Alan Bonner: king of the roads who loved to be a winner
ON Wednesday afternoon, June 7th of this year, the quiet cul-desac of six houses that make up Silverstream Close in Stamullen, was brought home the horrific and tragic news that our young neighbour and friend Alan Bonner had lost his life in a motorcycling accident at the Isle of Man TT racing.
It was just before 5pm on that faithful evening back in early June and the typical summer weather that we receive in Ireland, I can clearly remember that it was also raining heavily throughout the evening.
Vehicles began to arrive at the home of Alan`s parents, cars, vans, jeeps and also many people on foot. Something was wrong; really wrong, “something has happened; oh Jesus, the racing is on at the Isle of Man this week, oh no, something has happened Bonner, there`s too many people arriving at his house”.
These thoughts that were initially running through the minds of the residents within the neighbouring houses was by now turning to a fact of reality; visitors to Alan`s parents home comforting each-other and word beginning to appear on Facebook was by now starting to confirm that the exceptionally talented Road Racing Motorcyclist had indeed been tragically killed at the Isle of Man TT earlier that afternoon.
Alan was born on May 3rd 1984, the only child and son to parents Una (nee Smyth) and Noel Bonner.
He went to St. Patricks` national school in Stamullen before attending Ballbriggan Community College and following his schooling, Alan went on to serve his time as a plasterer in the building trade. While still a youngster Alan showed huge commitment and potential in almost everything he turned his hand to.
From an early age he was a formidable opponent on a pool table and I can clearly remember seeing him play and win such games as he stood on a chair to play his way around the canvas; he was hugely competitive and did`nt like it at all to `come second` such was his determination. Before long Alan had progressed to the much bigger canvas of the snooker table. His dad Noel being a soldier at the nearby Gormanston Army Camp, would often take Alan to the camp to play snooker and on this larger table he also showed his skill and determination to succeed.
It could be said of young Alan Bonner that his objective in life was to Win and his aim was to Take Part. He was extremely considerate, kind, very approachable, loyal and an extraordinary quiet young man, in fact very much the opposite in person of how he might often have been portrayed as the `fearless and tough competitor` on the motorcycling circuit.
He had a magnificent sense of humour and loved nothing better than a good laugh and playing jokes and pranks with his family, friends and indeed neighbours, all of which were always carried out with the greatest of respect for there surely was`nt a harmful bone nor malicious thought within him.
There is of course the great and very true tale of how he was involved in the `kidnapping` of a neighbour`s Christmas Snowman from the garden and how a `ransom` note was sent for the safe return of the said snowman in exchange for a crate of lager. This daring fete was carried out by Alan and a close friend of his in the middle of the first decade of the new millennium when he was in fact in his early 20`s.
This is what made Alan Bonner different; Alan the man, sensitive yet fun-loving and Alan the Competitor and the Winner. As a young teenager, Alan was also selected to play for Ireland at the under 16`s World Championship Pool Competition in the later 1990`s in which he finished 16th; an incredible achievement for such a table-sport.
He was also pretty good with his footwork on a soccer field and at one stage he turned down an offer of a place by the very successful Glebe North Football Club in Balbriggan; an indication perhaps that his mind was already set on a more exciting challenge in another field of sport.
Another of his hobbies and pastimes in his younger years was that of fishing the rivers and lakes across the area. At the age of around 12 Alan was presented with his first Motorcycle, a motocross machine. He first began to ride the dirt-tracks around the locality of Stamullen before taking his bike to the more gruelling and challenging motocross track in Gormanston. Alan then moved on to short-circuit motorcycle racing and began to make a name for himself and earning respect from other competitors.
He had now set his sights on the extremely exciting, daring, thrilling and yet, for many, highly dangerous motorcycle road racing. At the age of 28 Alan won his first road race in Co. Tyrone in 2012 and he went on to compete and win many road races after this across the roads of Ireland and at the Isle of Man TT, where he made his first appearance in 2014. In 2015 he became the fastest rider from the Irish Republic at the TT mountain course.
A near fatal accident at the Ulster Grand Prix in 2015 resulted in the removal of his spleen and left him with a broken back.
This was only a `set-back` according to the Silverstream Man; “As soon as I am better and well enough, I`ll be back on a road bike again” he would say and that is exactly what he did. He walked and exercised, he cycled for miles and miles every week and he walked and trained both mentally and physically for months on end until he duly did get well enough to get back on the motorcycle saddle again and was back competing at the Isle of Man in 2016. Even when attending the motorcycling races
Alan did not like the publicity, he shyed away from the limelight, the Press, interviews, awards, etc. always preferring to remain in the background and just living for his family, close friends and his love of the road racing. One word that could be used and said to sum-up Alan would be `humble`.
Alan`s fiancé and best friend, Gemma had also been the `rock` on which he depended, she was a huge and significant part of his life and of his motorcycling team throughout his career. Sincerest sympathy is extended to his daughter Nicole, his partner, fiancé and best friend Gemma, to his parents Una and Noel and to his extended family and close friends.
A fine glass cabinet and sideboard standing in his parent`s house displays a huge number of trophies of all his magnificent achievements and has become a shrine; a reminder of his sheer courage and brilliance that ended so tragically for the 33-year-old Stamullen man at this year`s Isle of Man TT.
To the kid, the man, the legend of the motorcycling road racing world, Alan Bonner May 3rd 1984 – June 7th 2017 Rest in Peace. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam.