A VERDICT of death by misadventure was recorded in an inquest in Dublin yesterday into the death of a Co Antrim motorcyclist who died in a bike race at Skerries, Co Dublin, last year.
Victor Gilmore (42), of Vow Road, Ballymoney, Co Antrim, was competing in the 600cc event in the Killalane Road Races at Skerries, Co Dublin on September 12th, 2010 when the crash occurred.
The father of three was fatally injured during the high-speed race when he lost control of his bike and hit a safety bale. A trackside marshal was also injured.
Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard competitors travelled at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour during parts of the event on the public road, which had been closed for the event.
Mr Gilmore, an experienced motorcyclist who had competed in Ireland, the UK and Europe, lost control of his Yamaha R6 600cc at an approach to a bend. “The whole bike slid along the road. The rider slid along the road and hit the bale and ended up in the driveway of a house,” said marshal Paul Bailey.
The race was stopped immediately, and doctors were on the scene to attend to Mr Gilmore. He was pronounced dead at Beaumont Hospital at 2.40pm. A postmortem found he died of multiple injuries, including to the chest.
The Killalane Road Races is an annual event under the auspices of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland. The road, motorbikes and helmets are inspected before the event.
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell recorded a verdict of death by misadventure, reflecting the fact the incident occurred during a competitive race. “He obviously was a very experienced motorcyclist, but it was a high-speed race and things happen,” he said. After the inquest Mr Gilmore’s father James said he was “a great son and was loved by all the family”, while his brother Jason said he was “a great brother and an inspiration”.