IHU Winners 2023 Season by Dan Braqdley

[willie reynolds]

To the winners of the IHU meritorious award winners I can only apologise. The new role as Ring secretary has taken away from the time I would have as PRO.
I have finally had the time to complete my article on last year's winners.
Well done to all of those who manage to achieve winning the IHU meritorious award.
Fanciers of the Year winners
East Region
Sean O'Driscoll of Mr/s O'Driscoll & G/Son of the Donnycarney, Dublin. A season you could only dream about for this young man winning 2 Opens from Skibbereen and St Malo. The future is very bright in the sport with fanciers like this, take a bow young man. Sean started the 2024 season the way he raced the 2023 season, one of the most consistent lofts in the ISRF.
South East Region
Lenny Bolger of the Bolger Family of Blackwater club, Wexford. 2023 saw Lenny retaining his INFC Young Bird National from Skibbereen. Lenny had multiple federation wins in the South Leinster Fed.
South Region
Eugene Fitzgerald of the St Marys club, Limerick. Eugene works tirelessly for the IHUNRNFC, and in 2023 Eugene was also awarded the IHU North Road Meritorious award on the channel.
IHU Southern Region Channel Young Bird of the Year
Dick Mooney Dublin North East
The IHU Meritorious young bird award winner south region was awarded to Dick Mooney and his partner Anthony Keogh of the Dublin North East club. This young hen was purchased from a kit of youngsters from Trevor Cahill and family of Bray Invitation. Anthony introduced Dick to Trevor and family and the relationship blossomed from there.
On saturday 4th of September the lads sent this hen to Dale (late replacement for Talbenny) and she went on to score 38th Fed in the ISRF. Dick and Anthony decided to basket 4 pigeons the following Monday for the INFC Penzance National and this decision paid off with this hen scoring 1st South Section and 28th National.
And we all know what happened in the INFC Yearling National with this hen.
The IHU Young Bird Southern Region
Awarded to the Arklow Utd partnership of Leonard Deridder and Callo.
Father was bred in the Flanders Collection stud & is a G/son of Python & Rosita & his nest sister bred 1st fed also 2023 . Mother was bought in excelsior & is original Rudy Van Reeth . 889/23 wasn’t raced every week as some weeks showed no interest in motivation. But when was raced always with the first pigeons . She’s inbred to Rosita & is currently paired to LIBERAAL in the partnerships close friend Dirk Van Den Bulck, in his breeding loft as a joint venture . Dirk rates her highly & really likes her.

IHU Southern Region Inland Old Bird
Mr/s O'Driscoll & g/son- Sean O'Drsicoll of Donnycarney
Our best old bird in the ihu is from co breeding between myself and Brian Lyons & sons shelbourne rpc. Bred off his good vandenbrande cock
(The General) he's sire of 8x1st he was paired to super 17 Brian hen these two birds together have bred brilliant birds for us.
She was raced on roundabout into a 10ftx6ft section.
She’s been a brilliant pigeon to race and has been moved to the stock loft at end of 2023.
Champion old bird Irish south road federation 2023
1st club Gowran park 371b 55th fed 5137b
1st club Castletown 412b 24th fed 6578b
1st club Skibbereen 230b 22nd fed 3083b
3rd club Skibbereen BBLM 8th open 2719b
5th club Castletown 38th fed 3065b
6th club Pilmore beach 37th fed 8114b
6th club Castletown 419b 89th fed 7914b
8th club pilmore 250b 86th fed 2362b
10th club Skibbereen 52th fed 3751b
Cobreeding with B Lyons & sons
Channel Old Bird of the Year
Thomas Daniels of Rialto
1st Club 3rd Open
1st Club 21st Open
3rd Club 22nd Open
Winning 3 ISRF Gold Ring races

IHU SOUTHERN REGION AWARD WINNER 2023 BEST OLD BIRD – INLAND - NORTH ROAD
The winner of the best old bird inland racer was bred and raced by M&E Fitzgerald who races in St
Marys RPC Limerick.
The sire of the bird is a full Padfield cock from Mr Alan Wicker who now races with Steve Wright and the dam is from Mike McCormack from his wonder cock “Skinner”
This cock may be classed as a little bit unlucky as he never got placed in St Marys every time as only the lofts first pigeons counts in the club result.
Cavan 7th Munster Fed but he was beaten by two loft mates
Monaghan 6th in the Fed his loft mate won the race topping the Federation
Coalisland and he was holding his form so this could be it all pools were on him the wind for the weekend suited Limerick in the Fed
he was beaten into second place by a loft mate another very good racer gift bird from Noel Hegarty Cork to achieve 2nd Munster Fed.

IHU SOUTHERN REGION AWARD WINNER 2023 BEST OLD BIRD – CHANNEL - NORTH ROAD
The winner of the best old bird channel racer was bred and raced by M&K Slattery who races in St Marys RPC Limerick. This cock is now known as “Joe Frazier”.
The sire of the bird is a from Henry Beattie’s from one of his national birds and the dam is from Mike McCormack double Nat (Perth &
Thurso) winning hen. The Super Bird was bred for the hardest job in pigeon racing the “North Road Channel”. This bird won in 2023 but the story must start in 2022 when it was a case of if you don’t win the award try try again.
2023 season a year older and wiser, Mike cherry picked the inland races for this channel machine.
First up was Maybole 245mls east wind he was clocked bang on 4hrs with a vel of 1791 again very near the
top of the table taking 3rd Club 3rd Fed & 3rd National (missing out on First place by only two yards)
The big one our blue-ribbon event flying for the Taoiseach cup Fraserburgh 2023. @ 3.50pm on day two from a distance of 435mls made it home winning 1st Club St Mary`s 1st Munster Federation &; 1st North Road Nat.Only five birds in race time two birds on day two and three birds on day three. He has been raced from Scotland eight times and clocked each time

IHU SOUTHERN REGION AWARD WINNER 2023 BEST YOUNG BIRD – INLAND - NORTH ROAD
The winner of the best young bird inland racer was bred and raced by M&K Slattery who races in St Marys RPC Limerick.
“Bambi”
This bird is a direct result of a co/breeding plan between Mike Slattery and Jim Purcell. The sire is from the “22 pair” this bird has two top flyers in his birth cert Mr Eddie Holden from Kilkenny and Mr Jeff Greenaway from Universal Pigeon Products fame. Both from
top Nat winning lines the “22 pair”. And the dam is from the famous cock George bred by Mr George Guilfoyle (Ennis) and
raced by M&K Slattery this cock was 10 across the channel winning, was mated to a daughter of Mike McCormack double Nat winning hen (Perth 2015 & Thurso 2017).
.
In ten club races she has five major positions
In six Federation races she has four major positions
In two National races she has two major positions
Longford 4 th Club
Monaghan 1st Club & 1st Fed
Banbridge 1st Club & 1st Fed
Coleraine 4th Club & 4th Fed & 4th Nat
Malin head 3rd Club & 16th Fed &16th Nat
IHU Northern Region Young bird of the Year
Kevin and Kristopher Rooney
How often do you see the name of Kevin and Kristopher Rooney and family thanked for providing winners in the multiple clubs across the NIPA, ISRF and SLF. The Rooney family have managed to acquire a top class stock loft, previously breeding the 2022 IHU Young Bird Meritorious award on the channel for Byrne and Bradley.
This season Kevin and Kris saw their red hen win 2 x 1st East Down Combine Opens and was awarded the IHU Northern Section Young Bird Meritorious award. The sire of this young hen is a direct Luc Vervoort and the dam is a Slyvain Verhestraeten, a daughter of pichanel.
29 th July Navan, 1 st club,1 st section &1 st Open
12 th August Tullamore 1st club,1 st Section ,1 st Open
19 th August Roscrea 3 rd club
IHU Northern Region Old bird of the Year
Old Bird of the Year 2023
R &J Conlane Belmont IHU 21 N 10701
8 th April,12th club, 15 th section &15 th Open (2850 birds)
13 th May, Skibbereen 2 nd club, 3 rd section 3 rd Open (1255 birds)
10 th June Roscrea, 3 rd club. 16th section &18 th Open (98 members 1621 birds)
22nd June St Malo 450 miles 545 yds, Vel 646,1 st club, 2 nd Open (78 members 322 birds. Dan Bradley PO.