Some low life thought it was clever to have a go at smashing up the Joey Dunlop Memorial in Ballymoney last night. It is believed they used a sledge hammer.

Sure he was a great rider, but there have been, and are plenty of other great riders. I always admired him most for his selfless thought for those less fortunate and hauled his butt halfway across Europe on his own to help out those orphans and never shouted about it. He was one of a kind.

Hope whoever did it is satisfied with their nights work.

Watch the blood presure Tom.

There are things that go on today that baffle me totally. Like robbing churches and raping and beating up old ladies. There are some sick people out there. I would imagine that Joey would be very laid back about it, its only a lump of (? bronze, concrete?)
I just go with the thought that the person who did it should be pitied.
Even if I would like to see the @*~! beaten out of him!
Our memorial to Joey is in our hearts and memories. The statues are but memory joggers....

Mike

I had a txt this morning from a friend with learning disability, who lives in Coleraine, very upset because this had happened. Joey meant the world to a lot of people who never even saw him race.The loveless, joyless people who did this are only expressing their own worthlessness.

And even when you catch the beggers no one can do anything about it...A sorry world we live in !

We must get this statue rebuilt !

Then put barbed wire round it !

All I can feel is sick, Tom, it is an awful thing to happen !

A sick world indeed folks, and as you say, Ian, nothing is done to these creatures if and when they are caught. Probably like ours, you laws over there are a joke when it comes to penalties.

Does anyone know if there will be a means of donating cash to a fund for the restoration?

Apparently it is the plaque that has been smashed...Any other details...>????

I thought it was the actual statue that had been smashed,
It's bad enough the plaque however !

How much to replace it ???

No worries the jobs a good one, Margaret Edgar from the Department of Tourism and Leisure tells me the Plaque was replaced with new one this morning.

Good, lets hope this one remains untouched.

Don't jump down my throat, but is this damage related to "Northern Ireland stuff?"

Nah, its just your usual mindless vandalism stuff. However, I was there this moning, and the Council had indeed put up a replacement, temporary plaque. The rest of the garden is fine, with the yellow tulips which look like upside down Joey helmets just beginning to be past their best, and the trees all in leaf.
Many thanks to the people in the church next door who offered Hilary and myself a biker's breakfast! We didn't have time to take them up on the offer, but I am sure many others did. The love the people of Ballymoney have for Joey, and the welcome they give to all his fans is very touching.

I would agree it was just mindless vandalism, or envy, it goes on all over the U.K except that it is more than 100% worse on the mainland. United Nations world survey on crime published in July 2002 showed that England and Wales has the highest crime rate in the world equal to Australia, in particular violent crime.

U.N. All crime, number of crimes per 100 people in England and Wales, is 52 per 100, Scotland at 42 per 100 is equal to the United States and Canada.

The world average for crime is 38 crimes per 100 people.

It will surprise a lot of people to know that Northern Ireland has the lowest crime rate in the world at 24 per 100 other than Japan which is 22 per 100.

U.N Quote. "England and Wales has the highest crime rate in the Western World there is an average of 58 offences each year for ever 100 people. That is far worse than the United States where is 42 per 100. England and Wales also has the worst figures for robberies, sex crimes, assaults and car theft".

Ballymoney is not only a market town but a huge Borough, my address is Ballymoney but I live out towards White Park bay on the Causeway coast miles away. A recent PSNI report confirmed that Ballymoney Borough has the lowest crime rate in Northern Ireland 10% lower than anywhere else in Northern Ireland.

Don't anyone worry about coming over here to watch the racing or even a holiday. You will be greeted with the finest hospitality in in the world, make more friends and get more help if your stuck than you ever would on the mainland.

There are more ex squaddies who served over here with the troubles living over here than you could shake a stick at because they liked the place and the people so much they decided to come back and live here after they left the mob.

I agree,Helen.We had a wonderful time,and the hospitality has to be experienced to be believed.I can't wait to go back.England has a long way to go to come up to their standards.

Was over in NI a couple of weeks ago, for 1st time. Everyone was very charming and helpful. More and more people are going from North Scotland to watch the NW200 and they come back impressed.

I think the UN crime statistics are strange, having read the papers while in NI.