Section H of the Mighty NIPA – 4 x 1st Open in 2023

[willie reynolds]

Section H of the Mighty NIPA – 4 x 1st Open in 2023

The old Section A West was set up for lofts in the extreme Northwest and over the years has been a very difficult location to race pigeons. In the NIPA list now its listed as Section H and the big competition area of City of Derry Federation and the Foyle Valley Combine.

During the Old Bird season of 2023 the 1st Open prize was won with what I believe is a record four occasions. In the opening race from Tullamore Ronnie Witherow from Limavady won 1st Open recording velocity 1784 and winning the Mulgrew Family Cup. Andy Mitchell from Amelia Earhart in the City of Derry won 1st Open from 1st Fermoy recording velocity 1968 and got a great reception at Ladies Night when he collected the S Calvert Cup. In the next race from 2nd Fermoy Dessie Mullan from Strabane & District won 1st Open on velocity 1688 and collected the McIlwaine Cup. Finally a loft needing no introduction David Booth of Mourne & District won 1st Open from 3rd Fermoy recording velocity 1451 and collected the NIPA Cup. The Booth loft ace racers in the area have topped the NIPA on several occasions, an outstanding loft set-up and a great family of birds.

The NIPA race season for 2023 started as planned at Tullamore on Saturday 15th April, the weather had been poor in the week with plenty of rain and high winds and it was cold, not the birds favourite. Saturday turned out good enough and in a helping Southerly wind the birds raced home at a mile a minute for the top winners. Many congratulations to the 1st Open NIPA winner Ronnie Witherow a top racer in Limavady for many years.

NIPA Tullamore Open 524/14,706 – 1-1H Ronnie Witherow Limavady 1784, 2-1A B Isbaner Dungannon 1777, 3-2H A McCrudden Derry & District 1770, 4-1B T & J McDonald Ballymoney 1768, 5-1E John Greenaway Bondhill 1766, 6-2E K Allister Monaghan 1758, 7-2B J Connolly Ballymoney HPS1758, 8-3B H Cubitt Rasharkin & District 1757, 9-4B D & H Stuart Ballymoney HPS 1756, 10-5B H Cubitt 1756.

For week four of the NIPA old bird race programme the birds moved on to Fermoy, the race was arranged for Sunday due to the weather but as it turned out Saturday would have been ok. Birds were collected Saturday evening, but liberation was delayed at Fermoy due to fog and mist with light drizzle. Conditions improved and almost 22,500 birds were released at 10.30am in a fresh south-west wind, in helping conditions the longer flying lofts were expected to make the best time. That’s exactly how it turned out with the best bird timed in Derry City by Andy Mitchell secretary of Amelia Earhart. He won the club last week and this time has 1st Club, 1st Sect H and 1st Open NIPA.

NIPA Open 1st Fermoy 741/22,431 – 1-1H Andy Mitchell Amelia Earhart 1968.42, 2-2H J & G Ramsey Derry & Dist 1968.36, 3-1A B & D Coyle Coleraine Prem 1968.15, 4-3H Cooley Bros Derry & Dist 1966, 5-2A B & D Coyle 1965, 6-3A B & D Coyle 1965, 7-4A M McPhillips Coalisland & Dist 1965, 8-1E K Allister Monaghan 1963, 9-52E W Walker Monaghan 1961, 10-5A S Diamond Coleraine Prem 1961.

Early morning mist and fog across Northern Ireland delayed liberation for the NIPA in Fermoy, same point as the week previous and the fifth race of the old bird inland programme. Just over 26,000 birds were liberated at 11.20am in a helping southerly wind and for the second week the best birds were in the far Northwest including City of Derry, but best velocity was recorded in Strabane & District with Dessie Mullen topping the NIPA on velocity 1688. Last week the Amelia Earhart club in Derry topped the NIPA and this week had to be satisfied with the runner-up place going to Ray McMonagle.

NIPA Open 2nd Fermoy 791/26,104 – 1-1H Dessie Mullen Strabane & District 1688, 2-2H R McMonagle Amelia Earhart 1685, 3-3H L Flanagan & Son Londonderry 1681, 4-4H N Murray Londonderry 1681, 5-5H D Booth Mourne & District rict1678, 6-1E J & E Calvin Annaghmore 1673, 7-2E Alan Craig Laurelvale 1665, 8-1A S Diamond Coleraine Prem 1662, 9-2A B & D Coyle Coleraine Prem 1660, 10-6H T Booth Mourne & District1657.

The NIPA had a third race from Fermoy on the weekend of 2nd Talbenny, both liberations were at 8.00am in a Lt NE wind, in conjunction with the inland race the NIPA had their 5 Bird Championship. Over 8,000 birds were competing from Fermoy and 1st & 2nd Open was won by David Booth of Mourne & District, the winner was bred by John Convey of Omagh & District. In the duplicate 5 Bird Championship the best bird was timed by G & A Campbell of Armagh, just under 1,200 birds were competing here. G & A Campbell in Section E have 1st, 3rd and 4th with just a five bird entry.

NIPA Open 3rd Fermoy 488/8,212 – 1-1H D Booth Mourne & District 1451, 2-2H D Booth 1451, 3-1E G & A Campbell Armagh 1449, 4-2E J McGeary Loughgall 1440, 5-1G Mark Maguire & Son Newry & District 1440, 6-2G J F McCabe & Son Newry & District 1434, 7-3G Ron Williamson Newry & District 1430, 8-3E G & A Campbell 1426, 9-4E D C & P McArdle Armagh 142, 10-1D J Gregory & Sons Colin 1421.

Recently two Derry City based clubs held a joint presentation for the 2023 season, Maiden City and Amelia Earhart. The following were successful in Amelia Earhart. 1st Kilbggan Y/B Hugh Hegarty, 1st Pilmore Beach O/B Eamon Quigley, 1st Skibbereen Y/B Jimmy Quigley 1st Club, 1st Fed & 1st Sect H, 1st Roscrea Y/B Andrew Mitchell the 1st Open NIPA winner, 1st Fermoy Y/B Cathal Fox and winner 1st Fermoy Y/B and 1st Talbenny O/B 2, 1st Skibbereen O/B, 1st Kilbeggan Y/B, 1st Fermoy 3 O/B and 1st Fermoy O/B Micky Rabbett. Ray McMonagle was overall Fancier of the Year with 9 x 1sts. 1st Tullamore Y/B, 1st Roscrea Y/B, 1st Roscrea 2 Y/B, 1st Fermoy Y/B, 1st Tullamore O/B, 1st Roscrea O/B, 1st Fermoy 2 O/B plus 2nd Open NIPA, 1st Talbenny 2 O/B, 1st Bude.

In the Maiden City 1. T Rodgers Tullamore Y/B, 2 P & M Healy Tullamore O/B, 3 J & B Knox Fermoy 1 O/B, 4 J McGettigan Skibb O/B Nat, Pilmore Beach O/B, Kilbeggan 2 Y/B, 5 Concannon Bros Roscrea 2 O/B, Bude O/B, Fermoy Ylr Nat, John McGroarty Channel Ave Memorial Trophy, 6 J McConomy Fermoy 4 O/B, Penzance O/B, Fermoy 1 Y/B, Longest flown race trophy, 7 R Lyle Roscrea 1 O/B, Fermoy 2 O/B, Talbenny 1 O/B, Talbenny 2 O/B, Top Flyer in Old Birds. 8 Pat McLaughlin Fermoy 3

O/B, Kilbeggan 1 Y/B, Roscrea 1 Y/B, Roscrea 2 Y/B, Roscrea 3 O/B, Dale YB Nat, Fermoy 2 Y/B, Sean McGtotty Memorial Trophy, Top Flyer Young Birds. Overall Highest Prize-winner.