Kyle White: Behind the incredible success story of the Dunlop dynasty is a narrative of heart-breaking family anguish and loss

Famed for his trademark yellow Arai helmet and iconic racing number ‘3’, Joey’s unassuming nature and ordinary persona endeared him to thousands of fans around the world, while his extraordinary talent on a motorcycle transformed him into the superstar he never wanted to be.

Two decades on, his legacy burns stronger than ever. The Dunlop name is immortalised at the Isle of Man TT, where Joey’s final, implausible treble at the age of 48 in 2000 gave him a record 26 victories that remains intact today.

So too, does his tally of 24 Ulster Grand Prix wins at Dundrod, where he claimed a staggering 48 victories in total, factoring in his Killinchy 150 and Dundrod 150 triumphs.

Joey was no lover of the chicane-peppered North West 200 course, yet he still chalked up 13 victories at the ‘Triangle’ venue, where he is still the fourth most successful rider of all time.

He won the Formula One world championship in five consecutive years for Honda from 1982-86, but the trappings of fame and success didn’t change Joey one bit. At his pub in Ballymoney, he would serve pints to the countless well-wishers who arrived to offer their congratulations.

His career was unparalleled, spanning three decades and weaving a story that has become a timeless classic.

Yet, behind the stunning success of the Dunlop dynasty, with Joey at its helm, lies a narrative of heart-breaking family anguish and devastating loss.

Joey’s untimely death in Estonia 20 years ago plunged Northern Ireland into mourning, but beyond the motorcycling fans and supporters who felt they all knew him, he left behind a grief-stricken family who still bear his loss as keenly today as they did all those years ago.

For them, no anniversary milestone is needed to rekindle their memories and feelings for a much-loved husband, father, son and brother, whose passing left a huge void in their lives.

Joey’s elderly mother, May, has suffered terribly. Eight years after Joey was killed, she lost another son when Robert died following a crash at the North West 200 in 2008.

Robert’s wife, Louise, not only buried her husband, but also laid her son William to rest less than two years ago when he was killed aged just 32 in a crash at the Skerries 100. He left behind a pregnant young partner, Janine Brolly, and two-year-old daughter, Ella.

Jim Dunlop, the only surviving member of the Armoy Armada, and his sisters have lost two brothers.

Today, Robert’s son Michael is carrying the Dunlop racing baton on his own. He has broad shoulders, but it is a heavy burden to bear.

The death of his brother William in 2018 was another crushing blow, coming 10 years after his dad’s fatal crash.

After taking some time out of the sport, Michael returned last year and won his 19th TT.

At the age of 30, he now has the most realistic chance of anyone of equalling, or even surpassing his uncle Joey’s Mountain Course record.

John McGuinness is poised on 23 wins, but the English rider will be 49 next year and hasn’t won at the TT since a Senior success in 2015.

Should Michael get there, it would be fitting that the record stays within the Dunlop domain.

But even at this stage of his career, he already has nothing left to prove to anyone.

He may race on for years to come, but if Michael chose to call it a day in the not-too-distant future, there would be few dissenting voices.

The Dunlops have delivered some of Northern Ireland’s most revered sporting achievements, but it is incumbent upon all of us to remember the tragedy behind the triumphs, and the personal cost to those closest to Joey, Robert and William.

See also: Gary Dunlop reflects on his father Joey's famous final hat-trick at the 2000 Isle of Man TT

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