Motorbike Racer Tommy Herron's Grave Leitrim Presbyterian Ch
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 เม.ย. 2016
- I've always admired Tom Herron, Ulster motorbike privateer racing legend, who died 26th May 1979 at the age of 31 at the North West 200. Tom left a grieving wife and two young daughters who would grow up without a father. Here he lies in this wee graveyard up in near scenic Slieve Croob not far from the wee village of Leitrim.
Tom Herron (14 December 1948 - 26 May 1979) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from Lisburn, County Antrim in Northern Ireland. He specialised in road circuits such as the Isle of Man TT and the North West 200.
Herron's career started in 1965 when he competed in numerous events throughout Ireland, building up his experience along the way. In 1970, he won his first major race, the 350 class at the North West 200.
After winning the 1973 Irish 350cc championship, he moved up to the Grand Prix world championships. During these years, Herron competed as a privateer, against the factory backed riders, and it was a David vs Goliath struggle to compete. During this time, he met and eventually married Andrea, a sister of sometime Norton rider Peter Williams. They eventually had two girls, twins named Kim and Zoë.
At the close of 1976, he finished fourth in both the 250cc and 350cc world championships. Herron won the last Senior TT at the Isle of Man TT before the FIM stripped the event of its world championship status in 1976. The following year, he finished runner-up in the 350cc world championship to Yamaha factory rider Takazumi Katayama.
In 1978, Herron strengthened his position as one of the world's best riders on privateer machinery with fifth and sixth places in the 250cc and 350cc world championships respectively.
For the 1979 season, he finally got his big break, as a full works, manufacturer backed rider for the Texaco Heron Suzuki team in the 500cc world championship, alongside two-time world 500cc world champion Barry Sheene, and future Truck racer Steve Parrish.
The season started well, with a third in Venezuela and Italy, and a fourth in Austria. This left him in third place in the championship after three rounds. At the fourth round in Spain he crashed in practice and broke his right thumb, suffered third degree burns and was unable to race. He finished the season in tenth place.
After the fourth round of the 500cc world championship, Herron returned home to compete in the North West 200, where, in the previous year, he won 2 races, and he set a lap record of 127.63 mph. The course record still stands due to alterations made.
The 1979 North West 200 will always be remembered as "Black Saturday"; as it claimed the lives of Scotsman Brian Hamilton, Armoy man Frank Kennedy, who died of injuries months later, and Herron himself. In the last lap of the last race, Herron had been fighting for third place along with Jeff Sayle, Steve Parrish and Greg Johnstone, when he crashed at Juniper. He died later in Coleraine hospital, leaving behind his wife and two daughters.
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 1970 - 1979
First race 1970 350cc Isle of Man TT
Last race 1979 500cc Spanish Grand Prix
First win 1976 250cc Isle of Man TT
Last win 1976 500cc Isle of Man TT
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
73 2 14 3 1 373 - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
HiTom, thanks for the video. Bought a lovely painting of Tom at the NW. Saw it for sale at the recent bike show at the Eikon and I thought, I will take the great TH home with me. A great man.
Ah Tom Herron loved the racing and was loved so much by so many fans. Such a sad end to his life. Thanks for calling in with your kind words. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills or Northern Ireland.
It was a delight to see Tom Herron aboard the Texaco Heron Suzuki after all of the hard work he put in as a privateer over his racing years. The horrendous accident at Juniper very sadly took away this marvelous talent. I was so much looking forward to seeing him compete in the IOM TT 79 but it wasn't to be. Thanks for the video. It is good to think back on one of the superstars of our beloved sport.
Many thanks for that Peter. Tom Herron was such a sad loss to his family, friends and his fans. I really wanted to make this video to remember him. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.
Good memory,he gave us stickers in the 1970s, one part of the Imatra track named Tom Herrons chicane.🇮🇪☘️
Thanks for letting us know that memory Juh and thanks for letting us know about the Imatra track name. I didn't know this. Best wishes from Belfast Northern Ireland
Hi Tom. I'm almost finished reading the book. It's an excellent account of Tom's racing career. Worth reading. Cheers.
Wow! Thomas you are way ahead of me! lol
Hi Tom. Tom's death was such a shock. I was watching at the Metropole that day. He had only become a Suzuki works rider that year. Cheers.
Hi Thomas,
Thanks so much for posting in.
I wasn't at that North West that day. I only heard later in the evening. Such a sad loss to his wife and young girls and family circle, never mind the wider racing fraternity.
You may be interested in a book edited by Tom's friend Leslie Moore
Title Tom Herron Tribute
I did a wee video about the book.
th-cam.com/users/edit?o=U&video_id=WTvKc4VywTw&ar=1577217059064
Best wishes
Good man I live in Leitrim and it's because of great road racers like this that I got into biking I'm 53 now still riding a bike must visit and pay my respects to a great man
Hi Mr Larkin Thanks for dropping in with your welcome encouragement. You might be interested in my other videos showing Robert and Joey's Grave and another up about their Memorial Garden. I have a lot of videos up about visits to bike exhibitions/bikes in and around Belfast, N'Ards and Lisburn.
I'm 64 and I ride a Honda 600 Shadow.
ps Do you see any red kites down your way. I am into bird watching and have yet to see one clearly? I'd love to film one.
Best wishes
Mr Larkin i
Hi Tom. My wife and I visited Tom's grave today. We eventually found it and what a tranquil spot to be laid to rest. It was dry and the sun was shining. That looks to be his father and mother's grave to the left of his. I remember Tom and his wife to be Andrea Williams racing at Maghabbery airfield in the late 60s. Tommy Robb and Tom were having a chat. He had such a bright future ahead of him on the works Suzuki. I have a couple of videos including one or two about my Bantams on utube if you want to see them. If you look up tommymc100 on utube. That's me. I don't know how it changed to Tmac. Thanks for posting so many interesting videos.
And thank you for watching T Mac.
Aaaaaah! Another sad ending of a life, full of promise and expectation! Just like the Dunlop boys!
I'll look you up. Here's a happier video. I used to watch Ray McC. regularly.
Dromara Destroyers Motorbike Racer Tribute Garden
th-cam.com/video/7fLfwwAN2xg/w-d-xo.html
Tom was a tragic loss to the sport and his family. He was destined for great things. He was riding injured that day and was taped to the throttle on the bike which may have been a contributing factor. I have looked for that church before and never found it. Great video.
+GaryGSF
Yes I can remember it and his hand. How his poor wife must have been saying afterwards 'if only he hadn't gone out injured'. So many 'if onlys' in life. The church is up near Legananny dolmen and it is a wee bit tricky to find.
Thanks as always Gary.
He was a hero of mine way back then and I sadly remember coming home from the n.w to hear he had been killed near to the finish on the last lap of the last race . gbnf .
Somehow over the years you get to believe, that these brilliant guys are indestructable but sadly they are not. Thanks for calling in Trevor.
Thanks for the video, I was there that day and lost my first racing hero.
Hi Mark thanks so much for getting back to me with your comment. I feel it is so important to do this in remembrance of a great racer.
Mark Storey is
Sir, do you know where John Williams is buried? He was a hero to me, I felt he was the bravest rider I have ever heard of.
Hi NN, John Williams (born 27 May 1946 - 12 August 1978) was an English motorcycle short-circuit road racer who also entered selected Grands Prix on the near-continent. He mostly raced as a 'privateer' having a personal sponsor, Gerald Brown. Williams died in Northern Ireland, following an accident when racing at an event held on closed public roads near Dundrod. He was a five-time winner of the North West 200 race in Northern Ireland and a four-time winner at the Isle of Man TT.
He was a resident of Heswall, a town in an area known as the Wirral, Merseyside, England.
I took this from information from Wikipedia NN.
It says he was from Heswall on the Wirral peninsula not far from Liverpool so I suspect he was buried in his home town of Heswall.
Best wishes from Belfast Northern Ireland
I lived in the Leitrim area my entire life and not even I knew we have a Presbyterian church, where is it?
It's easy to miss places that we wouldn't maybe normally look for CE. It's on the Benraw Road, Castlewellan. You would easily drive by it. Only a few would be on that road. Best wishes from the Belfast Castlereagh hills.
I'm sorry, I'm a dumb yank from New York who grew up around republican expats. This is a VERY different person from Tommy Herron the loyalist, yes? I really do hope brexit doesn't wake that beast.
Hey Josh. You are not a dumb yank!! Never allow anyone to label you that. This is indeed a very different person. The other guy, you are thinking about, was a really bad boyo. This video is about the, ill fated, Tommy Herron the motorbike ace rider, who one day tried to push it too hard. Brexit was a good idea in many respects but the UK government has made a complete mess of it with the daft N Ireland protocal. Best wishes from Belfast and the Castlereagh hills.