Motorcycling superstar Carl Fogarty hailed Joey Dunlop as an “absolute legend” as he attended the Joey 25 Celebration in his memory in Ballymoney on Saturday.

The Blackburn man was a team-mate of Joey’s in the Honda Britain Team in 1989 and remembers the 26-time Isle of Man TT winner as a “special guy”.

Fogarty, a four-time World Superbike Champion and a winner at the Isle of Man TT and North West 200, was set to participate in the Parade of Champions (18:00 BST) through Ballymoney town centre on Saturday evening with a stellar line-up of Joey’s former team-mates, rivals and friends.

The special event is being held to celebrate five-time TT Formula One World Champion Dunlop’s life ahead of the 25th anniversary of his death in a racing accident in Estonia on July 2, 2000.

placeholder image — Joey Dunlop's wife Linda with Carl Fogarty during the Joey Dunlop 25 Celebration parade in his home town of Ballymoney in Co. Antrim. (Photo by Stephen Davison/Pacemaker Press)

“It’s a privilege and honour to be here – it’s been 25 years since Joey passed and the guy’s an absolute legend and I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Fogarty.

“It’s a pleasure to be here and all the fans have turned out as well.

“He’s a special guy and I shared a garage with him in ’88 and then I was team-mates with him in ’89 with Honda Britain.

“I got the call in January or February [to attend the Joey 25 Celebration] and I said absolutely, put me down for that because I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I just hope that rain stays away for a few more hours but it’s all good.”

Fogarty spent time with Joey as his team-mate and said he admired the Ulster sporting great for his approach to motorcycle racing.

“Nobody really knows Joey! He was his own man, he was very quiet and softly spoken,” said Fogarty.

“My dad (George) kept saying ‘I can’t beat that Joey Dunlop, I keep finishing second behind him’. He was second behind him at the North West, second behind him at the TT and the Ulster [Grand Prix], and he was a bit of a hero of mine as a kid.

“I loved the way he approached racing and just did it his way – he was just Joey.

“When I first met him I was kind of really shy and really humbled by him really – he didn’t speak a lot and I was quite shy back then, believe it or not! He was just one of a kind, a humble and very ordinary guy.”

Fogarty, who is set for a return to the sport in a big way when he fronts a new British Superbike team in 2026, said the close-knit road racing community was a big draw for him when he raced on the roads at the likes of the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix.

“In Ireland it’s very much grassroots and everybody gets on and feels that connection together to be honest,” he said.

“I always found that doing the road circuits like the Ulster, North West and TT was like a family-knit community and it’s special, that’s why I think the roads are really supported and the fans love the TT and it’s as big as it’s ever been to be fair.”

Looking ahead to his spin on one of Joey’s former racing machines through the Co Antrim town, he added: “I’m a bit nervous because I think I’m setting off with Jonathan Rea, so I’ll try and keep up with him if I can!”