Event programme announced for special Joey 25 celebration in Ballymoney to honour Ulster road racing legend

The Northern Ireland motorcycling legend’s glittering career will be marked in his home town, 25 years on from his tragic death aged 48 in a racing accident in Estonia in July 2000.

Joey was a household name and one of this country’s greatest ever sporting ambassadors, whose long list of achievements included 26 wins at the Isle of Man TT and five TT Formula One World Championship titles.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in conjunction with the Dunlop family has organised the special Joey 25 day, which will take place on Saturday, May 24.

The highlight will be a parade through the town on closed roads featuring 25 of Joey’s famous machines, which will be ridden by many of his former rivals, team-mates and friends.

These include quadruple World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty, who will be joined at the event by six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea plus Joey’s former Honda team-mate Ron Haslam, and his son Leon.

The programme of events for May 24 is as follows:

Joey Dunlop Original Bike Exhibition: 1pm-10pm at Joey’s Bar (Fan Zone 3)

Meet The Riders and Entertainment: 2pm-6pm at Dalriada School (Fan Zone 2)

Food Village with Joey Display: 1pm-10pm at Townhead Street Car Park (Fan Zone 1)

Joey Dunlop Parade of Champions: 6pm-8pm in Ballymoney Town Centre (Roads Close at 5pm)

Joey Dunlop 25 Exhibition: Open daily from May 1 (9am-5pm) at Ballymoney Museum

The Joey 25 launch was held at Ballymoney Museum in March, where his son Gary said he was “really excited” for what promises to be a memorable occasion next month.

“I’m actually really excited about it because my days in bikes have come to an end and I could easily take it or leave it, but this is one thing that I have been looking forward to a lot, especially to see my Dad’s old friends like Ron Haslam and his whole family, who are coming over,” he said.

“Me and Leon (Haslam) were born just a few days apart and we grew up together, and we’ve always kept in touch.

“Eugene Laverty is flying over from Portugal and he’s as excited about it as anybody else, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“It’s incredible and it’s humbling for us. It’s still unbelievable the amount of people we see around Ballymoney, some who aren’t really that big into bikes, but you see them all with the wee ones with their shirts on.

“Ballymoney as a town has been brilliant to us and even the council is going to go ahead at this stage, 25 years down the line, shows testament to how they thought of my father.

“We’re all getting on now and this 25th anniversary is probably the last big thing there’s going to be in our lifetimes, so it’s nice that they are pushing the boat out that extra bit to make everything perfect for it.”

A Park and Ride service will be provided on Saturday, May 24 from the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney.

Joey’s iconic machines will be ridden in the parade by past and present riders, with those confirmed to date including double TT Formula 2 World Champion Brian Reid, NW200 200 record holder Alastair Seeley, BSB title contender and record 11-time NW200 Superbike race winner Glenn Irwin, multiple Irish champion Michael Swann, ex-British 250 champion Adrian Coates and Alex George, a former team-mate of Joey’s.

Other leading names include Alan Irwin, Trevor Steele, Con Law, Ray McCullough and Leslie McMaster for the one-of-a-kind anniversary.

A stellar contingent of road racing talent includes Irish national road racing’s most successful ever rider Ryan Farquhar plus multiple Isle of Man TT and North West 200 winners Michael Rutter, Bruce Anstey, Phillip McCallen, Adrian Archibald, and Ian Simpson, as well as Irish champions Paul Robinson, James Courtney, Denis McCullough, Steve Cull, and Michael McGarrity.

Other big name riders, as yet unconfirmed, may be added to the line-up.

The Dunlop family is expected to be represented in the parade by Joey’s daughter Donna McLean and Michael McCammond, husband of Joey’s youngest daughter, Joanne.