THE widow of motorcyclist Andrew Neill has told how she took the emotional decision to attend a race meeting – a week after losing her husband in a crash.
Six days after his funeral, Sharon bravely stood at the side of a track to show her support for the sport her husband loved.
But the day was to take another tragic twist for the Newmills woman when another rider was to tragically lose his life at the meeting in Kells, Co Meath.
Andrew, 27, died after coming off his Honda 125cc during a practice lap at Walderstown in Co Westmeath on July 12 – eight years to the day since he met Sharon on a night out in Dungannon.
Together with her brother Timmy, Sharon took the difficult decision to travel to the major road race meeting at the weekend, where Padraig Campbell in his 30s, was killed.
"To be honest I wasn't even sure what had happened, we had heard there had been an accident, and I immediately thought of the family.
"It wasn't until later that I heard that Padraig had died. I am hoping to contact his family, maybe I can give them some support."
Attending the race meeting so soon after Andrew's death, was in itself, a difficult challenge for Sharon.
"It was a very difficult decision to take, for both me and Timmy", she said. "It was important for Timmy to get racing again, and it was important for me to support him.
"Driving into the paddock was very difficult, but everyone was so good, they were all glad to see me and Timmy there, but it was very strange not to have Andrew with us.
"I kept thinking that I would see Andrew at some stage, I would even see riders which I thought were Andrew, some of them had been wearing similar leathers... It was just such a natural place for Andrew to be."
Hundreds of fellow racers and fans from across the UK and Ireland turned out to pay their respects last Thursday, to a talented motorcyclist who had been tipped for the top in the sport.
Surrounded by flowers, sympathy cards and road racing trophies in her Newmills home, Sharon said she was still coming to terms with his death: "I think I'm doing ok, but I am only taking it day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute.
"I have been speaking to Mark Young's mother Alma, and it's still very difficult for her family, and in a way, I know have plenty of difficult times ahead.
"I think it will be hard when the racing season is over, that was when we spent more time at home together.
"I feel very lucky in a way that I have this extended motorcycling family for comfort. They have been so good and caring, and their sympathy is genuine, every death affects each person of the road racing community.
"I think most people who are not into motorcycling wouldn't understand the level of friendship there is between riders and the families involved."
When asked if she ever wished that Andrew has stopped racing, she replied: "Racing was such a part of Andrew, there is no way that I would have asked him to stop.
"He was very aware of the dangers of this sport which he loved, and I was aware too, in a way the risk is the major part of the thrill of this sport.
"Andrew and I invested so much into road racing and this year it had begun to pay off for him. I'm so proud and I know that Andrew was, that he was able to compete at this first TT this year. That had been a lifetime ambition of his.
"I am very grateful for the eight years we had together.
"I wish that racing had not taken my Andrew away from me, but there is no way that I would have taken racing away from Andrew."
She added: "I feel very sorry for the sport at the moment, there have been so many deaths recently. Andrew was a very careful rider, and he had even warned another rider that the next section was slippery. He warned that other rider on the lap just before his accident. That was how he was, he would always have looked out for other riders.
"All of the riders take every precaution and care that they can, and they do not, as some people think, take risks."
Contrary to some media reports, Andrew had been wearing his helmet correctly at the time of the accident, said Sharon.
Andrew had also dedicated a recent win at the local Bush races to close friends and racing opponents Mark Young and Ricky McCready who also lost their lives to the sport, which he himself loved.