Michael Dunlop capped the 2014 Irish road racing season with a victory in the Grand Final at the 30th anniversary Country Crest Killalane meeting in North County Dublin.

Dunlop was only confirmed for the event on Friday as the 25-year-old put in his first appearance this year at a National road race in the south.

The 11-time Isle of Man TT winner had went without a victory since he won the feature Armoy ‘Race of Legends’ at the end of July, but Dunlop overcame a poor qualifying position yesterday to clinch the big-money race on his MD Racing BMW Superstock machine on a day blighted by numerous red-flag incidents – one of which proved to be serious, with a rider understood to have been badly hurt in a crash in the 125cc race.

Wilson Craig Honda’s Jamie Hamilton had set the pace in the Grand Final as the Ballyclare rider returned to the National scene for the first time since a crash at the Skerries 100, chased by Michael Sweeney and Dublin’s Derek Sheils on the CD Racing Kawasaki.

Dunlop, though – who qualified in 14th place – was on a charge through the field and picked them off one by one, eventually forcing his way into the lead before quickly establishing a gap as he went on to win by 2.7 seconds from Hamilton.

Sweeney finished in third ahead of Sheils, with Seamus Elliott and Davy Morgan completing the top six.

Dunlop also won the 350cc Classic race on a rare appearance in the class to complete a double.

Earlier in the day, the organising Loughshinny Club scrapped the Open race after the red-flags came out twice, although the competitors involved escaped largely unscathed.

The Supersport 600 race was also pushed back until later in the schedule after two red-flag incidents, with the riders involved walking away unhurt.

Mullingar’s Derek McGee, who wrapped up the Irish title at Faugheen last month, won the re-run Supersport race evening by half-a-second from Hamilton, with Sheils taking third, a further four seconds behind. McGee had slipped off unharmed in the initial race before regrouping to finish the season with a win.

Elliott, Czech rider Michael Dokoupil and John Walsh rounded out the first six. Michael Dunlop – who had qualified in third place – didn’t finish the race.

The Supertwin 650 event went right down to the wire with McGee and Sweeney going head to head throughout.

McGee made the early running on the first three laps but Sweeney was keeping a watching brief and the Skerries man made his move in the second half of the race.

However, McGee regrouped to hit the front once more but a mistake at the final corner on the penultimate lap allowed Sweeney through and he closed out the win by two tenths of a second.

Hamilton finished third but more than 14 seconds behind the leaders, with Ian Morrell, Dokoupil and Andy Farrell next.

Sweeney notched a brace when he won the 250cc race, crossing the line with two seconds in hand over Elliott.

The 125cc race was red-flagged due to a serious accident and the race was hit by another stoppage during the restart, when the result was declared, giving Sam Dunlop the Irish title as he finished second behind Paul Robinson by 0.6 seconds.

Neil Lyons won the Senior Support race with William Hara victorious in the Junior Support event.

A number of former road racing stars including Eddie Laycock, Phillip McCallen, Steven Cull and Ian Lougher took part in a special parade lap to celebrate 30 years of the Killalane races.

Meanwhile, Sunday marked the retirement of travelling doctor Fred McSorley MBE, who was unfortunately kept busy on his final day on duty at an Irish road race by a series of accidents.

Dr McSorley has given years of sterling service to motorcycle road racing, raising the level of professional medical assistance available to injured riders to new heights.

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