An Taoiseach\'s Cup
As noted at this time (1947) fanciers to the south of the island formed the Eire National Flying Club (to be renamed the Irish (North Road ) N F C decades later in the mid seventies) and held their first race in 1949. This list is not complete, additional info will be added as we get it. Thanks to Liam O\'Comain who supplied the history.
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Irish (North Road) National Flying Club Winners:
1949 Cupar Flynn & O\'Reilly, Dublin Vel 982
1950 Ballycastle Hore Bros., Wexford Vel~
1951 Coleraine E.Yeats, Dublin Vel~
1952 Ballycastle S.Chant, Dublin Vel~
1953 Ballycastle G.Roche, Wexford Vel~
1954 Fraserburgh Hore Bros., Wexford Vel 1160
1955 Fraserburgh S.Cant, Dublin Vel~
1956 Thurso J.Magner, Drogheda Vel 934
1957~~~
1958 Thurso M.Lennon, Dublin Vel
1959 Fraserburgh T.Crosbie, Wexford Vel 747
1960 Fraserburgh S.Campbell, Balbriggan Vel 910
1961 Fraserburgh W.Flynn, Dublin Vel 719
1962 Fraserburgh P.F.Ambrose, Dublin Vel 1003
1963 Fraserburgh M.Brannigan, Drogheda Vel 939
1964 Thurso P.Whitmore, Wexford Vel 546
1965 Thurso E.Ingle & Son, Dublin Vel 1147
1966 Thurso W.Whitty, Wexford Vel 716
1967 Thurso Duggan Bros, Rosslare Vel 878
1968 Lerwick M.Siggins, Wexford Vel 650
1969 Thurso W.Whitty, Wexford Vel 635
1970 Thurso J.Hore, Wexford Vel 593
1971 Glasgow M.Siggins, Wexford Vel 1230
1972 Thurso T.Moore, Carlow Vel 877
1973 Thurso Kennedy & Son, Dublin Vel 1047
1974 Thurso J.Franey, Wicklow Vel 896
1975 Lerwick W.Whitty, Wexford Vel 1184
1976 Thurso P.Whitmore, Wexford Vel 645
1977 Thurso Aherne Bros., Youghal Vel 691
1978 Lerwick G.Cervi, Dublin Vel 1050
1979 Thurso M.Siggins, Wexford Vel 1136
1980 Thurso Scallon Bros., Wexford Vel 919
1981 Thurso T.Walsh, Kilkenny Vel 1123
1982 Girvan D.Redmond & Son, Wexford Vel 1080
1983 Thurso S.McDermot, Dublin Vel 487
1984 Malin Head, Mr & Mrs. Jones, Dublin Vel 1135
1985 Malin Head P.Byrne, Wicklow Vel 1144
1986 Inverness R. & J. Sheehan Limerick Vel 996
1987 Thurso M.Mahony, Wexford Vel 625
1988 Thurso T.Delaney, Kilkenny Vel 1396
1989 Thurso L.O\'Brien, Arklow Vel 1022
1990 Thurso A.Hubbard, Wicklow Vel 856
1991 Thurso M.Aherne, Youghal Vel 1151
1992 Thurso T.Walsh, Kilkenny Vel 919
1993 New Pitsligo P.Lambert,Arklow Vel 1067
1994 New Pitsligo T.Walsh, Kilkenny Vel
1995 Thurso E.O\'Neill, Wicklow Vel 827
1996 Thurso M.Phillips, Wicklow Vel 644
1997 Fraserburgh P.Dowling, Kilkenny Vel 969
1998 Fraserburgh J.Bergin, Wexford Vel~
1999 Thurso- No Birds In Race Time
2000 Perth - M. Phillips, Wicklow Vel~
2001 No Race Due To Foot And Mouth Disease
2002 Thurso - J.Willis, Mallow Vel~
2003 Thurso - No birds in Race Time
2004 Sterling - Eddie Watters, Carrick-on-Suir Vel
2005 Sterling - M & G McCormack, Limerick Vel
2006 Sterling - D Lyons, Carrick-on-Suir Vel 1663
2007 Perth - Barney Nugent, Carrick-on-Suir
2008 Ballycastle - Christy Hannigan, Carrick-on-Suir Vel
2009 Sterling - Paddy Colling, Enniscorthy Vel
2010 Perth - Anthony Baldwin, Carlow Vel 920
2011 Thurso - Billy Brooks, Carlow Vel 906
2012 Thurso - Anthony Baldwin, Carlow Vel 452
2013 Thurso - John Donavan, Roscrea Vel 550
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Prior to the formation of the North Road and South Road national flying clubs a few years after the end of the Second World War and aside from the races organised from the continental mainland by the old Irish Combine other races had been organised from across the water into Ireland. Paddy \'Cocker\' Daly was the first to fly Thurso into Dublin in 1907, and 1911 saw the first pigeon to fly Thurso on the day for McKenny of Drogheda in County Louth. The north route was always a tough task into Ireland and it was another 45 years passing to see a bird fly it again on the day. The legendary Daly\'s however were strong supporters of south road racing and Paddy Daly was flying Penzance and Landemeau successfully before the advent of war.
The Taoiseach\'s Cup which was the most sought after North Road trophy was competed for for the first time in 1949. The race-point was Cupar in Scotland and the first winners were Flynn and O\'Reilly of Dublin. Since then it has been flown for from many different racepoints on the north road and indeed records confirms that three different fanciers have won the cup on three different occasions namely W Whitty of Wexford in \'66, \'69, \'75; T Walsh of Kilkenny in \'81,\'92,\'94; and Marty Siggins of Wexford at a distance of 578 miles from Lerwick won the cup for the first time in 1968 and again in \'71 and \'79. A noteworthy fact is that the Scottish born Stewart Cant who finished runner up in the south road national in 1932 in partnership with Christy Daly bred four winners of the Taoiseach Cup. Something that his native country should be proud of.