Bikers' escort for Martin's last journey
Bikers escort the funeral car carrying Martin Finnegan's remains to his county Dublin home
More photos:Tuesday May 06 2008
vOVER a thousand bikers are expected to converge on the north Dublin town of Lusk tomorrow to pay their last respects to motor racing champion Martin Finnegan, who died in a biking accident at the weekend.
A stream of riders from both north and south of the border formed a lengthy cortege for the 29-year-old yesterday as his hearse made the journey from Armagh to his parents' home in the town centre of Lusk.
Motorcycle gardai and riders from Mr Finnegan's club provided an escort of bikers three abreast, with the procession causing a five-mile tailback. His brother Sean, riding Mr Finnegan's spare Superbike No 45, led the cortege home.
Mr Finnegan died on Saturday afternoon after he crashed at Marlacoo Corner during the Supersport 600 race at the Tandragee 100 meeting in Co Armagh.
Last night, the parish priest at St Maccullin's Church, Father Joe Mullan, said that in 22 years of priesthood he had never experienced "a congregation as sombre and as united in grief" as at Sunday morning Mass.
Fr Mullan, who married Mr Finnegan to his wife Brenda, said family and friends were experiencing the kind of heartbreak "that reveals new depths to human suffering".
Mr Finnegan's father Jim said that despite losing his son to the sport, his views on road racing remain unchanged. He said all riders live with the possibility they could be killed and his son had too.
"Martin was aware of the dangers involved and he was a very careful rider, but this was an unfortunate racing accident," he said.
Mr Finnegan is survived by his wife Brenda (nee Leonard), daughter Rachel, who is almost three, parents Jim and Margaret, and siblings Elizabeth, Ger, James, Paul, Sean and Peter.
He will be removed to MacCullin's Church after 1.30pm tomorrow for a Requiem Mass at 2pm.
- Grainne Cunnigham
