The Coleraine-born road race champion, Owen McNally, has died from injuries he received in a crash at last weekend's Ulster Grand Prix.
Mr McNally (30), a father of two, had been on a life-support machine at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast since the accident. He was taken off the machine yesterday and died shortly afterwards.
Mr McNally was Irish 125cc road racing champion as well as holder of the Superteams title. He suffered severe head injuries when his motorcycle left the road and went through a hedge at more than 130 m.p.h. at the competition in Dundrod, Co Antrim, last Saturday.
Mr McNally was one of Ireland's top racing motorcyclists. His first big win came in the 1997 International North-West 200, when he won the Second 250cc race.