Allister MacSorley (left) with his father, Dr Fred MacSorley, at the Ulster Grand Prix.

The son of retired Irish road racing ‘Flying Doctor’ Fred MacSorley was injured in a serious incident during Saturday’s Armoy Road Races in County Antrim.

Race paramedic Allister MacSorley, a member of the MCUI Medical Team, was involved in a collision on the course with a medical van on the Lagge Road.

He was airlifted to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast by the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance, although his injuries have been described as ‘non life-threatening’.

On Saturday afternoon, Armoy Clerk of the Course Bill Kennedy told the News Letter:

“As I understand it, although this was a serious incident, his injuries are recoverable and (not life-threatening), as I understand it.

“We wish Allister a speedy recovery and obviously my thoughts go out to Doctor Fred and his whole family. It was something they didn’t need and certainly we didn’t need it either at Armoy, but sadly these things happen.

“It was a non-racing incident and road conditions were greasy at the time. It was just a riding incident, which can happen to anybody at any time, and unfortunately it happened to Allister.”

Lurgan GP Dr Fred MacSorley retired from his role as a travelling doctor at Irish road race meetings last year.

In 2015, his colleague – esteemed doctor John Hinds, an anaesthetist at Craigavon Hospital in County Armagh – was killed in an incident at the Skerries 100 near Dublin.


The Armoy races were abandoned on Saturday on safety grounds due to heavy rain.

Kyle White

The family of motorcycle paramedic Allister McSorley are maintaining a vigil at his hospital bedside after he was injured in a crash at Armoy Road Races on Saturday.

Mr McSorley was airlifted from Armoy to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast after his fellow paramedics administered first aid.

The crash happened before the Armoy Road Race was due to get under way.

Mr McSorley's condition was described as "critical but stable" by the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Mr McSorley regularly attends road races as a paramedic, following in the footsteps of his father Fred, who retired from his role as a "travelling doctor" for the road racing fraternity last year.

The Armoy Road Race was abandoned on Saturday "in the interests of safety" because of the heavy rainfall without any of the planned events actually taking place.

Chairman of Armoy Road Races Bill Kennedy paid tribute to Mr McSorley's colleagues for their professionalism in what was a very difficult situation for them.

He said: "We are very disappointed that Allister was involved in a road traffic collision while he was on duty at Armoy.

"Allister has been very, very good to the road racing fraternity, as was his father Fred when he was a travelling doctor.

"I don't know the entire circumstances of what caused the crash, but I would first and foremost wish Allister a speedy recovery to full health.

"I would also like to pay tribute to his colleagues. I was at the scene and they were so professional.

"The way they worked with Allister on the roadside - who was one of their own, but in that moment was their patient - they were incredible.

"They looked after Allister until the helicopter arrived and were prepared to carry on in their role as paramedics had the road race continued.

"That could not have been an easy thing for them to do, but it was admirable and it gave us a whole new understanding of the work they do and their professionalism.

"Unfortunately, on this occasion Allister found himself on the receiving end of the skill and dedication he usually administers to others.

"He is in our thoughts, as are his whole family, and everyone is wishing him a good recovery to full health."

News of Mr McSorley's accident came just weeks after the motorbike fraternity was left in shock following the death of William Dunlop (32), who lost his life during practice at the Skerries 100 in Co Dublin.

In 2015 the Skerries event was the race that claimed the life of John Hinds, an anaesthetist at Craigavon Hospital and a colleague of both Mr McSorley and his father.

Three other motorcyclists have lost their lives in races this year.

Dan Kneen, James Cowton and Adam Lyon were all killed while competing on the Isle of Man.

Donna Deeney