When it was first introduced in 1970, I believe it was a result of a suggestion of Ronnie Johnston, that some form of award of merit should be given to birds getting into the National Blue Riband Kings Cup result on several occasions. Some great pigeons had put up fantastic performances over a number of seasons but at the end of the day had nothing to show for their courage. The type of birds I was thinking about are a number from my own area in Ballymena ie. “Rennes Queen”, “Laading Lady” and “Wee Albert” raced by the very famous lofts of Smyth Bros and Barr Bros. Rob Smyth of Larne had “National Queen” and “Continental Queen” and do forgive me for others I have not mentioned. It was decided that the Hall of Fame Diploma be awarded to any pigeon which was recorded three times in the Kings Cup prize list and, at the time was the most coveted and the most difficult to win. Race points flown since then have been wide and varied including from the early days the famous names of Nantes, Rheims, Rennes and Les Sables.
1970 - Nantes : Sutherland & Devoy, Killyleagh, W M Thompson, Muckamore; 1971 – Nantes: Harold Elliott, Lisburn; 1972 – Nantes: R Law, Ballymena & Dist, H Hayes, Portstewart; 1973 – Nantes: G Burrell & Sons, Lurgan; 1974 – Nantes A Simpson & Son, Randalstown, Reynolds & Creighton, Dollingstown; 1975 – Rheims: Alan McCartney, Crumlin; 1976 – Rennes: J Irvine & Son, Ballyclare; 1978 – Rennes: P Flannagan, Killyleagh; 1979 – Rennes: Hamilton & Burke, Portstewart, B Madden & Son, Dublin, W B Shaw, Newcastle, Harold Elliott, Lisburn & Dist, G Kilpatrick, Lisburn
1980 - Les Sables: J Shaw & Son, Randalstown, McCartney Bros, Moira, McCartney Bros, Moira; 1981 - Les Sables: J O'Neill, Dublin, Connor Bros, Dundrum, S Bunting, Belfast, J McCartan, Annalong, R & W McBride & Son, Lisburn, Smyth Bros, Ballymena & Dist, Smyth Bros, Ballymena & Dist; 1982 - Les Sables: G Kilpatrick, Lisburn, W Harrison, Belfast; 1989 – Rennes: W Clements & Son, Edgarstown, J Logan, Ballyclare, Gilmour & Beattie, Newtownbreda;
1990 – Rennes: W V Troughton, Gilford, S Bell, Dundonald, Gilmour & Beattie, Newtownbreda; 1991 – Rennes: William Erwin, Ballymena & Dist, W Catherwood & Son, Ballynahinch, R Kernaghan & Son, Dromore; 1992 – Rennes: B & H Marshall, Newtownbreda, Victor McDonald, Antrim, M Conlon & Son, Banbridge; 1993 – Rennes: Robin McIlvenna, Chimney Corner, Ron Williamson, Bondhill, G Kilpatrick, Ballymacbrennan, Belshaw & Anderson, Derriaghy, B McKeown & Son, Derriaghy; 1994 – Rennes: Hammond Bros, Cookstown, F McMaster, Kircubbin, F Scott & Son, Dromore, Burns Bros, Comber Soc; 1995 – Rennes: Mr & Mrs Flanagan, Downpatrick, J Waring & Son, Lisburn & Dist, Jimmy Cullen, Dublin, G Killops, Drumcree, N Black & Sons, Dromara, N Black & Sons, Dromara; 1996 Rennes: T Marshall & Son, Newtownbreda, W Hardy & Son, Annsborough, Jim Nelson, Milltown, E Matchett & Son, Edgarstown; 1997 - St Nazaire: R McCallum & Son, Ballymena & Dist, Davy Moore, Cullybackey, B E & L McNeilly, Ballynure, W Tollerton, Dunmurry, Lavery Bros, Hillsborough & Maze, Harper Bros, Dollingstown, Mr & Mrs Swann, Harryville, T Flanagan, Malahide & Dist; 1998 – Rennes: A Murray & Son, Dundrum, P J Corcoran, Balbriggan, T Marshall & Son, Newtownbreda, S Corrigan, Loughgall, Gilmour & Beattie, Newtownbreda, Ken Halliday, Newry;
2000 – Redon: E J Campbell, Milltown; 2002 – Redon: John Greenaway, Bondhill; 2004 – Messac: R Telford, Annaghmore, McCracken Bros, Banbridge; 2005 – Messac: L McCall, Wicklow South Road; 2006 – Vannes: G Benson, Lisburn, Burns Bros, Comber, S Corrigan, Loughgall, Stewart Bros, Randalstown; 2009 - Plaudren-Vannes: P Rock & Son, Skerries, Stewart Bros, Randalstown;
2010 - Plaudren-Vannes: J Waring & Son, Lisburn & Dist, D Croskery & Son, Annsborough, W McClure, Kells & Dist; 2011 - Plaudren-Vannes: W McClure, Kells & Dist, Rev TAB Sawyers & Son, Banbridge, P McCullough & Daughter, Downpatrick, S Corrigan, Loughgall, G Buckley & Son, Annaghmore, Ward & McIntosh, Downpatrick, N Black & Sons, Dromara, W McCaw, Ballymoney, G & J O'Hare, Crossgar, Alan Darragh, Cullybackey, Ron Williamson, Bondhill; 2012 - Plaudren-Vannes: W G Neill, Annaghmore, John Greenaway, Bondhill, Adamson & Anderson, Gilford; 2013 - Saint Allouestre: Malcolm Robinson, Bondhill, W McCaw, Ballymoney, C & L Woodside, Ballyclare; 2014 - Saint Allouestre: W English, Lisburn & Dist, J Cullen, Bray Invitation; 2015 - Saint Allouestre: Dando & Bennett, Beechpark Social; 2016 - Saint Allouestre : E Murtagh & Sons, Individual North; 2017 - Saint Allouestre: A McAteer & Sons, Ballyholland, Arnold Thompson, Ballyclare ; 2018 - Saint Allouestre: McKeown & McEvoy, Castlebellingham, Fintan Moran, Malahide & District, Noel Lusty, Muckamore HPS.
The great pigeon “Hermes” owned and raced by Gordon Kirkpatrick is the only bird so far to win 2 x Hall of Fame Diplomas. Two of last season’s three winners finished in the Kings Cup Grand National Top 10, flown from St Allouestre in France. The third one “Edith” raced by Noel Lusty is going this year all being well for the Gold Medal.
1st South Section, 5th Open McKeown & McEvoy Castlebellingham, Vel 775, Flying 450 miles, winning £1470, J Cullen Memorial Cup for 1st ECF member in the King’s Cup and Hall of Fame Diploma
Topping the South Section and winner of East Coast Federation Cup is the partnership of McKeown & McAvoy from Dundalk, just a recent member of the INFC Committee and in 2018 season was added to the Race Advisors. Peter sent me the following. We are delighted to be asked to pen a few words about our pigeon. He is also a Hall of Fame winner we have called “Patsy”. He is bred from a cock from N Black & Son, Dromara. I have no details on him except that he is a brother to a Hall of Fame winner. The dam is from G O'Reilly & Son, Malahide given to us by a friend Keith Allister. He was a darkness young bird as all our racers are. We race on roundabout from the first race to the last and he always homes in good nick. He won 1st Club from Penzance in 2016 before winning 36th Open in the King's Cup Race. This year he started from Fermoy and had Corrin, the first Talbenny and Fermoy before the big one. We train from 15 miles on Tuesday or Wednesday each week. Hen’s out first. They are left together for 15 to 30 minutes with no nest bowl afterwards. On race day, they could be left together with bowls for a few hours, even overnight if it is a difficult race, the pigeons not racing are left together too. This year we are feeding Van Robaeys corn from Sandyhill. Cassaert Depurative and Non-Stopp for racing, Best All Round for breeding with tit bits of Red Band for trapping and Sunflower Hearts for dessert for two to three days.
We are over the moon to have such a super pigeon and we feel he has earned his retirement. We race in 3 Clubs but not all 3 every week. Having won 14 races this year with no duplications and we are looking forward to young bird racing. Our pigeons are mostly Larkin Busschaert’s from our good friend Mick Lilley & Son Hartlepool, some Roland Janssen from Louella (good out to Penzance) and some distance lines. Our motto is "you keep the pedigree, we'll have the pigeon". That's all we have to say, Homer. Other than thank you to all our fellow fanciers who make this sport worthwhile.
2nd South Section, 9th Open Fintan Moran Malahide & Dist, Vel 714, Flying 408 miles, winning £1686 Hall of Fame Diploma and the Joe Doheny Cup for the Single Bird Challenge.
Met a happy Fintan at the Friendship race marking and next day got the following. Firstly I would like to congratulate O Fitzpatrick & son of Gilford on their great win. The preparation for my 5 year old Red hen “Aoife M”, named after my daughter, started in February when she was paired and let rear a single youngster. She was then privately trained and had 5 inland races, the furthest Skibbereen and last race Pilmore Beach on the 16th June. She raced celibate and was in great form all through the programme, being in the first few birds to the loft on each race. For the King Cups she was repaired, given a few 50 mile tosses and sent sitting 9 days. I clocked her at 7.24am on the winning day, and she was so keen on arrival she went straight on to her eggs and remained there till evening. Her breeding is steeped in the very best of the old long distance English pigeons. Her sire a 2011 Red cock won 30th Kings Cup in 2014, when only 40 pigeons were recorded in race time. His sire was bought at the 2010 Blackpool Charity Auction and was presented by David and Joan Glover of Hinckley, Leicestershire. Their family of birds were based on Logans, Mitcheison, Fear Bros and Titmus birds and he contained their very best performance pigeons - 1st Section; 8th Open NFC Dax 605 miles and his dam won 6th section 69th NFC Tarbes 2008 (645 miles on the day) and 4th section 6th open Midlands NFC Bergerac 2009 (536 miles on the day). The dam of the 2011 Red cock was bred by Sid and Val Miles, Peasedown St John, and was a grandchild of 3 x 1st NFC Pau winners, Ashgrove King (Harding Bros. 1994); Little Darling (Miles and Dix 1987) and Rosemead Abigail (George Burgess 1988). The dam of my Red hen, a 2009 Silver hen was bred by me from Sid and Val Miles national winning family of pigeons and again contained the above national winners and 2nd Section & 14th Open NFC Pau 2004 and 2 x No 1st Combine Marmandes 485 miles. For her valiant efforts the hen wins a Hall of Fame Award and is this year’s winner of the INFC/ BHW Single Bird Challenge. I would like to thank my wife Cora and daughter Aoife for all their help with the birds, without them all this would not be possible. And finally I want to acknowledge the great work of the Convoyers , as the hen returned in immaculate condition.
HOMER. Willie Reynolds
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07538 238364
Twitter: willie reynolds@homerbhw
Email: homerbhw@gmail.com
http://www.pigeonnetwork.com
http://www.irishnationalflyingclub.com
http://www.niparacingpigeons.co.uk
http://www.infc.co.uk
Noel Lusty from Muckamore collects the Hall of Fame Diploma last year. His Champion “Edith” will be going this year for the Gold Medal and Single Bird Challenge.
McKeown & McEvoy from Castlebellingham collect their Hall of Fame Diploma.
Fintan Moran from Malahide & Dist collects his Hall of Fame Diploma, also won the Single Bird Challenge.
The Hall of Fame Diploma won by McKeown & McEvoy of Castlebellingham RPC.
The Hall of Fame Diploma won by F Moran of Malahide & District RPC.
The Hall of Fame Diploma won by N Lusty of Muckamore HPS.
The first winners I covered, Hamilton & Burke from Portstewart, might still be the longest winners.