INFC Update/History - R Johnston (Patron)

[willie reynolds]

Ronnie Reminisces

The Millenium year was a busy one for the then secretary Julie Darragh with an extra Old Bird Derby from Penzance. The Yearling National was flown from Sennen Cove with an entry of 4,081 birds. A briliant win for Eddie McAlinden of Banbridge with a well fancied pigeon to collect £3,067. The prize and pool money was £36,600 a super total and beside Eddie another five fanciers won in excess of £1,000. T Sinnamon, Son & McManus of Donacloney 2nd Open £1,041; Roy Clements of Harryville 5th Open a single entry £2,387; Donnelly Bros of Newry 6th Open £1,566; W Moody & Sons of Scarva 7th Open £1,055; Thompson Bros of Hillsborough 9th Open £1,133.

The Kings Cup was won in Kilkenny by Jeff Hogan collecting £1,253 and again another five fanciers won in excess of £1,000; N Black & Sons of Dromara 2nd Open £2,376; Jim Logan of Ballyclare 3rd Open £1,713; Malcolm Robinson 4th Open £3,772; Nevin Bros of Bondhill, Coleraine 6th Open £1,091; Eddie Campbell of Milltown 8th Open £1,831. The Friendship National was won by Gallagher Bros of Annsborough collecting £1,742. The Millenium National have an entry of 2,336 birds and won by Higginson & McMeekin of Kings Moss collecting £1,064. The Channel Young Bird National was flown from Talbenny and after winning 2nd Open Yearling National Sinnamon, Son & McManus of Donacloney was 1st Open plus £1,116. It was to turn out a very hard race with only 39 birds in two days. The inland Young Bird National was flown from Barley Cove and it was a clean sweep for the South Section members, the winner Tony Kehoe of Welford collecting £1,586. The first North Section member was Joe Galbraith & Son of Ballyhill placed 166th Open. Rab Hunter of Ballynahinch was 2nd North Section.

Keeping Ronnie On His Toes

I have a reader who follows my column and has a great knowledge of the INFC. Several times he has taken me to task and once again I have received a letter regarding my piece on Jackie Patience 1st & 2nd Open Kings Cup in 1995 a record for the club. He points out that EA Robinson of Shawsbridge won 1st & 2nd Open as did Sam Mayberry of Antrim.

These two performances were recorded in 1933 and 1946 before the two Unions came together and the current INFC was formed. 1948 was the first year that the Kings Cup was flown for and under the new format and won by Sammy Robinson of Belfast with Duchess of Darkness. I have also written several times that two lofts have won the Kings Cup twice. A McDowell & Son of Newtownards in 1953 and 1973, Joe Doheny of Dublin 1982 and 2002 but we must remember that EA Robinson of Shawsbridge won the cup in 1933 and 1937.

It is not my intention to take anything away from these outstanding pigeon fanciers of the 30'2 and 40's but I have only the records from 1948 when the INFC became the club that it is today. I am pleased that he enjoys my column but he says, that he likes to keep me on my toes, metaphorically speaking.

When speaking with the INFC secretary Trevor Topping he told me of a conversation he had with Henry Beattie just a few weeks before his sudden death. Henry was of the opinion that the Kings Cup race should be known as the Irish Grand National, setting it apart as the premier race of the year. This had me thinking and I looked back in my scrap books, I have a library of these. In 1933 EA Robinson of Shawsbridge won 1st Irish Grand National Les Sables at 600 miles with the mealy hen her Majesty Silver Queen winning his Majesty King George V Challenge Cup. This is the same cup that we are flying for in 2010 but somewhere along the way we seemed to have lost the Grand. I have always thought that the Old Bird National and Young Bird National Vannes & Penzance should carry a special prefix.