Legendary Dromara Destroyer Ray donates books to Queen’s University

Legendary Dromara Destroyer Ray donates books to Queen’s University

23 June 2021

DROMARA’S motorcycling road racing legend Ray McCullough returned to Queen’s University Belfast recently to hand over copies of his book.

Written by Paul McClean and entitled ‘Ray McCullough the Dromara Destroyer’, the illustrated publication is a fascinating read with his visit to his former university coming after it was revealed that the genial McCullough had been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.

The famous road racer was joined at Queen’s by a few former racers who came along to pay tribute to one of the great icons of Irish Road Racing and one of the sports true gentlemen.

McCullough —  who claimed over 170 victories until his retirement in 1984 — was awarded the British Empire Medal in the Queen’s Birthday Honours recently for his services to motorcycle racing.

He made his racing debut in 1960 and enjoyed an exceptional career spanning more than three decades, during which time he was a race winner at the North West 200 and famously at the Ulster Grand Prix in 1971, beating Grand Prix stars Jarno Saarinen and Dieter Braun when Dundrod last hosted a round of the World Championship.

Primarily a specialist on 250cc and 350cc machines, he excelled particularly at Dundrod, winning seven races in all.

Throughout the 1970s, McCullough was the number one rider on the Irish road racing scene who was highly respected by a young up-and-coming Joey Dunlop who was part of the equally famous Armoy Armada.

The Dromara man largely limited his racing exploits to Northern Ireland, but McCullough did compete at the Southern 100 on the Isle of Man, where he won nine times, including a big victory in the 1975 Solo Championship race at the Billown course.

McCullough and his fellow Dromara Destroyers – Brian Reid, Trevor Steele and Ian McGregor – are such legendary figures that a tribute garden, complete with four bronze busts of the group, was unveiled in their home village in 2018, with the attraction designed to mark the accomplishments of the four riders who managed to achieve so much in their racing careers.

Raymond’s wife Betty said that both he and his family are “delighted and proud” to have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

“We’re so delighted for him,” she said. “It was amazing to get this award, for motorcycling and for himself. Ray has helped so many people through the years and encouraged so many people, both in motorcycling and outside of it. His charity work is also so important to him and something he has been deeply involved with over the years.”

In addition to the book dedicated to his racing career, McCullough also features in a DVD produced by Rowland White and directed by Colin James which went on sale last summer, with the book chronicling his remarkable career published around the same time.