THE HAT-TRICK MAN - Alan Darragh
By James Greer

I feel it is an honour and a pleasure to pen this article for my friend and club mate Alan Darragh. I am sure Alan would like me to thank the Editor of the Racing Pigeon for his kind invitation to contribute to the 2004 issue of Squills.

Alan, like many people of our generation who became interested in pigeons, did so because of an elder who practiced the sport. The elder my have been a parent, another member of the family, neighbour or whoever. In Alan’s case it was his father, Jack Darragh.

Jack had raced pigeons a lot of years previously, but had a break from the sport while serving King and country during the Second World War. When hostilities ended and Jack came home for good, I suppose his family came first and he did not recommence with the pigeons until the late 50’s, whereupon he brought home a pair of pigeons and gave them to Alan. These were housed in a converted shed and indeed in 1962, when Jack and Alan commenced racing in the Cullybackey Flying Club, they raced their pigeons to this humble loft. They raced as a partnership J Darragh & Son.

Each of the two had there own ideas on how the birds should be raced, and this led to another 18ft x 6ft loft being purchased, and although the partnership remained, they raced to separate lofts in the same yard. This was good competition and some good performances were achieved. More fun was had on who would win the side stake of 2 shillings (10 pence) that a lot of fanciers find in the sport today.

I would have to say that it’s an abiding memory for me of Jack Darragh on a prize distribution evening, usually held in early November, going to the table dressed immaculately in a navy coloured dress suit, with poppy in button hole, to collect their prizes.

As the years passed, Alan became interested in other birds, one in particular, and as a result he married Betty and he and Betty set up home about two miles from his parents house. When Alan’s father Jack decided to call it a day in 1976, Alan took the birds to his home and raced on his own for the next two or three years, still in Cullybackey Flying Club.

The village of Cullybackey is a typical Northern Ireland Village, and like many of the small towns and villages in Northern Ireland in times past, much of the economy was based on the linen trade with many of its inhabitants working in the two bleach works, the ‘Maine’ works and ‘Frazor and Haughton’s and many members of the pigeon fraternity worked in either of these.

Sadly, the linen trade as it was then is no more, but the pigeon club has survived and is as competitive now as it was then. Some weeks at the height of the Young Bird programme over 1,000 pigeons will be dispatched by the members. Alan’s loft location in 1976 was west of the club, not a favourable position, but despite this and the Cullybackey Flying Club having some very competitive members, Alan held his own and won his share, and sometimes more than his share of prizes.

When Alan moved the pigeons from his father’s home in 1976 to his own loft he felt he needed to upgrade the quality of stock, so he decided he would look around for some good long distance pigeons. The McCartney Bros from Moira in County Down were at this time one of the best long distance lofts in Ireland, if not Great Britain. Kings Cup winners in 1959 from Redon, 2nd Open in 1962 from Les Sables and with a list of good Open positions, as long as your arm, at National level. This family of pigeons was superb. Alan went along and purchased 3 pigeons, a Blue hen, a Blue Cheq hen (nest mates) and a Blue cock. The two hens were from the two pigeons that McCartney Bros had clocked in the Kings Cup race from Rennes in 1976. The Blue cock was from the parents of the hen of the pair clocked in the Kings Cup of 1976, and one of these parents was direct from the Kings Cup winner of 1959 from Redon.

Alan also purchased a hen at Stanley Calvert’s Clearance Sale. This hen was from Billy Yarr pigeons, a fantastic National flyer. Both the McCartney and the Yarr pigeons were of the Van Cutsem/Logan strain. He blended these birds together, mating the Blue McCartney cock to the Red Cheq Yarr hen, result two Black Velvet hens and Red cock. The Red cock when paired to one of Alan’s old family bred a Red Pied hen, which in turn bred some outstanding pigeons. Alan then purchased a cock from a club mate R Carleton, and when this cock was mated to one of the original McCartney hens they bred many prize winners. The McCartney cock when paired to his own daughter bred a Slate hen, which in turn bred a host of good pigeons. This hen also won on the road and her blood is still in most of Alan’s distance pigeons of today. Many other good long distance performances by other fanciers in the locality are due to the bloodlines of this hen.

In 1979 he decided to change clubs and went to race in Ahoghill Club where he remained until 1984. Both Cullybackey and Ahoghill clubs are affiliated to the NIPA, one of the largest racing organisations in these Islands. Some weeks at the height of the inland programme could see numbers up to 30,000 pigeons racing in the organisation. Any Open positions won with the NIPA, are won against big numbers competing. Alan also competes in races organised by the Irish National Flying Club and this organisation also attracts big numbers of birds from across Ireland.

In 1980 he introduced the Frans Van Wildemeersch pigeons. In 1984 came the highlight of his racing career to this loft location. He became INFC National Champion and this was on the North Road as all south road racing was banned because of an outbreak of Newcastle Disease. This means that Alan is the only fancier to have become National Champion in five Cross Channel races.

Come 1985 saw Alan building a new bungalow and planning to move to a new location north of the Cullybackey Club, which bought him back racing in Cullybackey with old birds to the old loft location and young birds to the new location, north of the club. Amongst the 1985 crop of youngsters was a Blue cock, which in 1986 would complete the first part of the hat-trick for Alan. As a youngster, this pigeon completed most of the races in the programme. As a yearling he competed in the Inland Derby. He also raced from Guernsey in the Old Bird Derby 410 miles, gaining 4th Club, 10th Section and 71st Open. His hen was lost in this Guernsey race and he really came into form and was flying solo around the loft. Alan being the opportunist spotted this form, gave him an old stock hen the day before basketing and the rest is history. He came to win from Les Landes, 432 miles. He won 1st Open in the Irish National Flying Club event and the Kings Cup, which is the top honour in Irish pigeon racing. He was the first pigeon timed and was flying the furthest in a north wind, Velocity 891. The race took place on the 4th of July 1986, Independence Day in America, so Alan appropriately named the pigeon ‘Independent Ranger’

‘Independent Ranger’s’ dam was from the Blue McCartney Cock, when paired to the Yarr hen. Sire of ‘Ranger’ was a cock from Mr Ramsey, bloodlines being Venner of Street and Tommy Harper. Not many people of our generation will not have heard of Mr and Mrs Venner, and Tommy Harper was a great National flyer into Ballymena, the nearest market town to Cullybackey. Tommy’s pigeons were based on the Dr Buckley lines.

Alan only raced to the new loft location for one season, moving to his present location. ‘Swallow Brae’ in 1986 at the end of the young bird programme. This present location is only a field’s length (as we would say in this part of the world) away from where Alan and his father Jack commenced racing in 1962.

In 1989 the second part of the hat-trick was completed by a Blue cock racing from Sennen Cove 332 miles, in the Yearling National, flown under the auspices of the Irish National Flying Club. This Blue cock named ‘Swallow Brae Lad’ after his performance, won 1st Open on a velocity of 1027, the only pigeon in the race to have a velocity over 1,000ypm. His winnings on this occasion was £4,000 plus a new Car. Sire of this was from the Blue McCartney Cock when he was paired to the ’White Headed Hen’, a FVW. Dam of ‘Swallow Brae Lad’ was from one of the original McCartney hens, when paired to a miss-rung cock from Alan and Jack’s old family.

The third part of the hat-trick came in 2003 when Alan was again 1st Open from Fougeres, 503 miles, doing velocity 1374. He was also 3rd Open in this race from France. The race is known as the Friendship National. Sire of this 1st Open Blue Cheq cock was a son of ’Swallow Brae Lad’, the 1989 Yearling National winner when he was paired to a niece. This is one of Alan’s favourite matings, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew. Dam of the National winner was a Blue Cheq hen from the line of the 1986 King’s Cup winner ‘Ranger’ and the dam of the Blue Cheq hen was from the original McCartney lines.

The 3rd Open pigeon was from a Cheq Pied Hen, which in turn was a gift bird from Noel Higginson, named ‘Noel’. The Red Cheq cock ‘Noel’ had flown from France on four occasions for Alan, winning 31st Open, 13th Open, 33rd Open in the Old Bird Derby and fourth time returned injured. ‘Noel’ was mated to a daughter of ‘Ranger’ the 1986 Kings Cup winner, when they bred the Cheq Pied Hen. Sire of the 3rd Open was a son of ‘Richards Pride’ when mated to ‘Swallow Brae Lass’. These two pigeons were both 2nd Open from the Old Bird Derby in France. ‘Richards Pride’ in 1992 and ‘Swallow Brae Lass’ in 1995. These then are the Hat-Trick performances, which leaves Alan as the only fancier in Ireland to have won the three Old Bird Nationals. The Kings Cup in 1986, Yearling National in 1989 and Friendship National in 2003.

I do not want to bore readers with lots of performances, but there are so many good performances that I feel I must mention some more of them. In 2002, he was 2nd Open in the Old Bird National Redon at 531 miles. This pigeon was ¾ ‘Ranger’ bloodlines and quarter cross, this time the cross was Robin McIlvenna’s Hall of Fame cock ‘The Square Stamp’ (Hall of Fame is awarded for three times in the Open positions in the Old Bird National Kings Cup). ‘Champion 05’ (Van Fran Wildemeersch) was another great racing pigeon, winning 1st Open NIPA Inland Derby, with many more good performances; ‘05’ also sired ‘Richards Pride’, winner of 2nd Open Old Bird Derby Dinard in 1992, when paired to a sister of ‘Swallow Brae Lad’ the Yearling National winner.

‘Swallow Brae Lass winner of 2nd Open Old Bird Derby in 1995 was direct from ‘Swallow Brae Lad’ when mated to a daughter of ‘Ranger’. Another good pigeon ‘The Pedlar’s Dream’, won 1st Open Penzance Classic (duplicate race), also 1st Open in the same race, all birds competing. In 2001 Alan was 3rd Open Old Bird Derby. In 2002 he won French Diploma for Best Average in the Old Bird Derby and Old Bird National. There are many more good performances at National and Open Level, which I have not touched on. Combine and Club performances are too numerous to mention, they are impressive to say the least.

Basically Alan races Widowhood cocks and hens, and mates the pairs up to suit the distance races they are selected for later on in the season. The pairs are mated end of December, allowed to rear youngsters; sometimes eggs from the stock pigeons are switched below pairs of racers. When the youngsters are about fourteen days old the hen and one youngster are removed to the young Bird Section, the cock rears the other youngster. The pairs are mated again to have the pigeons on eggs for the first race. On the Thursday, day before dispatch on the Friday, the hens are taken away. When the cocks come home on the Saturday the boxes have been cleared and the cocks home to the box, no hen is given.

The cocks for the next two weeks are confined to their boxes, except at exercise times; they sit on the upturned bowl. Hens are shown on marking night, and they return to the hen. This practice of closing the cock in the box may go on for some weeks with some cocks, some other cocks may get stale. Alan says the secret of Widowhood is to keep the mind of the pigeon fresh with little changes to the system.

Pigeons selected for the long races later in the season are obviously not mated at this time; they are re-mated to suit the races, usually one month before the selected race. This means they are being dispatched feeding a small youngster. This situation has brought him a lot of success. Some of the pigeons going to the distance races get a channel race, some don’t. It depends on what he thinks they require. They are all made to fly one hour in the morning and one hour in the evening, this may vary according to the weather and prevailing conditions at the time.

Great care is taken over the feeding to get it just right for the job in hand. Tuerlings mixtures are preferred. When the Cross Channel races come along the feeding pattern changes, and the pigeons competing in the distance events get a full hopper. Peanuts are fed liberally during the last 2-3 days before dispatch.

On medication Alan has his own views, he treats for canker once every two weeks and coming up to the distance events sometimes once a week. No treatment for cocci has been given in years. If the loft conditions are correct this isn’t necessary, in his opinion. The lofts must be dry, he uses sawdust on the floors and in the boxes, and this he maintains breaks the cycle. The sawdust is not used as a deep litter; the lofts are scraped once every day with a fresh sprinkling of sawdust. A blowtorch is used from time to time on the floor and boxes etc.

Worms are not treated for either, after the first round of youngsters is reared, the pigeons receive neither food or water for three days, this he says takes care of the worms. The birds have access to grit, black charcoal and picking stones. Alan says races are not won out of a bottle, you need the pigeon, with proper feeding and good loft conditions and a good hygiene programme and with proper training, form is achieved and with a good pigeon in top form, some success can be expected.

The lofts are, as you would expect from a man who runs a successful joinery business, are self built. The old birds are raced to a 10ft x 8ft and a 24ft x 7ft and another loft 8ft x 8ft. At the start of the season the lofts would contain about 44 or 45 widowhood cocks, no overcrowding.

The widowhood hens that are not raced are kept in a loft 8ft x 5ft plus an 8ft x 5ft aviary. The widowhood hens which are raced stay in one of the Y/B sections, about 8ft x 8ft. Young Birds usually around 100, are housed in a seven sectioned loft, 44ft x 8ft, so again no over crowding. The loft has seven sky lights, which are not darkened, the first round of youngsters are kept in two sections. The second round are kept in two more sections.

This system prevents the later rounds from keeping the older youngsters back, and also prevents the later youngsters from being taken away by the older ones when roaming commences, and possibly dropped.

Before racing the youngsters are separated cocks/hens. They are allowed to run together after the second or third race, which is perfect timing for the longer events, if they wish to mate. The longest of these events being Penzance at 329 miles. Many good National and Open positions have been won on this simple young bird system.

The lofts are well ventilated, but this does not mean large louvers, Alan thinks enough clean air can get in around the door, windows etc, and all loft have a little vent at the highest point to allow foul air to escape. All racing lofts, bar the 10ft x 8ft, have pan tile roofs. The stock pigeons are housed in a 12ft x 8ft loft and are set up with breeding pens, which makes things easier when changing mates and guarantees parentage.

On eye-sign Alan like a good eye, especially for breeding, but more importantly believes you need the winning gene. The huge losses of youngsters are he believes down to two factors, namely over crowding and pigeons too many generations away from the performances pigeon.

Advice to the novice is not to keep to many pigeons, no over-crowding. This way the pigeons will stay in top form and increase the changes of prizes being won, provided the base pigeons are good enough. This also keeps down the cost. When purchasing the stock, get the pedigree of the person who is selling before you get the pedigree of the pigeon.

Alan thinks the sport has gone out of pigeon racing because of the money involved. Nowadays its more about ‘how much did it win?’ not ‘what position did it take ?’

On the dwindling numbers within our sport, he thinks there are too many other attractions for young people and they are not interested in a hobby that takes 365 days a year and sometimes 2-3 hours per day. They would prefer to watch Television, go on the Internet or some such thing, rather than be bothered to look after livestock. He also believes what goes around comes around, and this might hopefully be the case in our sport.

What about the man behind the results? Well he is a top class fancier who is dedicated to the sport of pigeon racing. He has an urge to win, and his philosophy is that if you do not send to all the races you cannot win them all. Alan does not send them for a run out, he sends to win and frequently he does.

Many times a fancier has asked him what is his opinion of a pigeon or how it should be paired, usually handing him the bird to inspect. Many times Alan has handed the bird back and said to the owner ‘best to pair it with an onion’. You can imagine the look of dismay on the face of the owner. Alan is a man who says what he is thinking, many times people are put off, but that is for the people concerned to decide, what you see is what you get.

He has a good hand for a pigeon as we say in this part of the world, but I think one of his best attributes, as a fancier, is that he has a good stock sense. In other words, he has a good sense when choosing mates at pairing time. I suppose with having a winning family of pigeons this is easier, but nevertheless the winning family would not be a winning family for long if the wrong mates were chosen. I feel Alan’s consistency over the years has been largely due to his ‘knack call it what you will, of being able to pair pigeons to provide winners.

The three original McCartney pigeons and the Yarr hen were the base pigeons, and over the years Alan has kept the family going with t he odd well chosen cross. Any pigeon or family of pigeons, which he may choose as a cross, must prove themselves on the road before he will breed from them.

Many pigeons with good pedigrees have come his way, if they are young pigeons into the basket they go and are tested to their limit. If they happen to be well tried racers with good results, then Alan would breed six or whatever from them to one of his best pigeons and into the basket these youngsters go. If they survive the programme set out for them and win on the road they may well be considered as a cross.

One such successful family introduced in 1980 were the Frans Van Wildemeersch, these pigeons proved a great cross, injecting speed and are good pigeons in head winds.

Alan was race controller for the NIPA from 1991 to 2001. He is also a member of the NIPA Committee. There is a saying used very glibly, and that is behind every good man there is a good woman. In Alan’s case this is very true as Betty takes a good interest in the sport and supports him in every aspect.

Betty’s scrapbook contains all the write ups which the lofts at ’Swallow Brae’ have had over the years and I am sure these will be very interesting to future generations within the family. Betty handles all the paperwork side, race sheets etc. I am sure Alan would wish me to thank her on his behalf for all the support and help given through the years.

Alan’s daughter Julie was secretary of the Irish National Flying Club from 1995 to 2001, ably assisted by her sister Helen and both supported by their mother. The Darragh household has many visitors and depending on the time of day, breakfast, dinner, or tea is made for whatever number of people happens to be around at that time. I should know, as I am frequently there.

In closing this article, I would like to offer Alan my sincere congratulations on winning the 3 Old Bird Nationals, the only man so far to have done so, ’The Hat-Trick Man’. I hope have done this feat justice in this short article. What is the betting against three more in the pipeline? I would also like to thank the Darragh family for everything; they will know what I mean.

* SINCE this article was first published in Squills 2004 International Year Book Alan Darragh has won a fourth 1st National, in the 2005 season he scored 1st Open INFC Old Hens National from Wadebridge. HOMER.