Robert Dunlop

Robert Dunlop was born in Ballymoney in County Antrim in 1960. He followed his brother into the sport as a teenager, doing his apprenticeship on short circuits before making a road race debut in 1979. He raced at the Temple 100 and the Cookstown 100 meets before turning professional at 21.

Like Joey, he would come to be a dominant figure on the Isle of Man, marking his arrival with a win at the 1983 Manx Grand Prix 350cc race. His first win in the professional TT event came in 1989 when he beat the competition in the 125cc class with a new lap record. He went even faster the following year and made it a hat-trick in 1991, winning the Junior TT race at the same meeting.

He also broke records at the Cookstown 100, winning his first race in the 1985 250cc race and taking home three winners' trophies from the 1987 event, as well as the 'Man of the Meeting' award. He retained his 125cc title for the next three years and won it for a fifth time in 1993.

Other successes came at the Macau Grand Prix in China, numerous races at the North West 200, plus a third place in the Formula One race at TT, the event his brother dominated for many years. But it was also the event which would nearly cost him his life when the back wheel of his 750cc Honda RC45 broke at high speed, sending him careering off the track.

He sustained severe tendon damage and a badly broken leg, ruling him out of the sport for three years, just when he looked to be reaching his peak. Nevertheless Mr Dunlop was determined to race again. "There is no point in me saying I am going to pack it in, lying here in this bed and feeling wretched," he said at the time. "I know I will be back as soon as I am fit, should it take years." He eventually returned at Cookstown, the scene of many of his previous victories, to reach an impressive ninth in his comeback race.

The death of his brother in a 2000 crash in Estonia rocked the world of motor racing and, with his previous brush with death still in mind, many feared the same thing happening to Robert. But he continued to compete, battling through a great deal of pain to reach the podium of several high profile 125cc events.

In 2005, after going into retirement, he underwent drastic surgery to lengthen his leg, having lost some inches in his accident 11 years previously. He then launched a comeback, setting his sights on final wins at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. In 2006 he achieved one of these goals with a win at the North West 200, adding to the Dunlop brothers' record total of wins there (28), but despite being well into his forties he continued racing, perhaps driven by the years and opportunities he had lost due to injury.

The regard in which he was held within the sport was illustrated when Irish Racer magazine made him the first inductee into its 'Hall of Fame' in 2005. He was undoubtedly a great rider, but the strength of character he showed to overcome his injuries and the tragic loss of his brother made him a national icon in a country that knows the value of overcoming hardship.

On 15 May 2008 Dunlop died after suffering severe chest injuries in a crash during a practice session at the North West 200. The fatal accident happened in the 250cc qualifying as the riders approached the Mathers Cross section of the course. The engine on his motorcycle seized and as a result of mistakenly hitting the brake for the bikes front wheel which was situated beside the clutch on his specially modified bike, he was subsequently thrown over the handlebars at approximately 160mph.As he crashed, a following rider - Darren Burns - collided with him suffering a broken leg and concussion in the accident. Dunlop was taken to Causeway Hospital in Coleraine before succumbing to his injuries shortly after 22.00 local time. Dunlop had been racing in the 250cc class this year for the first time since the 1994 Isle of Man TT.

His funeral took place on 18 May 2008 at Garryduff Presbyterian Church in his home town of Ballymoney. Dunlop was laid to rest beside his brother, Joey.

Mervyn Whyte, clerk of the North West 200 course, was among the first to pay tribute to Mr Dunlop: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Robert's family and we extend our deepest sympathies to his wife, children and wider family circle. Robert was one of Northern Ireland's best known and most experienced riders, who will always been remembered for his infectious personality and love for road racing."

Northern Ireland's First Minister Ian Paisley said: "This is a tragedy that will be felt deeply by the people of Northern Ireland. Robert was one of our greatest sportsmen and will be sadly missed."