Exhibition celebrates Joey Dunlop's TT legacy
The pop-up display is being held a quarter of a century after the 26-time TT winner was killed in an crash during a race in Estonia in July 2000.
On show in the Mercury Club near the grandstand throughout the Classic TT, it features his yellow helmet, race leathers, machines and trophies alongside the story of his final triumphs at the event.
His team-mate during those races, 23-times TT winner John McGuinness, said although it had been "a long time since we lost Joey" the Northern Irish rider was "definitely not forgotten".
Hosted by the organisers of the Classic TT until 29 August, the Joey Dunlop 2000 exhibit takes fans back to the week when the Ballymoney rider completed a hat-trick of wins in the Ultra Lightweight, Lightweight and Formula 1 races.
Visitors to the display can also watch footage from those competitions in a dedicated cinema space as well as seeing the bikes he rode to victory on up close.
Personal items such paddock passes, his personal tool box, and an unopened champagne bottle awarded to him that year also feature.
A podium reenactment includes leathers and helmets worn by fellow 2000 podium finishers John McGuinness and Michael Rutter.
One of the special guests at the official opening, McGuinness said it had been "a bit emotional" to look at.
"I can feel the hairs standing up on the back of my neck because the superbike race in 2000 was so special," he said.
"They'd written the old man off, and he came out fighting that day."
He said he had been "dead proud" to be Joey's last team-mate and to provide some of memorabilia for the exhibition, including the fairing from Joey's bike from that final TT race.
"I just can't believe its 25 years," he added.
Dubbed the King of the Mountain for his success on the island, Dunlop also won five Formula One World Championship, and secures 24 Ulster Grand Prix victories and 13 North West 200 successes.
Peter Duke, from Duke Marketing who sponsored Joey's final race on the island, described the rider as a "complete legend and an icon of the TT".
"I would still say he is the most famous name associated with the TT of all time, even today."
Mr Duke said he remembered the racer as being "very quietly spoken, very modest, [with] not an ounce of brashness, even when he was a hero to millions of people".
"Of the gladiators of the TT he was the top man. We knew he was going to be a winner, and he was, culminating in three wins in one week at the age of 48," he said.
A host of people, including members of the Dunlop family and photographer Stephen Davison, contributed to the curation of the exhibition, which Classic TT organisers said showcased "the story of a man who never gave up".
Joey Dunlop's name remained "etched into the soul of the Isle of Man TT... not only for his 26 wins, but for how he raced - with humility, bravery and heart", they added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
Parade lap honours life of TT legend Joey Dunlop
'King of the Roads' honoured at Ballymoney event
Dunlop becomes most successful rider in TT history
'An honour to share TT record with Joey' - Dunlop
Related internet links
Classic TT
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bayern Munich agree €75 million deal with Liverpool for Luis Diaz
Bayern Munich and Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal worth up to €75 million for the transfer of Colombian winger Luis Diaz, according to Sky Germany. Diaz scored 13 Premier League goals last season, helping Liverpool win the title in Arne Slot's debut campaign. Despite Liverpool's initial stance that Diaz was not for sale, Bayern have been persistent in their pursuit over the last couple of weeks. The German champions had an initial £58.5 million (€67.5 million) bid rejected but kept in touch with their English counterparts, with Diaz keen on a move to Munich due to his contractual situation at Anfield. Diaz was omitted from Liverpool's pre-season squad for Saturday's friendly against AC Milan, indicating his impending exit. Bayern's pursuit of Diaz is driven by the need to reinforce their attacking line, which has been depleted following the departures of Leroy Sane and Thomas Muller. Jamal Musiala's injury while on duty at the FIFA Club World Cup has further depleted their options. Bayern were previously keen on a move to sign Nico Williams before he opted to extend his stay at Athletic Bilbao. Liverpool have spent around £250 million on new signings this summer. Diaz's departure is an opportunity to recoup some funds as they prepare to bid for Alexander Isak. Despite Liverpool's recent big-money capture of Hugo Ekitike, the club is still keen on adding another forward, with Diaz and Darwin Nunez expected to leave.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Florian Wirtz team-mate drops hint over Liverpool transfer advice - 'Courting me at times'
Jonathan Tah has hinted Florian Wirtz tried to persuade him to join Liverpool this summer. The Germany international, who would have been out of contract, joined Bayern Munich in an €800k deal from Bayer Leverkusen back in May, with the Bundesliga champions paying a small fee in order for the defender to be released early to represent them at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 29-year-old is one of a number of high-profile Leverkusen exits this summer, with Wirtz moving to the Reds in a club-record deal worth up to £116m. Liverpool also signed Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen after activating his £29.5m release clause, while Odilon Kossounou, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky and Armine Adli have departed for Atalanta, Sunderland, Monaco and Bournemouth respectively. READ MORE: Premier League owner admits he regrets selling star player to Liverpool - 'I wish' READ MORE: Arne Slot sent blunt Rio Ngumoha Liverpool message as Tottenham transfer prediction made The Reds pulled off something of a transfer coup, luring Wirtz to Anfield in particular, with Bayern Munich previously considered the favourites for his signature while Man City were also interested in the German. Tah is set to make his Bundesliga debut for Bayern on Friday night against RB Leipzig, after helping them win the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup last weekend by beating VfB Stuttgart. He was recently asked whether he had attempted to persuade Wirtz to join him at Bayern Munich, with the German hinting that transfer conversations with his former Leverkusen team-mate were actually concerning whether the defender would move to Anfield. 'I don't want to give too much away,' he told Kicker. 'Maybe he was also courting me at times because I wasn't sure what was next either. We both made our decision, that's good, that's exactly how it should be.' Meanwhile, Frimpong recently revealed that he had also spoken with Wirtz about moving to Liverpool prior to the Reds making concrete moves for the pair. 'Sometimes, towards the end of the season when there was speculation, we would talk about it, 'Imagine we both go there,' he admitted to the club website. 'And then obviously we'd be like, 'Yeah, that would be nice, right?' But it was never planned. 'That's my boy. I'm pretty sure you know how good he is, you've probably seen him. When we won the league [at Leverkusen], he was a big part of the team. 'He's always there in big moments, he always shows up. I don't need to say any more, you guys know how good he is.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oliver Glasner hints at Marc Guehi exit as Crystal Palace chairman explains 'difficult situation'
Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner jokingly claimed he may have to come out of retirement to play center-back if Marc Guehi leaves the club this summer. Guehi, 25, has been heavily linked with a summer transfer, and Liverpool and Newcastle have made inquiries for the England defender. Palace has demanded $60 million for Guehi, but Liverpool values the player closer to $47 million as he's entered the final 12 months of his contract. Palace secured a crucial 1-0 win over Fredrikstad FK on Thursday as the Premier League club attempts to qualify for the UEFA Conference League. Palace is on the verge of losing star midfielder Eberechi Eze to Arsenal, and Glasner hinted that Guehi could also be sold before the transfer deadline. READ MORE: Alisson Becker told only one goalkeeper can compete with him to be Premier League's best READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Slot press conference, Isak and Guehi latest, Elliott 'agrees personal terms' After Thursday's victory, reporters asked Glasner to comment on the club's transfer business. Eze is close to joining Arsenal in a deal worth $90 million, but Glasner awkwardly joked that Guehi could be the next player to leave. "If Marc [Guehi] leaves, maybe I will try my boots because I was a centre-back," Glasner said. "We have to act. It's Crystal Palace's future and we need to add numbers." Glasner has made it clear that he wants to improve the squad, but the club has only made two signings this summer. Ajax defender Borna Sosa was acquired in a deal worth $2.6 million, and Palace also signed goalkeeper Walter Benitez on a free transfer from PSV. Palace has retained its star players until now, as Eze is expected to join Arsenal this week. Palace chairman Steve Parish suggested that Guehi could be the next marquee player to leave the club and called it a "difficult situation" due to spending rules. "If Marc Guehi wants to sign a new contract… then he can stay! It's a difficult situation," Parish told Channel 5. "Everyone has to sell players to comply with the rules. That's a situation that we will have to look at in the next days." Palace risks losing Guehi on a free transfer next summer, meaning the club could be forced to cash in on the defender. However, Glasner has been keen to build on last season's success and has shown signs of displeasure with the club hierarchy. It's been a frustrating summer for Palace off the field after a dream end to last season, which saw them beat Manchester City to win the FA Cup for the first time. In winning the competition, Palace should have qualified for the UEFA Europa League, but the club was penalized. As shareholders also owned the French club Lyon, which qualified for the Europa League, UEFA demoted Palace to the Conference League. Palace will still need a broad squad to facilitate domestic and European games, but has neglected business until later in the window. Glasner shared his frustrations with the lack of urgency. With Eze set to leave the club, Palace has 10 days to find a replacement. "We need to add, not numbers; it's easy to add 10 numbers," Glasner said. "We need the right players. It's not surprising for anyone that Ebs [Eze] left, honestly, it's not surprising. Because five days earlier, we couldn't have done anything if he leaves. "We knew that the chances were very high that this will happen and honestly, again, I say it like it is, we missed (the chance) to replace him early enough, that's completely our fault and nobody else's fault."
