Joey Dunlop Grandstand at UGP becomes temporary

The Ulster Grand Prix’s iconic Joey Dunlop Grandstand will be replaced from 2015 with a temporary structure, after legislation changes brought about the demolition of the existing fifty year old stand.

With the Safety of Sports Ground Order coming into legislation this year, the old grandstand, bought from Crusaders football team five decades ago, twas deemed unsafe, leading to it’s replacement with the type of temorrary structure used elsewhere on the Dundrod course.

The new structure will see an increased 100 seats on a permanent foundation, with year-round signage continuing the legacy of one of Northern Ireland’s greatest ever sportsmen at the site.

Noel Johnston, Clerk of the Course for the race, said: “The Joey Dunlop grandstand holds a lot of memories for our fans, and of course for Joey’s family too. We’ve spoken to the Dunlop family and they are supportive of our plans. They understand it’s very important to us that going forward the grandstand continues to commemorate Joey’s achievements by being named in his honour.

“We’ve taken into consideration a number of factors in the decision to remove the structure and build a new one, including health and safety, economic viability and planning requirements and I think we’ve made the best decision we could.

“As a Club we’re making a lot of exciting plans to ensure the Ulster Grand Prix continues to go from strength to strength, with visitor numbers increasing year-on-year we are glad to say that the new grandstand structure will allow us to increase seating to meet demand.”