Farewell to William... mum and pregnant partner say their goodbyes to bike star Dunlop as thousands attend funeral
IT WAS a fitting final farewell to their hero. Thousands of mourners packed the quiet country road outside Garryduff Presbyterian Church in Ballymoney yesterday to say goodbye to one of motorcycle racing’s most loved sons — William Dunlop.
They lined the route to the church from the Dunlop family home in Ballymoney to pay their final respects to the man they had followed on the race track, and loved, for many years.
The 32-year-old died on Saturday while competing in the Skerries 100 in Co Dublin.
He was to celebrate his daughter Ella’s birthday on Sunday and his own birthday the week after
Yesterday, bikers stood silently, their helmets under their arms and their heads bowed against the driving rain as the coffin of their idol slowly moved towards the church that William’s father, Robert — killed at the North West 200 in 2008 — and his uncle, Joey, who died while racing in Estonia eight years earlier, were also remembered.
Michael Dunlop, a hugely successful road racer, helped carry the coffin of his older brother into the church in silence.
The mourners were led by William’s heartbroken, pregnant partner, Janine — due to have the couple’s second child in October — and his mother, Louise.
The Reverend John Kirkpatrick, one of the chaplains to the Motorcycle Union of Ireland, led the service and paid tribute to both the man and his career.
“Many wonderful t ributes have already been paid to William,” he said.
“No one tribute or indeed all together will suffice, there are as many stories and memories as there are people here, as we share them and treasure them, we celebrate the full and meaningful life William lived, and we enable his story to be told.
“In preparing for today, I have read and researched much about William’s life and career. As I listened, I’ve heard about his thoughtfulness as a child, his strong bond with his brothers, his kindness to his mum and his deep devotion to his dad.
“I have witnessed the moving love between William and Janine and his delight as a father to Ella.”
Rev Kirkpatrick said since the start of his career at 17, William had been “an example of a great sportsman”, pointing to his record of 108 national wins and 11 international wins.
“We have watched his smooth style on the track and his gracious and thoughtful manner off it. As Michael said in his book, ‘Nothing made his dad more proud than giving William a bike that he then goes out and wins on’... ‘Class will always tell and Dad and William have it in spades’.
“Ten years ago, here in this same church at Robert’s funeral, I said, ‘Not many people finish what they start, not all persevere in adversity or push themselves to their potential — this made Robert stand out from the crowd’.
“William watched and learned from Robert and his life developed those same qualities and although his life has been shorter than many and certainly shorter than we hoped, the one he chose to live was not dull, but full.”
The Reverend pondered what William would have said to those who knew him — from his heartbroken family to his devastated fans.
“To his fans and supporters,” he said. “Yo u were kind to me and stayed with me over the years, you waved your programmes, and you didn’t walk away. Across the small country roads and the sweeping corners of international races over the world, I saw you.
“To his family — you are the big part of the person I became. You accepted me, listened to me, gave me space to be me, loved me, laughed with me
“To his mother — you brought me into the world and cared for me, nurtured my life, watched me grow, set me an example, put kindness in me...
“To his brothers — you were also my friends, you were there for me, you have not let me down, you have the stories few people know. Remember our happy times together.
“To Janine and Ella — you were my true chequered flag, you, the home of my heart. When I held you Ella for the first time, it was the beginning of new love. You made being a father the best of all podiums. When anyone sees you, they will see me.
“Where do we turn when find ourselves in such a time as this? Where can we find help? The road ahead is not easy for sure.
“In times like these, we really discover just how frail and helpless we are, no matter how independent and strong we are, no matter how long we have lived and how successful we have been.
“These are times that confirm to us that everything is not right in our world, things need fixing.
“Life is broken, pain is real, grief is crushing and our hearts cry out for an answer. There is a lie put about that we don’t need outside help and another lie that there is no one there.”
William’s coffin was carried out of the family church to the strains of Danny Boy, to be buried beside his father Robert in the church’s cemetery.
Famous faces from across racing were at the church to pay their respects, including North West 200 winner Glenn Irwin, Derek Sheils, Ryan Farquhar, Melissa Kennedy, William Cowden and Nigel Moore.
Politicians Ian Paisley and Mervyn Storey were in attendance at the funeral.
Racing legends Brian Reid and Steven Cull paid their respects, as did Hawk team bosses Steve and Stuart Hicken, while race marshals provided a guard of honour as the hearse arrived.
Family friend and motorcycle pundit Liam Beckett attended along with fellow broadcasters Jackie Fullerton and Adrian Logan.
Bikers from all over Ireland rode to Ballymoney to pay their respects to the man they called “a hero and an inspiration”.
Road race fans filled every inch of the church grounds and the narrow road outside.
Hundreds o f bi ke s were parked up on grass verges and country lanes.
They came to honour the man who showed “true grit and determination”. The man who only a few hours after his father’s death, had got back on his bike to ride in the 250cc race at the North West 200 alongside his brother Michael.
Mark Andrews f rom Banbridge said he wanted to come to highlight how well William was thought of in the road racing family.
“I rode up here today just to let the family know that we are all thinking about them,” he said.
“Three of us came down on the bikes today. It was a very sad day. When I got the news on Saturday, I couldn’t believe it. I felt ill for a while and it took a while to sink in.
“Road racing is a cruel sport, but then you can be killed out on the road just driving in your car. I think the buzz and the adrenalin keeps racers going.
“This is the third tragedy for
the Dunlop family. It is hard to contemplate how one family can go through so much pain. But it’s what they loved doing, so you couldn’t take that away from them.”
William Stewart from Ballyclare said he has followed road racing since a child and wanted to come and say a final farewell to one of his idols.
“I’ve been a road race fan since I was no age,” he said. “It is very sad and I wanted to show my respect. I rode my bike down, I just wanted to be on two wheels for today.
“William seemed to be the nic- est man in the paddock and the quietest man, too, he seemed to just do what he had to do on two wheels and that was it. He inspired me.
“He was humble and kept himself to himself and showed his skill on the bike.
“Everybody knows the outcomes of racing, no one forces your hand.
“William was from a racing family and the boys would have known nothing different. It was nice to come here today and see so many bikers. When I arrived, there were hundreds here. It was a fitting tribute.”
Brendan Allen from Coleraine said William was his hero.
“I’ve watched William through the years in the North West and the like,” he said.
“He was a brilliant fella. I met him a good few times. He was definitely one of a kind and is sadly missed.
“I am still in disbelief. I felt I needed to come today and stand in the rain with my wife, we are both bikers, to pay our respects.
“I have been in a couple of crashes myself. It’s just one of these things that you do. You get back on the bike and think to yourself that you’ ll go a bit easier this time, but nothing really changes. It’s just in people’s blood.
“I think William would have been pleased to see the amount of people who came out today to pay tribute to him for what he did do. He was doing what he loved, what other way would you want to go, doing what you loved best.”
Aidan McPhillips from Redhills in Co Cavan said he rode up through Ireland to William’s uncle Joey’s funeral and his father Robert’s funeral and wanted to come to William’s service.
“It was hugely important for me to come here today,” he said. “Those boys risked their necks every time they went out on the road on a bike.
“My own son died 14 years ago in a motorcycle crash. I was going to burn all the bikes that day, but that’s the way it goes. The biker community is a family and we just wanted to get on my bike and come up here to respect William.”
Pa d d y Tr e a n o r f r o m Co Monaghan rode down to show the Dunlop family they were not alone.
“I was so upset when I heard the news and I had to come down,” he said.
“It was an awful shock, but with the sport, the danger is there. Anyone who is in raci ng circles understands. But i t i s still ver y shocking and devastating.
“It’s the breeding of the Dunlops, they just want to race bikes. It’s the breeding of them, they have the bug. It’s their life, it’s all our lives, but sadly it can take a life, too.”
Many of the bike fans stopped at the Dunlop Memorial Gardens in nearby Ballymoney on their way home from the funeral.
He was a brilliant fella.. I met him a good few times and he was one of a kind