John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921). A device that is used daily by hundreds of millions (if not billions) of people around the world was developed in the last century by Scotsman John Boyd Dunlop. Born on February 5, 1846 in Dreghorn, North Ayrshire, Dunlop was originally a successful veterinarian working near Belfast. Later on however, he would become instrumental in creating the first usable pneumatic tire, a device which is essential in the modern automobile. Dunlop was not the first person to invent the device (it was first conceived by another Scotsman, Robert William Thomson, in the 1840's), but Dunlop was the first to develop and patent a practical version of it.
   In the long tradition of major discoveries and inventions coming about through coincidence, accident or necessity, the beginning of Dunlop's legacy occurred when, in 1888, he was watching his son ride his tricycle. Noticing that his son was encountering difficulty and discomfort while riding over cobbled ground, Dunlop realized that this was because of the vehicle's solid rubber tires and began looking for a way to improve them.
The solution he came up with was a rubber tube filled with air to give it cushioning properties. Dunlop patented the design and it wasn't long before bicycle and automobile manufacturers recognized the design's potential usefulness in their fields. Within ten years of patenting the device, it had almost entirely replaced solid tires and had been implemented for use in automobiles by Andre and Eduardo Michelin. Through the company he founded, Dunlop Tires, his name is still associated with the automobile industry today. 

Little Dunlop's tricycle

-The Very Reverend Dr. John Dunlop (1939-) Born in Newry, County Down, North Ireland, Dr Dunlop studied at Queens University, Belfast, New College in the University of Edinburgh, and Assembly's College in Belfast. He was a minister at Fitzroy avenue Presbyterian Church, Belfast, then ten years at the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman, then since 1978, at Rosemary Presbyterian Church in North Belfast. In 1985-86 Dr John delivered the Warrack Lectures on "Preaching in the Midst of Conflict" in the Theological faculties of the four ancient Scottish Universities. He was Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1992-1993. In June of 1993 he received the "Cultural Traditions Award" for his "established and continuing contribution to the debate on cultural diversity within Northern Ireland". His book, "A precarious Belonging: Presbyterians and the Conflict in Northern Ireland" was published in May, 1995.

The Very Reverend Dr. John Dunlop, ‘89 Northern Ireland, has been awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year's Honours List "for services to the community in Northern Ireland". Dunlop, who is minister of Rosemary Presbyterian Church in Belfast, was also the 2002 recipient of the E. H. Johnson award, an honour given each year by the Presbyterian Church in Canada to individuals whose work is at "the cutting edge of mission".

Joseph (Joey) Dunlop (1952-7/2/2000) The late Joey Dunlop is a hero of Northern Ireland. A five-times Formula One motorcycle racing champion, Joey was killed during a road race in Estonia in July 2000. He was 48, and is survived by his wife Linda and five children Julie, Donna, Gary, Richard, and Joanne. His brother, Robert Dunlop, is also a motorcycle champion. Joey started racing in 1969 and won his first Isle of Man championship in 1977. In an extraordinary career he won that championship a record breaking 26 times. He also won 119 national road races in Northern Ireland. It is said that he was deeply superstitious, always wearing a red tee shirt and yellow helmet, and riding a bike with the number 3. He was known and liked throughout the world of motorcycle racing. He was also well known for his charitable works in Romania and the Balkans. As testimony to the high regard in which he was held, the Queen awarded Joey an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for his motorcycle racing achievements, and OBE (Order of the British Empire) for his charity work. He was awarded the freedom of his hometown of Ballymoney, Northern Ireland. In June last year he was awarded the Sword of State by the Isle of Man Parliament. Following his death, he was named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year, an award he had received seven times previously.

Sail boats on the Thames is most likely to be a view along a stretch on the river at Kingston as it was an area that Dunlop returned to on more than one occasion, submitting a piece very similar to this to the Royal Academy in 1946 titled Yachting at Kingston-on-Thames. The subject matter would also have appealed because of the crisp whites and contrasting shadows and his preferred painting technique of alla prima complementing the busy scene. Examples of his paintings can be seen in the Tate Gallery and National Portrait Gallery, London.
In addition to painting, Dunlop was a prolific author.

Autumn Glow in Arundel WoodsSailing boats on the Thames

the Blue Wrap

Gordon Delap....               Gordon Delap comes from Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. He studied music at Queen's University, Belfast and City University, London. His composition teachers have included Michael Alcorn, Simon Emmerson, and Denis Smalley. In 2004 he received a PhD from Queen's University.

He specialises in the creation of electroacoustic music and sonic art. Recent works include Interior, an installation put together from sounds recorded in the rainforests of Borneo, Beowulf and Grendel, a work for live electronics and narrator, and Light Body Corpuscles, a British Council commissioned audiovisual work.

His music has been performed throughout the world, recently at The European Media Arts Festival (Osnabruck, Germany), Sonorities Festival (Belfast), Subliminal Festival (Brussels), The Belfast Festival, and Bimesp (Sao Paulo). In 2005 he won the 1st prize in the Projet Itinerant competition, "Point de repere".