Pigeon Network

Before the new season starts I want to look at some of the award winners within the Irish National Flying Club in 2011 writes Brendan McLoughlin. Gold medals are awarded to pigeons that are timed 4 times in the prizes from the King’s Cup. These are exceptional pigeons and this year we have one winner Jackie Waring of Lisburn. There were 11 Hall of Fame awards for pigeons timed 3 times in the prizes from the King’s Cup. There was also one winner of the Friendship National Triple Award for a pigeon 3 times in the result from the Friendship National.

Bill McClure, Kells & District

William timed his six-year-old hen, ‘Madam Delbar Deweerdt’ to collect his second Hall of Fame award having won one last year with his ten-year-old hen ‘Home Again’, which was a pure Deweerdt. Sadly ‘Madam Delbar Deweerdt’ died within a week of coming home from this years race, a sad end for such a great racing pigeon. It was only the second time a loft had won the Hall of Fame in successive seasons.

As the name suggests ‘Madam Delbar Deweerdt’ is a Delbar x Deweerdt cross, the sire being Delbar from Donal Lavery and Jackie Patience. It is off a daughter of Jackie’s King’s Cup winner. The dam is direct Deweerdt. This bird won the single bird challenge in 2009.

By today’s standards this is a small team but a very successful one. William breeds only 20 young birds every year. He has 12 nest boxes so never has any more than 24 old birds at the beginning of the year. Birds going to France are raced down Ireland and only go to Talbenny if the weather is going to be good. The birds are mated in February and rear a pair of young birds. They are then separated and are put back together before the French races so that they will be sitting on eggs for their Derby or National race. ‘Madam Delbar Deweerdt’ was sitting 14/15 days this year and Bill slipped her a young bird before basketing. The French birds are flown mornings and evenings with the young birds to keep them fit.


Bill McClure collects his Hall of Fame Diploma at the Dunsilly Hotel.



Alan Darragh, Cullybackey HPS

This is another top award for one of the top National fliers. Alan has won numerous awards at National level over the years and is a household name within the sport. Last year Alan had a remarkable result in the Yearling National event by taking the top three positions in the Open. Alan is also a former King’s Cup winner having won the blue ribbon event in 1986 from Jersey, it was his first time to win a Hall of Fame Diploma.

The winner of the Hall of Fame Award here is a three-year-old cock that was a gift bird from club mate Sammy Steele, a bit of a story with this one. Harry Richmond from Ballymena reared a youngster for Sammy and it ended taking up residence at Swallow Brae Lofts.

This cock is raced on Widowhood and then mated for the King’s Cup. Last year his he was sent sitting 5/6 days and this year he was sent sitting ten days. Alan just got his first young ones of this cock this year.

This year the bird was given every race down Ireland and then Talbenny when he was the second pigeon home for Alan. In preparation for the King’s Cup he was given a few short-training tosses and then flown out with the young birds.


Ruth Rodgers presents the Hall of Fame Diploma to Alan Darragh.

William McCaw, Ballymoney HPS

Billy McCaw’s Hall of Fame pigeon, “Greystone Girl” is a four-year-old blue cheq hen whose breeding is from birds from Ken Hine. Her first success from the King’s Cup was in 2009 when as a two-year-old she was 127th flying a distance from Plaudren Vannes of 532 miles. Then in 2010 she was 161st and finally in 2011 to complete the trio of prizes she was 86th Open. She went to this year’s King’s Cup feeding a small young Bird, her first of the year. Preparation for the big race consisted of two Inland races each year, and the first time back in 2009 she also had a Talbenny. She was also flown around the loft each morning and evening and a number of short private training tosses saw this hen in the right condition to successfully fly this premier event to be in the prizes three times and win a Hall of Fame Diploma.


Ruth Rodgers presents the Hall of Fame Diploma to Billy McCaw.

C & L Woodside, Ballyclare & Dist

C & L Woodside became the first ever winners of a Friendship Triple Award when they timed their four-year-old hen to take 75th Open in the Friendship National this year from St Malo. The base of this loft is Kenyons obtained from Smyth Bros of Ballymena as far back as in 1982 with the introduction of a few latebreds. Having gained success with these they were able to go back to this source and add a few more in over the years.

In 2009 when this hen gained her first Open position in the Friendship race Leslie got two birds together and Arnold Thompson who races to the same garden got one as well and between them they were 4th, 5th and 6th Open.

In preparation for the National this year the hen was raced down Ireland and then given Talbenny. After that she was trained either with Ron Williamson to Laytown or Leslie takes the birds himself to Skerries. 2011 was a great year for Leslie at National level with 5 birds timed out of 7 sent to the King’s Cup.


Ruth Rodgers presents the Friendship Nat Diploma to Leslie Woodside.