Whenever my uncle would come up to where I lived with my grandparents at Cloughcorr the chat would turn to motorbikes and inevitably end up with Joey and the Armoy Armada. Like folk heroes they inspired so many of us to follow the path on a two-wheeled machine including myself. It was more than a tangible connection as we travelled and lived along the same country roads that Joey and the Armada honed their skills, tested their bikes and inspired a generation of riders on. Today the Armoy Road Races is a fitting tribute to these local men and those halcyon days. I can remember still summer evenings at Brigend, hearing the deep note of my uncle's AJS 350 coming up the branch line from Ballycastle, appearing over the brow of the hill at Novally and flying down past Brigend with the throttle full open and him stretched over the tank with his feet wrapped around the number plate, just to put on a show for us easily impressed young country boys.
The Armoy Armada were known to take the odd rake up the Carrowreagh Road and over the Dry Arch and Ballinlea. On still evenings you could hear the sound of those bikes drifting across the moss, those and the lambeg drums at Moyarget are the sounds I remember drifting through the air, other than that, it was sheep, wild birds and the wind. To me, Joey was a legend, someone I admired for his natural down to earth ways who gave us more than just something to talk about, he gave us a sense of pride by his achievements. He was a local man born and bred and like so many have said, you thought of him as one of your own. There were only two men who could invade the chat and push the girls aside when young menfolk of my ilk got together around a fireplace or along a dake of an evening.
One was the Indian McCook for his fierce reputation and fighting abilities and the other was Joey for his ability, courage and skill on a motorbike. Joey's passion was racing motorbikes on roads, the fame never changed him, he always remained true to himself, gentle, passionate and courageous. The Armoy Armada were unique - Mervyn Robinson, Frank Kennedy, Joey Dunlop and Jim Dunlop, in their youthful passion they unknowingly created something that will live on and capture the imagination of generations to come. There was another side to Joey that was far away from racing bikes and that was his humanitarian heart which saw him on his own initiative take medicine and clothing to Romanian orphanages.
This self-motivated voluntary work which he did without any great fanfare and many times saw him receive the OBE which according to Joey was the award he was most proud of. During his racing career he won 26 Isle of Man TT races. He also won the Ulster Grand Prix 24 times and in 1986 a fifth consecutive TT Formula One world title. He was awarded the MBE in 1986 for his services to the sport, and in 1996 the OBE for his humanitarian work. Joey lost his life in 2000 doing what he loved, racing his bike at Tallinn, Estonia on the Pirita-Kose-Kloostrimetsa Circuit. He was leading a 125cc race having already won the 750cc and 600cc events. He lost control of his bike in wet conditions and was killed instantly on impact with trees.