MOIRA Motorcycle Racing Club were dealt a shock blow with the tragic death of Newmills rider Andrew Neill.
The 27-year-old lost his life at the Walderstown Road Race, near Athlone, County Westmeath.
He was involved in an unexplained accident during a controlled two laps of practice to assess the condition of the track.
The practice session was due to be held on the Saturday but due to poor weather was postponed to Sunday morning. It was then that the accident happened.
Witnesses said that he was thrown from his machine and hit a pole . His death was due to severe head injuries.
Andrew is the second rider to die this year in Irish road racing. At the North West 200 in May Mark Young, ironically a team mate of Andrew’s when they rode for the D. and G. Wray team, crashed at Mather’s Cross and died from his injuries.
The latest loss is a huge blow to the Moira club for whom Andrew has raced for the past two years.
This brings to four the number of riders who have ridden for the club to have lost their lives doing what they loved most.
Gary Dynes, Gary Jess and Eddie Sinton were the others who paid the extreme penalty which is ever present in the high speed sport, although Eddie was the only one who was actually riding the Moira machine at the time of the accident.
Again there was total shock and disbelief among the members who over the past 28 years have experienced the highs and lows in the road racing game.
But time will tell how this latest loss affects their future.
The club would offer their sincere condolences to Sharon and all the family on the loss of a true gentleman.
