OVER VIEW OF 1971

[adie]

IRISH ARCHIVES
By Adie McCormick
www.pigeonnetwork.com

1971 was a year which seen the introduction of the decimal currency in the U.K. it also seen the nationalization of car maker Royal Royce following the company declaring themselves bankrupt. On the sporting front starting with the football scene, the Gunners recorded the double winning the Championship and also the FA Cup after Liverpool took them to extra-time in which Arsenal turned out 2-1 triumphant winners with all goals scored during extra-time. Sadly in the football world the year will also be remembered for the Ibrox disaster in Glasgow which claimed the lives of 66 fans after a barrier in the middle of a stairway collapsed. In the golfing world Lee Trevino completed the double also, winning the US Open and the British Open within a fortnight of each other. On the music front Dublin hosted the 16th Eurovision Song Contest which was broadcast in full colour for the first time, Monaco went on to be the winning country. Staying with the music side of things one of the longest recorded records lasting 8 and ½ minutes was released in America recorded by Don McClean it stayed at Number 1 for four weeks that song was of course American Pie. We will stay in America for another couple of 1971 stats, under the Presidential leadership of the 37th President of the United States Richard Milhouse Nixon that year seen the legal age for voting reduced from 21 to 18 and for the kids Disney Land opened its doors in Orlando, Florida.

In Northern Ireland 1971 will also be remembered, as the troubles on the streets escalated considerably with the introduction of Internment, troop levels were increased to an all time high of 12,500. I sadly have to mention the troubles for many fanciers in the East Down Combine will remember that year particularly as the East Down Combine Transporter was on the road with 800 pigeons on board on its way to Dungarvan for their Annual Charity race towards the latter part of the Y/Bird programme when it was hijacked and burnt, courageously the convoyer/driver Paddy Cunningham, pleaded successfully with the hijackers and got all the pigeons off before the vehicle was set on fire, the pigeons were later returned to the Annsborough Club rooms and liberated the following morning.

Two others stats that I have come across for 1971 firstly was the ending of the transportation of pigeons on the rail network, this just didn’t effect the fanciers in Ireland but was all over the U.K. In Ireland we continued to have restrictions put in place by the then Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries James Gibbons, these Prohibition Orders were put in place to prevent the out breaks of Foul Pest spreading.

1971 with regards racing will be remembered as one of the worst experienced by fanciers in Northern Ireland both with returns wise and weather wise. Usually, when making a statement like that first thing fanciers link it to is France, but nothing could be further from the truth in 1971, as returns from Dinard and Nantes were fantastic.

Where most birds met their ‘Waterloo’ was at both Dungarvan and Swansea, three races on the trot to be precise one from Dungarvan and two from Swansea is what broke the back of most racing teams. Of these three, the one that caused the most concern was Swansea (1) the leading birds recorded velocities of 1500ypm, which in anybodies eyes would indicate an excellent race with velocities as such, but nothing could be further from the truth, many, many lofts failed to time on the day and till this day like so many smashes the cause remains un-known.

Some would argue that Penzance was equally as difficult, to me it was probably the best race of the season, unfortunately a North West wind and the time of liberation (NIPA) it ruled a lot of the further flying members out of a chance of getting a bird on the day and that how the race turned out a true flying test on a head wind.

The returns in 71’ from Dinard where excellent, one of the best races from that race point in recent years was enjoyed by all organizations competing. Apart from the winners of all three organizations involved namely the Ulster Federation, EDC and NIPA the result of the day belonged to Harry Stockman of Ballynahinch who recorded 28 arrivals on the day and 37 out of 39 in race time. The following week from Nantes he recorded 10 arrivals from 15 sent, looking over the records this fancier since 1966 had sent to 9 French races and timed finishing in the prizes in them all.

The winners of the three organizations from Dinard were as follows Ulster Federation - Jimmy McCluskey (South Belfast), NIPA - Gilmour & Beattie (Newtownbreda) and the East Down Combine winner was Patrick Maguire of Annsborough whose Blue Cheq hen recorded the best velocity on the day into Northern Ireland from Dinard and finished runner-up for the Millar Gold Cup. Just another couple of points reference the aforementioned is that Jimmy McCluskey winner of the Fed Derby from Dinard also won the same race in 1966 and of course the highly successful partnership of Gilmour & Beattie won the INFC Young Bird National from Penzance in 1970.

The last O/Bird race of 1971 was the Kings Cup race from Nantes, the winner Sam Bell of Dundonald on the outskirts of Belfast being the first East Down Combine member to win the famous King George Cup. 2nd and 3rd prizes went to NIPA members namely R & D Smyth of Kingsmoss and Breen Bros of Edgarstown respectively.

All in all I would say looking over the archives is that the early disappointments of some lofts were somewhat eased by the good returns from France, very good in fact. From Nantes the INFC can be very proud of having the most ever birds recorded from this race point on the day compared to any other year, which goes to prove that in the correct weather conditions the class of the distances pigeons kept by Northern Ireland fanciers will within reason win on the day from any race point.

Below you will find a number of short stories based upon these exceptional winners of 1971 and please should you have any material about you that you would like to see published as mentioned above, please forward it on to the address listed at the bottom of this article.