Pigeon Network

INFC Merit Awards – The presentation for 2015 season will take place in the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim on Friday 8th January at 8.00pm, hot buffet chicken and beef will be served, pay at the door £10. A few rooms have been booked at corporate rate for those intending to stay over, contact Sid Collins for full details. Tel 07760 238832 or e-mail sidcollins@hotmail.co.uk

Guests this year for the panel will include Rodger Lowe and Eamon Kelly who won 2015 Blue Riband Grand National from Tarbes having won it previously racing in partnership with the late Frank Lloyd, the last year the event was flown from Pau. Eamon is also the National Flying Club Race Controller, both he and Rodger Lowe have a mountain of information. To assist with a table plan, those intending to attend as a group should contact Sid.

The Irish National Flying Club will hold their annual Merit Award Night on Friday 8th January 2016 in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim. This has turned out to be a key night for fanciers throughout Ireland as the Merit Awards are presented to birds twice in the result from the King’s Cup or Friendship National. The night will start off with a presentation of cheques to 5 selected charities by the Charity Committee, followed by the presentation of the Merit Awards and to the runner up INFC National Champion. Ronnie Johnston will then provide a history of the INFC. The finale of the evening is the Moot and once again Sid has put together a top class panel with guests Eamon Kelly, winner of NFC Tarbes National 2015, and Roger Lowe known to all for his outstanding racing performances and recent DVD release on his methods. Admission is £10 to include hot buffet payable at the door and rooms in the Dunsilly Hotel can be booked at discounted prices.

Brendan McLoughlin
INFC Press Officer

The Irish National Flying Club will hold their annual Merit Award Night on Friday 8th January 2016 in the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim. This has turned out to be a key night for fanciers throughout Ireland as the Merit Awards are presented to birds twice in the result from the King’s Cup or Friendship National. The night will start off with a presentation of cheques to 5 selected charities by the Charity Committee, followed by the presentation of the Merit Awards and to the runner up INFC National Champion. Ronnie Johnston will then provide a history of the INFC. The finale of the evening is the Moot and once again Sid has put together a top class panel with guests Eamon Kelly, winner of NFC Tarbes National 2015, and Roger Lowe known to all for his outstanding racing performances and recent DVD release on his methods. Admission is £10 to include hot buffet payable at the door and rooms in the Dunsilly Hotel can be booked at discounted prices.

Brendan McLoughlin
INFC Press Officer

Capper Bros of Bondhill win De Scheemaecker Trophy for Runner-up in the
National Championship. Best by 52 seconds over the six races.


Kings Cup Merit Award presented to Arnold Thompson of Ballyclare & Dist.
2013 St Allouestre 103rd, 2015 St Allouestre 96th.


Friendship Merit Award presented to Robin Duddy of Ballyclare & Dist.
2013 Quimper 15th, 2015 Quimper 85th.


Kings Cup Merit Award presented to Mark Ewbanks, Banbridge Soc.
2012 Plaudren-Vannes 22nd, 2015 St Allouestre 8th.


The French Diploma presented by Ronnie Johnston (l) for Best Ave St Malo Derby/Nat and Kings Cup
was won by Davy Calvin of Bondhill.


Panel guests at the INFC Merit Night in Antrim from (r) Eamon Kelly, Rodger Lowe and Kevin Godfrey.

IRISH NATIONAL FLYING CLUB - Presentation of Merit Awards

The Irish National Flying Club held their second presentation night on Friday 8 January in the Dunsilly Hotel in Antrim. Framed Diplomas were awarded for birds achieving Open results on two occasions from the Friendship National and Grand National Kings Cup races.

Although the positions were easily filled from both French races this year there were only 3 awards presented. This presentation in only its fifth year has become a very important date in the pigeon calendar and there was a good turnout for the event. The evening includes a buffet and a quiz panel, which this year included guests for the evening, Roger Lowe, Eamon Kelly and Kevin Godfrey.

The evening began with the INFC Charity Committee presenting cheques totaling £6000 raised at the INFC Charity Show in December. The charities to benefit were Autism NI, Chest, Heart and Stroke, Alzheimer’s Socity NI, Kidney Research Fund NI, Diabetis NI, Hospice NI, Children’s Hospice NI and Hope and a Future. Two cheques for £1,000 had previously been presented to Newry Hospice and Meneghitis Research NI. The 2016 INFC Charity Show will be held in Lisburn on 3rd December.

Jeff Surgenor and Alan Shanks presented a cheque on behalf of Kells & District fanciers for £1,100 to Chest, Heart and Stroke.

Ronnie Johnson then gave very interesting talk on the history of the Irish National Flying Club which all those present found extremely interesting and informative.

The Presentation of the awards followed.

While the winning of these awards are in themselves quite an achievement these birds are now all candidates for ‘Hall of Fame’ or ‘Friendship Triple’ Awards next year.

I would like to congratulate the winners

Merit Awards were won as follows:

Kings Cup: Arnold Thompson Ballyclare & Dist, GB 11 B 29849 St Allouestre 2013 – 103rd Open, St Allouestre 2015 – 96th Open; Mark Ewbanks Banbridge & Dist, Blue Bar Hen GB 10 D 02592, Plaudrens-Vannes 2012 – 22nd Open, St Allouestre 2015 – 8th Open: Friendship National: Robin Duddy Ballyclare & Dist, Blue Bar Hen,GB 10 B 37794, Quimper 2013 – 15th Open, Quimper 2015 – 85th Open:

The De Scheemaecker Trophy for runner up to the National Champion for best average all National races was presented to Capper Bros Annaghmore who were beaten by the smallest of margins in the competition for the National Championhip, won by Collins & Douglas which brings me to Sid. Sid Collins is the chief organizer of the Merit Award Night but was unable to attend as he was in hospital at the time. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Sid a speedy recovery. David Calvin Bondhill was presented with the French Diploma for best average St Malo OB Derby and St Allouestre Kings Cup.

We would like to thank our guests Roger Lowe, Kevin Godfrey and Eamon Kelly for travelling over from England. Thanks to Homer for the photographs.

Brendan McLoughlin INFC PRO


Arnold Thompson of Ballyclare (l) collects Kings Cup Merit Award from Wesley Sawyers.


Mark Ewbanks from Banbridge Social wins the Kings Cup Merit Award.


Robin Duddy from Ballyclare won the Friendship Nat Merit Award.


Willie Capper of Capper Bros collects De Scheemaecker Trophy from Wesley Sawyers.
INFC Patron Ronnie Johnston is included.


Ronnie Johnston (l) presents the French Diploma to Davy Calvin of Bondhill Social.


Ronnie presents cheque to Margaret on behalf of Alzheimers Society NI.


Wesley Sawyers presents cheque to Alice of NI Diabetis.


John Edgar presents cheque to Valerie representing NI Chest Heart & Stroke.


Jack Delaney (l) and John ONeill present cheque to Sarah Jane for Autism NI.


Francis Gilmore (r) presents cheque to John and Betty representing NI Kidney Research.


Show Secretary Sam Briggs (r) presents cheque to Kevin and Moore
of Randalstown based Hope & A Future.


Barry Telford presents cheque to Karherine representing NI Hospice
and NI Childrens Hospise.


Jeff Surgenor (l) and Alan Shanks of Kells & Dist present cheque
for £1,110 to Valerie representing NI Chest Heart & Stroke.