yarns that Gerry recounted to an inquisitive audience in the old Beanies Bar at Killead, where there was always plenty of racing stories, jokes, and laughter.

After retiring from racing, he still supported his beloved sport when he became a founding member of the local Dundrod and District Motorcycle Club and then a few years later with the Loanends Road Racing Club, helping young budding local riders including one of his sons, Simon.

Gerry was also a well-known character around the Antrim area where he participated in local darts and clay pigeon shooting competitions as well as being a member of Skeffington Orange Lodge.

After marrying the love of his life Eithne, they had a loving family, raising two daughters – Melanie and Elanor – along with sons Simon, Stephen and Geoffrey.

Gerry’s quick wit and sense of humour will be sadly missed by all, especially his children, and those who had gathered for the service in Antrim on March 29 thanked him for his dedication to his family and motorcycle racing.

Leslie Moore.