Channel 4 set to screen Armoy highlights for fourth year

The Roadside KIA Armoy Road Races will once again be broadcast on mainstream television with Channel Four set to air two programmes in August.
From left: Road racer Neil Kernohan pictured with Graham Little from NPE Media, Connor Dunlop from Bathshack, Aubrey Irwin (Tourism Ireland), Bill Kennedy MBE, Clerk of the Course, Armoy Road Races and Peter Dunlop (Bathshack).From left: Road racer Neil Kernohan pictured with Graham Little from NPE Media, Connor Dunlop from Bathshack, Aubrey Irwin (Tourism Ireland), Bill Kennedy MBE, Clerk of the Course, Armoy Road Races and Peter Dunlop (Bathshack).
From left: Road racer Neil Kernohan pictured with Graham Little from NPE Media, Connor Dunlop from Bathshack, Aubrey Irwin (Tourism Ireland), Bill Kennedy MBE, Clerk of the Course, Armoy Road Races and Peter Dunlop (Bathshack).

The ‘Race of Legends’ takes place on Saturday July 29, when a host of big names are set to battle it out at the popular Irish National meeting, where Michael Dunlop has won the feature event for the past six years in succession.

A half-hour documentary looking behind the scenes of the race will be aired on Sunday, August 6 at 7am and will be followed by a one-hour highlights review. The programmes will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand service 4OD.

Bill Kennedy, MBE, Chairman of the Armoy Club and Clerk of the Course, said: “This is good news for the fans and supporters of the Armoy Road Races alike. Promoting our sport to a wider audience and highlighting road racing across the United Kingdom can only be a good thing.

“It does take substantial monies to achieve this milestone, so I would like to thank both Peter and Connor Dunlop of Bathshack and Aubrey Irwin from Tourism Ireland as without their vital support, television coverage of the races just would not have happened.”

Graham Little and his team at NPE Media will once again be responsible for the production of the programme.

Little said: “It is testament to the hard work of the club and the road racers who continue to come to Armoy, that we have one of the best, if not the best national road races in Ireland.”

Meanwhile, race programmes will be on sale from Tuesday, July 18 (£15) and can be purchased from the Armoy Club office, the Mace shop and petrol station in Armoy, Biesty’s Centra, Ballymoney and Ballymoney Town Hall.

On Thursday, it was confirmed that Coleraine company First4Printing will sponsor the opening Supersport race on the Friday evening at Armoy (July 28) while the Kells-based Torquetronix firm will support the Open race.