Big thanks to Jim Braniff (Shalimar Lofts) and Arty O’Hanlon for doing the honours at our prize giving night in Portadown Golf Club, congratulations to all prize winners and especially to Martin Hagan and Philip Rowney who had a fantastic season ending up Fanciers of the Year.
Hagan & Rowney - Fanciers of the year for the third year in a row, the partnership of Martin and Philip amassed a club record-breaking 17 club firsts, which included topping the Portadown Centre on three separate occasions, (Rosscarbery OB, Rosscarbery and Fermoy YB), winning 3rd and 4th Open in the Fermoy YB 5 Bird Championship race, and taking the first 6 club positions from Fermoy. The boys proved to have an outstanding young racing hen winning the NIPA Section E Young Bird of the Year award. They were runners-up in the NIPA Section E Old Bird Award with their outstanding 024 cock who, had it not been for loft mates, would have won 6 club firsts. This cock won 5 section positions which included 2 club firsts, 3 club 2nds and a club 3rd. The partner-ship were just pipped to the Young Bird Section E Fancier of the Year by the Lurgan lofts of J Douglas & Son.
Larkin Bros - Runner-up fanciers of the year, Alan, Paul and Jim had yet another memorable year with perhaps the highlight another 1st Section E win from Fermoy. The partners once again showed the way when the distance increased, winning the Penzance OB Classic, the King’s Cup from St Allouestre (clocking four with two in the open prizes), and taking a club record nine out of the first ten positions in the Skibbereen YB National, where the birds faced a strong head wind for their entire journey. For good measure the boys also won the Old Bird Inland averages and Highest Points in all Nationals.
A McDonald - We now come to the club’s former King’s Cup winner who once again didn’t disappoint when the going got tough. Allan’s, now named “Super Ryan”, won 1st Section E and 4th Open out of the toughest of St Malo’s when, from an entry of 422 members and 1535 birds, only a brave ten made it home in the three days. Super Ryan’s gallant single performance gave Allan the Old Bird averages, Cross Channel and Combine Averages, the Lowest Winning velocity and the best average in the OB and YB Derbies.
Sloan & Reid - Francie’s birds once again proved a liking for the channel winning a tough Yearling National. Francie’s eye was in again this year winning the Old Bird Knock-Out competition and the much sought after “Two Bird Championship”.
N & S Haughian - Extremely consistent fanciers throughout the year coming to the fore particularly at the beginning of the young bird programme, winning two of the first three races.
B Creaney - Mr Consistent when it once again came to the channel, Bobby AGAIN won Bude and went extremely close to winning major honours in the Young Bird Derby, topping the Portadown Centre and winning 1st Section E and 5th Open from 429 members and 3572 birds.
From (l) Jim Braniff, Artie O'Hanlon, Neil Haughian, Johnny Sterritt, Paul Matchett, Allan McDonald,
Francie Sloan, Phillip Rowney, Paul Larkin, Martin Hagan, Seamus Haughian, Aiden Fearon.
Fanciers of the Year Hagan & Rowney.
Neil Haughian of N & S Haughian.
Francie Sloan of the Sloan & Reid partnership.
Allan McDonald former Kings Cup winner.
Larkin Bros Alan and Paul.
The happy group prior to the dinner.
Super Ryan 1st Sect E & 3th Open NIPA St Malo for A McDonald.