GLOWING tributes have been paid to rally driver Ryan Bradley who died after his Escort car plunged into a reservoir near Castlewellan last weekend.
The tributes have been led by Downpatrick businessman Fintan McGrady whose insurance company sponsors the Northern Ireland Rally Championship.
The Down Rally, which Mr. Bradley was competing in last weekend, is part of the championship.
A fellow rally driver, Mr. McGrady was also competing in the event before it was cancelled. He described what happened as an “unbelievable freak accident.”
In his twenties, Mr. Bradley was killed after his car crashed into a wall and plunged into the water at Lough Island Reavy, near Kilcoo, during the first stage of the Down Rally on Saturday morning.
A police diving team attended the scene just after 11.30am and his body was recovered from the Ford vehicle several hours later. Mr. Bradley’s co-driver, Gerard Mullan, managed to escape and raise the alarm before he was taken to Newry’s Daisy Hill Hospital.
Mr. McGrady said the Kilrea rally driver and his brother Kevin have competed in a number of rallying events across Ireland and been fairly successful.
“Ryan comes from good, solid stock and he was certainly an up and coming driver. He always had a good word for everyone and was a good lad,” Mr. McGrady continued.
“His death has really hit home. This was an unbelievable freak accident and comes after Timothy Calvert lost his life in August while competing in the Ulster Rally.”
Mr. McGrady said last weekend’s incident had “stunned” the rallying community and described what happened as “unfortunate.”
He added: “This particular stretch of road has been rallied a number of times and was used for the Circuit of Ireland and Northern Ireland Rally. It is not viewed as a dangerous road.”
Rally organisers, Rathfriland Motor Club, said its thoughts and everyone involved with the event were with the family and friends of Mr. Bradley.
The Club confirmed that as with all incidents of this nature, an investigation is now being carried out by the PSNI and appropriate local authority.
“Rathfriland Motor Club, together with the sport’s governing body, the Motor Sports Association (MSA), are co-operating fully with the investigation,” the statement added.
Local politicians, including South Down MP Margaret Ritchie and local MLAs John McCallister and Chris Hazzard, have extended their sympathy to the Bradley family following the weekend tragedy.
Miss Ritchie said the local rallying community is in a “deep sense of shock” following the fatal accident, with the local rallying, motorsport and wider community in Rathfriland “particularly saddened at the loss of a young man taking part in the sport he loved.”
Mr. McCallister said his thoughts were with the Bradley family and extended sympathy to the local rally community “who will be deeply affected by this accident and loss of a friend and colleague.” The MLA also thanked the members of the emergency services who responded to the weekend accident.
Mr. Hazzard said the Bradley family’s loss of a son “so full of the joys of life is immeasurable.” He extended sympathy to the Kilrea family on their “personal loss” and to the rally community on the loss of such a promising young driver.