 ROBERT DUNLOP"Gone but not forgotten" Robert Dunlop devoted 30 years of his life to motorcycle racing and greatly encouraged new race events like here in Athea. The ‘Dunlop Clan' often packed into one little van would have set off from Ballymoney for a eight hour drive to reach the paddock and set-up camp.There were no air's or graces, just lads having a great weekend with some racing thrown in. Robert was mainly restricted to just one race, the 125 class, because of previous injuries but he took four victories here in Athea in as many years.He won last years race by over five seconds.
A Special Thank you to Adrian O Donovan, Grove Road, Fethard, Co Tipperary for the use of his photographs in this tribute. Photographs were taken in Athea 2007
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Robert had raced and won around the world but as one of our superstars he could always be found on his hands and knees in the paddock working away on his machine. We don't need superstars here in Ireland as we have loads of them all around us. It's just sometimes we don't appreciate them.