Who is Michael Dunlop and how many races has he won at the Isle of Man TT?
THE Dunlop name has long been synonymous with the Isle of Man TT.
Joey Dunlop is the most famous Isle of Man TT rider of them all - with the overall winner of the event handed the Joey Dunlop Cup each year.
Advertisement
3
Michael Dunlop has become the record holder for most wins at the Isle of Man TT
3
Dunlop has already won another race at the 2025 event
The Northern Irishman also has a statue built on the island.
Joey held the record for almost 25 years after his untimely death following a crash in 2000.
Now his record has been overtaken - with Michael Dunlop the man to take it.
Who is Michael Dunlop?
Michael Dunlop is a motorcycle rider most
Advertisement
He comes from that famous racing family as the son of Robert Dunlop, brother of William.
Dunlop is also the nephew of Joey.
Michael made his Isle of Man TT debut in 2007, finishing 25th aged just 18.
Since then he has had one of the most spectacular careers in the sport.
Advertisement
His first win came in the Supersport TT in 2009, while he has won four races in a single event three times - in 2013, 2014, and 2023.
Since 2010, the only year he didn't win a race was in 2015, when did not finish in four races and finished second in one other.
With FOUR wins in 2024 he passed uncle Joey as the most successful rider in the history of the Isle of Man TT - as well as taking home
Dunlop has been back at it in 2025, winning the Supersport TT Race 1 on day one of the event.
Advertisement
Who has won the most races at the Isle of Man TT?
Until this year, Joey Dunlop had held the record since 2000.
Joey won three races that year, aged 48, just weeks before his death in Estonia in another race.
John McGuinness had come closest to threatening Dunlop's record, winning 23 races between 1999 and 2015.
But it was Michael who finally managed to overtake the great man.
Advertisement
His win in the Supertwins TT made it win No 27 and his eighth in just 17 races since 2022.
He went on to win two more races in 2024 - making it four wins for a second consecutive year - to take his overall tally to 29.
Most Isle of Man TT wins
Michael Dunlop - 30
Joey Dunlop - 26
John McGuinness - 23
Dave Molyneux - 17
Ian Hutchinson - 16
Mike Hailwood, Ben Birchall, Tom Birchall, Peter Hickman - 14
Bruce Anstey - 12
Steve Hislop, Phillip McCallen - 11
Giacomo Agostini, Robert Fisher, Stanley Woods - 10
Mick Boddice, David Jeffries, Ian Lougher, Siegfried Schauzu - 9
3
Michael Dunlop in action on the Isle of Man
Credit: PACEMAKER PRESS
Advertisement
What did Michael Dunlop say about breaking the record?
Michael Dunlop said that "everyone's inspiration was to be a Joey Dunlop around the Isle of Man".
He said: "I'm no better than Joey, never was.
"Joey's record stood for 24 years and it's an honour. Joey was a special talent.
"My record will be beaten one day but I don't care."
Advertisement
He also said he had to overcome some issues on the day to win.
"We had an issue in first practice and were struggling a wee bit but the boys worked hard on it and the bike was mint.
"We had to push on as I knew we would."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘It was supposed to stay confidential' – Rory McIlroy ‘p***ed off' after private information is leaked
RORY McILROY was 'p***ed off' that news of his driver failing technical standards was leaked at last month's USPGA Championship. Two days before the tournament, the club was pulled from his bag after official testing showed it crossed the 'trampoline effect' threshold — when the club face becomes more springy. 2 Rory McIlroy admitted he was frustrated that news of his driver failing a technical test was leaked Credit: Getty 2 Scottie Scheffler's driver also failed Credit: Getty Failures are supposed to be confidential with no blame attached to the player but the news broke on the Friday evening. World No 1 Masters champ Ahead of teeing up in the Canadian Open, which starts today, the Northern Irishman said: 'I was a little p***ed off because I knew that Scottie's driver had failed but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential. READ MORE ON GOLF 'I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because I'm trying to protect Scottie, I don't want to mention his name.' He went on to add: "I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself. I just didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted. "With Scottie's stuff, that's not my information to share. I knew that that had happened, but that's not on me to share that, and I felt that process is supposed to be kept confidential, and it wasn't for whatever reason. That's why I was pretty annoyed at that. "From a responsibility standpoint, look, I understand, but if we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this and we could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way. Most read in Golf CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS "I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street, and as much as we need to speak to you guys, we're sort of, like we understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform and everything else. So I understand that. "But again, I've been beating this drum for a long time. If they want to make it mandatory, that's fine, but in our rules it says that it's not, and until the day that that's maybe written into the regulations, you're going to have guys skip from time to time, and that's well within our rights." Jack Nicklaus stunned as Rory McIlroy ghosts Memorial Tournament host and golf legend ahead of PGA Tour Signature event Scheffler won the PGA Championship last month, marking his third major title. He finished at 11-under 273, five strokes clear of the field in Charlotte.
Irish Independent
4 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Rory McIlroy credits Canadian Open timing for US Open consistency
The Northern Irishman, who won the Canadian tournament in 2019 and 2022, has been a consistent contender at the US Open in recent years, recording six consecutive top-10 finishes. 'I love that it's the week leading into the US Open,' McIlroy told a press conference on Wednesday. 'I've had six top 10s in a row (at the US Open), so there's something to that.' McIlroy's grouping for the first two rounds includes 2023 European Ryder Cup teammate Ludvig Aberg and PGA Tour University graduate Luke Clanton. He also praised the university programme for helping younger players make the professional leap. 'I think this PGA Tour U programme is so good. If it was up to me, I'd give the college kids five or 10 spots on Tour instead of just one,' said McIlroy. 'I think to bring that new blood through each and every year I think is so important for the Tour, and to see Luke and some of his other peers take advantage of that opportunity and get their cards and come out here and play well, it's awesome to see.' Earlier this week, the Masters champion admitted he was 'p***ed off' that news of his driver failing technical standards made headlines before last month's US PGA Championship. Two days before the tournament was due to start the world number two had the club pulled from his bag after official testing showed it had crossed the threshold, the so-called 'trampoline effect' when the face of the club becomes more springy. Failures are supposed to remain confidential, as no blame is attached to the player in question but the news broke on Friday evening. ADVERTISEMENT World number one Scottie Scheffler's driver also failed the test but that never became public until he volunteered the information at his winner's press conference after securing his third major. As a result McIlroy, uncharacteristically, declined to speak to the media over all four days and left Quail Hollow without uttering a word in public after finishing joint-47th. 'I was a little p***ed off because I knew that Scottie's driver had failed but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential,' said McIlroy. 'I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because I'm trying to protect Scottie – I don't want to mention his name – I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself. 'With Scottie's stuff, that's not my information to share. That process is supposed to be kept confidential and it wasn't for whatever reason. That's why I was pretty annoyed at that.'
The 42
14 hours ago
- The 42
Casey emerges as Irish leader in a refreshed summer squad
THE LAST YEAR has been one of highs and lows for Craig Casey with Ireland. Back in July 2024, he was handed the number nine jersey for the first Test against the Springboks in South Africa and made an impressive start before being knocked out in a challenge from RG Snyman. With first-choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park already missing through injury, Casey had to sit out the second Test as a result, watching from the sideline as Andy Farrell's men beat the Boks in Durban. Casey picked up where he left off last November, though, impacting off the bench against Argentina, shining in a try-scoring start versus Fiji, then helping to swing the game in Ireland's favour as a replacement when Joe Schmidt's Australia visited Dublin. Casey looked set for a big 2025 Six Nations with Ireland, only for disaster to strike in December when he injured his knee in a Champions Cup game for Munster against Castres. The Limerick man underwent surgery and was ruled out for four months. It would have been easy for Casey to feel sorry for himself, but he's an upbeat, energetic character. He threw himself into rehabilitation with intent, getting back on the pitch around a month earlier than initially expected. He returned with a superb try-scoring display in Munster's URC win over Connacht in Castlebar and hasn't let up since. Still only 26, Casey has taken his game to a new level despite the injury setbacks over the last year. He has always been a brilliant passer of the ball, but his decision-making is better than ever, he is playing with obvious self-belief, has honed his kicking into a weapon, and defends with an aggression that belies his physical stature. Now, he's the Ireland captain. Craig Casey has always been a leader. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Casey was skipper for Ardscoil Rís during his school days. He was captain of the Ireland U18s in 2017 and was a vice-captain for the Ireland U20s. He has been a leader in the Munster squad for a long time. He was only 20 when Johann van Graan added him to the province's leadership group alongside the likes of Peter O'Mahony. Casey hasn't been named as Munster captain for a game yet, but he has been heavily involved in driving the team, even more so as he has emerged as first-choice ahead of Conor Murray in the last two seasons. Indeed, Casey was strongly considered as O'Mahony's successor as Munster skipper when the latter stepped down from that role last season. That role eventually went to Tadhg Beirne but Casey's influence has only continued to grow in the Munster set-up. He made an immediate impression with his professionalism upon joining the senior Ireland set-up in the 2020/21 season, with then captain Johnny Sexton comparing Casey to World Cup-winning England out-half Jonny Wilkinson. Casey captained Ireland A against the All Blacks XV in November 2022 and though he has had plenty of frustration with selection amid the competition with Gibson-Park and Murray, he is clearly still on an upward trajectory. All of this leaves him well-placed to skipper Ireland's tour to Georgia and Portugal. It's a huge honour to become the 112th captain of Ireland since 1875, while this trip also allows him to maintain match sharpness in case an injury call comes from Andy Farrell's Lions. Advertisement Casey is a fitting choice because he still only has 18 caps. He's been around for a while now but he's certainly not one of the old guard. Most of them are on the Lions tour or missing this Irish trip on account of injuries. Casey leads an Irish squad that blends 11 uncapped youngsters with a host of lightly-capped fringe Ireland players, and a few experienced heads. With 15 senior men away on Lions duty, there is a welcome refreshed look to Paul O'Connell's group. Leinster props Thomas Clarkson and Jack Boyle. Billy Stickland / INPHO Billy Stickland / INPHO / INPHO Jack Boyle gets the chance to continue his emergence at loosehead prop, with Michael Milne rewarded for his strong start to life with Munster with a call-up. It's a positive message from the IRFU's point of view that a player who left Leinster to get game time has so quickly been rewarded. The explosive Leinster loosehead Paddy McCarthy, who has had a frustrating season involving just three appearances, completes the loosehead stocks. 51-times capped Finlay Bealham is one of the wise old heads and another who is on the Lions' standby list, while Tom O'Toole seemingly gets the chance to focus solely on tighthead as Thomas Clarkson continues his development. Among those to miss out are Connacht's Jack Aungier, who has trained with the senior squad previously, Ulster's promising Scott Wilson, and the once-capped Oli Jager, whose frustrating season ended in injury. 21-year-old Gus McCarthy is the most experienced hooker going on tour but has already shown his potential, while the return of Tom Stewart is welcome. It's not that long ago that the 24-year-old Ulster man was being heralded as a future star for Ireland along with Dan Sheehan and Rónan Kelleher. Leinster academy hooker Stephen Smyth has yet to start a senior game for his province and has made only four appearances, but he has seemingly done well in Emerging Ireland and Ireland A camps, so the Irish coaches have opted for the 20-year-old's potential ahead of more experienced hookers around the provinces such as Lee Barron. The make-up of the squad suggests that Cormac Izuchukwu, Ryan Baird, and Tom Ahern will feature as second rows, as well as offering dynamism at blindside flanker, and Connacht's gritty, powerful Darragh Murray is the only out-and-out lock in the group. Dynamic Leinster lock Diarmuid Mangan and Munster lineout specialist Evan O'Connell may have been close to making this squad. Munster man Gavin Coombes will be excited about his chance at number eight with Caelan Doris and Jack Conan out of the picture for now, while Cian Prendergast and Max Deegan will be leaders in the group. Nick Timoney and Alex Kendellen complete the back row contingent as the likes of Connacht's Sean Jansen and Munster's John Hodnett miss out. The Irish coaches seemingly rate Kendellen higher than Hodnett, who has been the first-choice openside for Munster ahead of Kendellen. Joining Casey in the scrum-half crop are Connacht's Ben Murphy, another who has thrived this season after leaving Leinster, and Ulsterman Nathan Doak, still only 23 but not far off being a centurion for his province. Ben Murphy was Fans' Player of the Years and Men's Player of the Year in Connacht. James Crombie / INPHO James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO With Gibson-Park away and Murray having retired from Ireland duty, this is a look to the future. Fintan Gunne and Matthew Devine must wait in the wings for now. The out-half trio of Sam Prendergast, Jack Crowley, and Ciarán Frawley is unchanged and it will be fascinating to see how selection for the number 10 shirt goes in these two Tests. Away from the limelight of the Six Nations, this could be an important window for those playmakers. With Robbie Henshaw missing out, Ulster's Stuart McCloskey takes on the role of senior centre and is joined in midfield by exciting Connacht prospect Hugh Gavin and Leinster's Jamie Osborne, who is also a strong option at fullback and can play on the wing too. With Jude Postlethwaite only added as a training panellist, Ireland aren't heavy on centres, but Frawley, Crowley, Tommy O'Brien, Jimmy O'Brien, and Shayne Bolton have some history in the midfield. Many Irish fans were hoping to see Munster's Tom Farrell rewarded for his excellent first season with the southern province, but Ireland have opted against calling the uncapped 31-year-old up. In the end, the Irish coaches have opted for 21-year-old Gavin's potential. Promising Leinster centre Hugh Cooney is another who might have been among those hoping to squeeze in, but just two Tests meant the squad was never likely to be too big. Of course, Leinster man Tommy O'Brien will be hoping to make his impact on the wing, where he has been impressive this season. Connacht's Bolton has also shone out wide when available. Both of them have had more than their fair share of injury travails. Jacob Stockdale, Calvin Nash, and Jimmy O'Brien provide a relative dollop of nous in the back three contingent, with Stockdale's 38 caps making him the most experienced player in the squad behind Bealham. Stockdale has enjoyed a strong season for Ulster and with James Lowe away, will be eyeing the number 11 shirt. Given that four of his five starts for Ireland so far have been at fullback, Osborne appears to be the leading contender in that slot. Stockdale recently switched to the number 15 shirt for Ulster after a long hiatus from that role but he is best on the left wing. Jacob Stockdale has been in flying form. Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO Munster's Diarmuid Kilgallen might have been hoping to make a late dash onto this tour, while Ulster's Zac Ward will join the group in Dublin as a training panellist later this month to continue his development in the 15s game. So there is a nice blend to this Ireland squad and while O'Connell and his makeshift coaching team will be targeting two wins against Georgia and Portugal, they know it is about development too. If they can win while polishing a couple of gems from the group of 11 uncapped players and seeing a couple of fringe players transform into genuine first-team contenders, it will be a worthwhile exercise. Ireland squad: Props: Jack Boyle, Michael Milne, Paddy McCarthy, Finlay Bealham, Tom O'Toole, Thomas Clarkson Hookers: Gus McCarthy, Tom Stewart, Stephen Smyth Second rows: Ryan Baird, Cormac Izuchukwu, Tom Ahern, Darragh Murray Back rows: Gavin Coombes, Max Deegan, Alex Kendellen, Cian Prendergast, Nick Timoney Scrum-halves: Craig Casey (captain), Ben Murphy, Nathan Doak Out-halves: Jack Crowley, Sam Prendergast, Ciarán Frawley Centres: Stuart McCloskey, Hugh Gavin, Jamie Osborne Back threes: Jacob Stockdale, Calvin Nash, Jimmy O'Brien, Shayne Bolton, Tommy O'Brien Training panellists: James McNabney, Jude Postlethwaite, Zac Ward
