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You might expect something lavish, extravagant even to mark the achievements of the greatest TT racer ever. But Joey’s Bar, huddled innocuously next to the Ballymoney railway station, is as humble and understated as the man himself. It’s fitting that this man of the people is remembered in a pub and not a museum. It’s fitting that thousands of motorcyclists sup Guinness as they pay their respects, their bikes parked up outside.
Steve Mort has just returned from a pilgrimage to Joey’s Bar on his Honda CB1100A. He said: “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. It’s the ultimate mission if you’re a road race fan. I sailed from Cairnryan to Belfast and came back on the Dublin to Holyhead route to make a trip and that cost £150. But a return to Cairnryan can cost as little as £39. I stayed in a brilliant little guest house called Narrow Gauge in Ballymoney that had pictures of Joey everywhere and it only cost £55 a night.
“Behind the bar is a 50/50 split between TT replicas and optics and there’s other memorabilia all over the walls. In the lounge you can see one of Joey’s Honda RC30s as well as some of his leathers and helmets and his world championship certificates. It’s like a museum with beer! “I went on a Wednesday night so it was pretty quiet which allowed me to have a long conversation with Joey’s son Gary. It was a real touchy-feely experience and there’s lots of good souvenirs on sale too.
“I will definitely go again. It was a wonderful trip and everyone was so friendly and welcoming. There’s nowhere you can go to get closer to Joey Dunlop.”
Joey won five Formula One world titles and 26 TT races and the pub is still owned and run by his wife and children. When Joey wasn’t racing, he pulled pints at the bar with his brother Robert and a bunch of friends and cousins. Nowadays trophies and photographs from his racing days line the walls and shelves.
The pub is 40 miles from Belfast and just 12 miles from the North West circuit. During North West race week a marquee is put up outside to accommodate the hundreds of race fans who call in to soak up the atmosphere. Lots of racers and their crews visit the pub. One or two of Joey’s old crew still drink in the bar and the purchase of a vodka and coke usually elicits a tale or two.
Joey’s son Gary often works behind the bar. He said: “We get thousands of tourists and a few famous people, too.”
Gary is often helped behind the bar by big-name racers lime John McGuinness or Michael Rutter. Joey’s presence can be felt, touched
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almost, in this most amazing of places. It was the scene of so many booze-fuelled celebrations.
One of the most raucous was in 2000 after he’d pulled off an incredible triple, winning the Senior, Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight at the ripe old age of 48. Just a few days later Joey set off from Ballymoney, driving his van 2000 miles to Estonia to what would be his final race meeting.
With no superbike to ride, Joey removed the RC45 Honda that had hung from the ceiling of the bar since he beat David Jefferies in the 1999 Ulster Grand Prix. The big Honda has since been returned to the rafters and is still shod with the wet tyres Joey used to win his last race in Tallin before the fatal crash in the 125 event. A few hundred metres away, at the top of the street leading to the bar, a memorial garden erected by the local council commemorates the achievements of the town’s most famous son. It houses a statue of a smiling Joey on the 2000 F1 TT-winning Honda SP-1. It’s an exact copy of the one that sits at the Bungalow on the Mountain course. An adjacent garden pays tribute to Joey’s brother, Robert, with a similar statue. Another race fan who recently visited Joey’s Bar was Stuart Barker. He said: “If you’re a Joey Dunlop fan there’s nowhere on earth you can go to get closer to the man himself, enjoy a few pints and get talking to his friends, family and even former racing rivals. It’s Graceland for bikers and needs to be on any self-respecting road race fans’ bucket list.”