Members of the Irish National Flying Club enjoyed a full race
programme in 2009, the first time this has happened since 2006.
The first race of the 2009 season was flown on May 28th from Skibbereen,
the Old Bird Inland National, 492 members sent 3,755 pigeons and these
were liberated into a light south west wind at 10.20 am. The winner
was the outstanding Ballynahinch loft of Cromie & Magee on a velocity
of 1650, a well deserved victory after a number of 2nd Opens from the
major races. Second Open went to one of the best lofts in the country
John Patterson of Ballylesson on a velocity of 1,632, this was a near
miss for John Patterson as he won 1st Open INFC Skibbereen Young Bird
National in 2008. Cromie & Magee collected £882 and John Patterson
£889. Total pools and prize money was £18,000. Len McKinstry of
Dundonald enjoyed another National, this time winning 3rd Open on a
velocity of 1621. Fourth Open was won by the Doagh partnership of A &
N Lewis making 1619. First South Section & 5th Open the Wexford Loft
of Ger Furlong on 1614. The top six was completed by Mr & Mrs
Stevenson of Dromora 1611. Cromie & Magee collected the Ronnie
Johnston Cup.
The Yearling National flown from Sennen Cove saw 786 members send
4,134 pigeons competing for £33,300 in pool and prize money. The
liberation took place on the 11th June into a light west wind at 8am.
It was an outstanding race for members of the South Section as they
filled the first four places. First Open to the consistant Liam
Donnelly & Son Fingla making 1265 and well fancied to collect £1,166.
Ingle Bros & Son individual south was 2nd Open on a velocity of 1244,
plus £925. The Castle Bellingham partnership of Parkin & Cairns just
held off Paddy Rock & son Martin of Skerries for 3rd Open. Parkin &
Cairns 1228.8 ypm. Rock & Son 1228.3 ypm for 4th Open. The Parkin &
Cairns pigeon collected £1,241 and the Rock's took £2,281. Winning the
North Section and enjoying a super year at National level was Capper
Bros of Bondhill on 1226 ypm for 5th Open winning £1,008. The top six
was completed by the Rathen loft of J & J Merrigan on a velocity of
1216 and this loft won the Yearling National in 2007. A special
mention to Owen Kirwan of Gorey the Yearling National winner in 2008
and 10th Open in 2009. Liam Donnelly & Son clocked a second pigeon to
win 28th Open and this saw them win the Sam Buckley Memorial Trophy
for Best @-Bird Average plus the Nelson Corry Cup for winning the
National.
The top race of the year was next on the programme, the Kings Cup
flown from Vannes on July 3rd when 770 members entered 2,619 pigeons
racing for £40,000 in pool and prize money. Liberation took place at
6.15 am into a light west wind. It was to turn out a very successful
race with the Kings Cup and winner T & T Moorehouse of Rathen making a
velocity of 1416. It was a unique race for the Kings Cup as the 1st,
2nd & 3rd Open were all Yearlings. Tommy Moorehouse also set a record
for the National Club as he won the McCloud Cup for the leading
yearling in the race for the second time in succession being 5th Open
in 2006 and now 1st Open in 2009 (no race 2007-2008). Tommy's King Cup
winner now named Tommy's Boy collected the King George V Challenge
Cup, Joe Cullen Memorial Cup and the McCloud Cup plus £1547.
The second Open winner is a super yearling hen, bred and raced by Glen
Buckley & Sons of Annaghmore and let me give you her record, 124th
Open Sennen Cove Young Bird National 2009 and 2nd Open Vannes Kings
Cup 2009. This blue hen made a velocity of 1390 and collected £2,470
plus winning the Nelson Vase and the NIPA Cup. The 3rd Open winner,
also a yearling was clocked by the outstanding National loft of
Malcolm Robinson of Bondhill making a velocity of 1385 winning £1,311
and this is the second time Malcolm has been 3rd Open. Second South
Section & 4th Open was won by the popular Malahide loft of Gerry
O'Reilly & Son a great supporter of National racing. Gerry's winning
pigeon made a velocity of 1,382 and was to clock his second pigeon
winning 3rd South Section & 26th Open and the Harkness Rose Bowl for
Best 2-Bird Average. The 4th Open winner collected the Gilliand Cup
1st IHU member after the winner. Robert Russell of Beech Park was 5th
Open on a velocity of 1,379 and this performance enabled him to win
the French Diploma Best Average NIPA St Malo Old Bird National and the
INFc Kings Cup. The Russell pigeon was in a photo pigeon for 5th Open
making 1379.08 and the 6th Open winner to J Kelly & Sons of Dromore on
1379.07, this pigeon was highly fancied and won £1,798. The East Down
Combine Cup was won by Tom Marshall & Son Newtownbreda, 37th Open and
the Ulster Fed Cup by John Ramsey & Son Grovensor 85th Open.
With no Kings Cup race in 2007 and 2008 I thought that it was
remarkable that two Hall of Fame Diplomas were won (three times Open
prize winner in the Kings Cup). Stewart Bros of Randalstown with
Grange Lady 2004 54th Open, 2006 64th Open, 2009 246th Open, this is
the second Hall of Fame for Stewart Bros; Paddy Rock & Son Skerries
with Little PJ 2005 35th Open, 2006 33rd Open, 2009 103rd Open. The
Single Bird Challenge is flown in conjunction with the Kings Cup and
last year saw a record entry of 344 birds competing. This is a much
sought after prize and sets the fancier a real challenge. The winner
was Jim Robinson of Edgarstown whose Single Bird Challenge pigeon was
to finish 9th Open, a brilliant performance. Alan Darragh of
Cullynackey was 2nd Open and his pigeon finished 11th Open. Both Jim
and Alan had six birds entered and their first pigeon clocked was the
Single Bird pigeon, I think thats brilliant. Tommy McClean of
Annaghmore was 3rd Open with a very special pigeon that I will come
back to later, this pigeon was placed 30th Open. The first three
pigeons all won a framed Diploma sponsored by Wesley Sawyers of
Sawyers Estate Agents in Banbridge.
The second of the Old Bird Nationals was flown on July 10th from
Picauville, this race has long been known as the Friendship National
and 255 members entered 1,014 pigeons. It was to turn out the most
difficult race of the season with only 22 birds recorded in race time
(three days). On the plus side a number of records were set, all by
the same loft Malachy Maguire & Son Mark of Newry. The Maguire's won
1st & 2nd Open velocities 911.5 & 911.4 plus £1,950. These two pigeons
collected all the trophies allocated to the race, The Friendship Cup
1st Open, British Barcelona Club Trophy, 2nd Open and the Henry
Beattie Trophy Best 2-Bird Average. Third Open to another top National
loft Arnold Thompson of Ballyclare making 880.6 in the next garden a
former National Champion and National winners C & L Woodside of
Ballyclare clocked two for 4th & 5th Open velocities 880.2 & 879.6,
the three birds arriving together. Another former National Champion
Phillip McCullough & Daughter of Downpatrick was 6th Open on a
velocity of 852.
Penzance was the race point for the Cross Channel Young Bird National
and 459 members sent 2,120 birds competing for £21,000 in pool and
prize money. Liberated at 8.15 am into a north wind we all knew it was
going to be a hard race and this is how it was to turn out. First
North Section & 1st Open to the brilliant Newry loft of Donnelly Bros
making 1023 winning the JMK McGugan Cup and £1,557. This was a unique
performance by the Donnelly's as they won 1st Open Friendship National
(only bird on the day) last season, a National win two years in
succession, magic. Second North Section & 2nd Open to last years
winner Richard Cassells of Edgarstown on a velocity of 987 plus £546.
A great performance by the Cassells loft coming very close to making
it a double success. The top National loft of McCracken Bros of
Bandbridge are back with another great performance, this new star made
a velocity of 983 to collect £1,110. First South Section & 4th Open
won by Peter Tierney of Monaghan on 947. It was back to the North
Section for the 5th Open winner W Prunty of Drumcree making 933. John
Patterson of Ballylesson was again the leading Combine member winning
6th Open on a velocity of 923 and remember he is a former National
champion. Donnelly Bros clocked a second pigeon to win 7th Open on a
velocity of 909 and this saw them win the De Scheemaecker Trophy Best
2-Bird Average.
Flown in conjunction with the Young Bird National was the Old Hens
National and 390 birds competed. After a number of near misses it was
a first National success for Gregg Bros & McCandless of Ligoniel
winning 1st North Section & 1st Open on a velocity of 986 and the late
Alan Darragh Cup, it was a super race for the loft as a second bird
was to win 6th Open with a velocity of 888. Second North Section & 2nd
Open to the ever popular Kevin Henderson of Lurgan making 933. the
South Section winner and 3rd Open was the Ballybrack loft of R fox on
a velocity of 913. Turkington Bros of Springvale won 3rd North Section
& 4th Open with a velocity of 908. Another top result for the Newry
loft of Malachy Maguire winning 4th North Section & 5th Open on a
velocity of 900 ypm. Maguire had no less than seven birds in the Open
result.
The final race of the INFC programme for 2009 was the Skibbereen Young
Bird Inland National, 411 members sent 3,118 birds with pools and
prize money of £17,000 liberated at 11.30 am into a light variable
wind. It was a quick race and saw an amazing result, let me explain.
First North Section & 1st Open on a velocity of 1556 was Hutchinson
Bros of Ashfield winning the Tom Marshall Cup. This loft won the
Skibbereen Old Bird Inland National in 2009 giving them two National
victories in successive years and you can add this to 1st Open Sennen
Cove Yearling National in 2nd North Section & 2nd Open to the Donnelly
Bros of Newry on 1554, coming within a whisker of winning both Young
Bird Nationals in the same season. Third North Section & 3rd Open to
Jeff Greenaway of Hillsborough/Maize making 1547 and this fancier is
due to win this race having been 2nd Open in 2008. These next two
places give me a lot of pleasure to report, they concern two former
National winners, 4th Open on a velocity of 1545 to Frank Scott of
Dromore a former National winner and Gold Medal winner. Fifth Open a
former Kings Cup winner Henry Beattie of Laurelvale on a velocity of
1540. The top six was completed by the ever consistent Davie Calvin of
Bondhill on 1538. A & N Lewis added 7th Open in this race to 4th Open
in the Skibbereen Old Bird race enabling them to win the Charles
Hunniford Memorial Trophy.
In 2009 the INFC members competed for two new awards, the Triple Crown
Open prize winner Young Bird Channel National, Yearling National and
Kings Cup, we had two winners: Joe McLoughlin & Sons of Blanchardson
with a chequer pied hen 07.102557, 2007 Sennen Cove Young Bird 49th
Open; 2008 Sennen Cove Yearling 223rd Open; 2009 Vannes Kings Cup 55th
Open. Tommy McClean of Annaghmore with a blue hen 07.23049, 2007
Sennen Cove Young Bird 5th Open; 2008 Sennen Cove Yearling 138th Open;
2009 Vannes Kings Cup 30th Open. The Duddy Trophy, Best Average
Penzance Young Bird & Sennen Cove Yearling (three bird nomination in
each race). No surprise with the winner Geoffrey Douglas of Wilton
Cross winning £1,000 he had a super year.
In 2009 three diplomas for twice a prize winner from the Kings Cup or
Friendship National were won, this time all from the Kings Cup Vannes.
Sam Corrigan of Loughgall 2006 199th Open, 2009 43rd Open; McCartan &
Woodside of Crossgar 2006 75th Open, 2009 72nd Open; Philip McCullough
& Daughter of Downpatrick 2006 71st Open, 2009 58th Open. The National
Championship, all races was won by Malachy Maguire & son Mark of Newry.
Photos
Gerry O'Reilly & Sons, Malahide winners of the Gilliland Cup 2009 with
Ken McConaghie.
Davie Hutchinson of Ashfield, winner of the Skibbereen Young Bird
National 2009.
Ken McConaghie INFC president presenting the Gilmour Cup to Willie
Capper of Bondhill.
Tommy Moorehouse, Kings Cup winner 2009 with Paddy Lue and Joe Cromie
Old Bird Inland National winners 2009.
Malachy & Mark Maguire of Newry, INFC Champions 2009 receiving one of
their trophies from the INFC president Ken McConaghie.
Richard Donnelly & son Jonathan, winners of the De Scheemaecker Trophy
Penzance Young Bird National.
Liam Donnelly & Son of Finglas INFC Yearling National winner 2009 with
Ken McConaghie.
