Ballymena & Distict season 2025 -
Posted: Tue Jan 20, 2026 11:09 am
Ballymena & District End Of Season Report 2025
The Ballymena & District pigeon club held their prize giving in the local clubrooms on Friday 16th January. Tea and coffee along with the usual top class cakes and buns baked by Val Eagleson were the order of the day. The club enjoyed another top season racing with the Mid Antrim Combine and the NIPA. Top prizewinners were Johnston Eagleson & Sons who won 10 races and while racing with the Mid Antrim Combine won eleven awards - Bryan Eagleson Memorial Cup for best average 1st & 2nd Dale, Bude & Penzance, Old Bird Inland Points, Old Bird Inland Average, Champions League, Old bird Knockout, Old bird Channel Points, Old bird Average, Old Bird Cross Channel Average, William McIlhagga Memorial Cup for 1st bird in the NIPA Old Bird French National, New North Cup for Best Average Bude & Dale YB National and the Les Mairs Memorial cup for Old Bird Fanciers of the year. While racing with the NIPA they won an outstanding six awards, Section B Champion OB of the year, Section B Old Bird Channel Fanciers of the year, Les Mairs cup for 1st Section B Plougastel OB French National, Harper Cup for Best Average Plougastel OB National & Dale YB National, Scania Cup for Best Average Plougastel OB National & Penzance OB Classic and the McCluggage Cup for Best Average In All Channel Races Including Nationals. Runner up in the prize list was treasurer Robin Service who won four races including the INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National, Corrin 5 Bird Championship and the Dunmanway YB National were he finishing 2nd Combine & 2nd Section. Bertie Blair was third in the list winning six races and over the season won top ten Combine positions of 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and twice 10th followed by club Secretary Keith Kernohan and son Callum with three wins including Penzance 3rd Section & 16th Open and Penzance OB Classic 1st Combine & 12th Open NIPA. Shane Johnston & Son won three firsts, Trevor Johnston & Son also won three firsts including 1st & 2nd Combine & 1st & 2nd Section from Kilbeggan young birds and Martin Graham completed the list with two young bird wins.
Prizewinner Points List 2025
J Eagleson & Sons 485
R Service & Son 259
Blair & Rankin 215
K & K Kernohan & Sons 198
S Johnston & Son 180
T Johnston & Son 132
M Graham 38
J Eagleson & Sons 10 x 1st
Harper Cup - Highest Prize-winner
1st Roscrea OB
Dunmanway OB Inland National
Slemish Cup 1st Dale OB
2nd Dale OB
Corrin OB
Bude OB
Dunmanway OB NIPA Yearling National
2nd Cloughmartin OB
McDowell Challenge Cup & George Barr Cup - NIPA OB National
Best Average 2nd Dale & Penzance
OB Inland Average cup
OB Average
NIPA OB National 2 Bird Average
Cross Channel Average
Mooney Cup - Best Individual Old Bird Performance GB21B16451 'Channel Princess' Blue wf hen 1st Section & 7th Open
Ruddell Cup & Vintage Cup - NIPA Dale Young Bird National
Harper Trophy - Best Average NIPA OB National & Nipa Dale YB National
Jacqueline Kirkpatrick Memorial Shield - Best Average NIPA OB National & NIPA Dale YB National
R Service & Son 4 x 1st
2nd Roscrea OB
Corrin OB 5 Bird
Carnvale Cup - INFC Penzance Yearling National
Livingstone Bros Cup - Best 2 Bird Average Penzance INFC Yearling National
Bill Carney Rose Bowl - Nipa Old Bird Of The Year - GB23X15178 'Wee Cyril'
NIPA Dunmanway YB National cup
Blair & Rankin 6 x 1st
Kilbeggan OB
1st Fermoy OB
Cloughmartin OB
1st Kilbeggan YB
1st Fermoy YB Roger King Cup
Flamingo Cup - Best Average NIPA Dale National & NIPA Dunmanway YB National
INFC Skibbereen YB National
K & K Kernohan & Sons 3 x 1st
Penzance OB
Bobby Law Cup - 1st Yearling in Penzance OB - 'Knock Out' Blue Cock GB24B24114
McCrory Cup - Best Average 1st Roscrea OB, Fermoy OB, 1st Dale & Penzance
Penzance OB Classic
Grenagh YB
S Johnston & Son 3 x 1st
Grenagh OB
INFC Skibbereen OB Inland National
Benamore YB
INFC Points Cup
T Johnston & Son 3 x 1st
2nd Kilbeggan YB
Corrin YB
Corrin 5 Bird
Young Bird Of The Year - GB25B35721
Victory Cup - YB Average
YB Inland Average
Best Individual Young Bird Performance - GB25B35722 1st Section Kilbeggan YB
M Graham 2 x 1st
1st Roscrea YB
Cloughmartin YB
Old Bird Winners
Kilbeggan OB - Blair & Rankin 1303, 10th Combine, 21st Section & 85th Open 12747 birds
1st Roscrea OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1790, 5th Combine, 15th, 38th Section & 198th Open 19571 birds
2nd Roscrea OB - R Service & Son 1269, 4th Combine & 18th Section 3426 birds
1st Fermoy OB - Blair & Rankin 1793, 2nd Combine 6th, 33rd Section & 13th, 104th Open 22595 birds
Grenagh OB - S Johnston & Son 1329, 3rd Combine, 6th, 7th, 19th, 33rd, 43rd, 47th Section 2378 birds
Dunmanway OB Inland National - J Eagleson & Sons 1563, 6th Combine & 10th, 13th, 18th & 21st Section 353 birds. R Service & Son 22nd Section
Cloughmartin OB - Blair & Rankin 1606, 2nd Combine 5th, 44th Section & 177th Open 12963 birds
1st Dale OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1519, 8th Combine, 11th, 14th, 21st, 32nd Section & 17th, 32nd, 49th, 69th, 210th, 246th, 254th, 288th, 315th Open 10776 birds. S Johnston & Son 39th, 130th, 262nd Open, Blair & Rankin 195th Open, K & K Kernohan & Sons 243rd Open,
2nd Dale OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1396, 1st Combine, 1st, 5th, 8th, 16th, 48th Section & 16th, 58th, 130th, 199th Open 6954 birds. Blair & Rankin 256th & 334th Open
Corrin OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1561, 7th Combine, 19th, 22nd, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 46th Section 761 birds
Corrin OB 5 Bird - R Service & Son 1549, 6th Combine
Skibbereen INFC OB Inland National - S Johnston & Son 1537, 5th & 7th Combine
INFC Penzance Yearling National - R Service & Son 1129, 20th & 27th Combine
Bude OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1333, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Combine, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 21st, 31st, 38th Section & 35th, 77th, 90th, 171st, 276th Open 5631 birds
Dunmanway OB NIPA Yearling National - J Eagleson & Sons 1449, 1st & 7th Combine, 5th & 12th Section 247 birds. R Service & Son 2nd & 3rd Combine and 6th & 8th Section.
Penzance OB - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1440, 2nd Combine, 3rd Section & 16th Open 4741 birds. R Service & Son 6th, 47th Section & 52nd Open, S Johnston & Son 10th Section & 99th Open, J Eagleson & Sons 11th, 14th, 31st Section & 100th, 111th, 333rd Open, Blair & Rankin 15th Section & 125th Open.
Penzance OB Classic - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1440, 1st Combine, 2nd Section & 12th Open 1848 birds. R Service & Son 4th Section & 36th Open, S Johnston & Son 7th Section & 59th Open, J Eagleson & Sons 8th, 9th Section & 60th, 63rd Open, Blair & Rankin 10th Section & 72nd Open.
2nd Cloughmartin OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1677, 1st Combine, 4th, 18th, 21st, 34th, 35th, 36th, 38th Section 121st, 223rd, 247th, 326th, 333rd, 334th Open 3338 birds
Plougastel NIPA OB National - J Eagleson & Sons 1149 & 676, 1st & 6th Combine, 1st & 9th Section, 7th & 98th Open 1414 birds
Young Birds Winners
1st Kilbeggan YB - Blair & Rankin 1452, 4th Combine & 18th Section 1043 birds
2nd Kilbeggan YB - T Johnston & Son 1521 & 1521, 1st & 2nd Combine & 1st & 2nd Section 2119 birds
1st Roscrea YB - M Graham 1636, 3rd & 5th Combine & 6th & 11th Section, 72nd & 133rd Open 14578 birds
Cloughmartin YB - M Graham 1476, 2nd Combine, 8th Section & 69th Open 13836 birds
1st Fermoy - Blair & Rankin 1262, 20th Combine, 30th & 32nd Section 1405 birds
Corrin YB - T Johnston & Son 1673, 4th & 12th Combine, 11th & 28th Section, 100th & 274th Open 7902 birds
Corrin 5 Bird T Johnston & Son 1673, 2nd & 4th Combine, 3rd & 6th Section, 18th Open 609 birds
Benamore YB - S Johnston & Son 1721, 15th Combine, 20th Section, 316th Open 6342 birds
Grenagh YB - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1725, 5th Combine, 11th, 13th, 28th, 30th, 33rd, 41st Section 501 birds
NIPA Dale Young Bird National - J Eagleson & Sons 1370, 3rd Combine, 4th Section & 43rd Open 1888 birds, Blair & Rankin 6th Section & 54th Open, T Johnston & Son 19th Section 121st Open, M Graham 20th Section.
NIPA Dunmanway YB National - R Service & Son 1818, 2nd Combine & 2nd Section, Blair & Rankin 3rd & 7th Combine & 4th & 9th Section.
INFC Skibbereen YB National - Blair & Rankin
Mervyn Eagleson.
See the report on Elimar Pigeons click here! https://www.elimarpigeons.com/articles/ ... 5-27-01-26
The Ballymena & District pigeon club held their prize giving in the local clubrooms on Friday 16th January. Tea and coffee along with the usual top class cakes and buns baked by Val Eagleson were the order of the day. The club enjoyed another top season racing with the Mid Antrim Combine and the NIPA. Top prizewinners were Johnston Eagleson & Sons who won 10 races and while racing with the Mid Antrim Combine won eleven awards - Bryan Eagleson Memorial Cup for best average 1st & 2nd Dale, Bude & Penzance, Old Bird Inland Points, Old Bird Inland Average, Champions League, Old bird Knockout, Old bird Channel Points, Old bird Average, Old Bird Cross Channel Average, William McIlhagga Memorial Cup for 1st bird in the NIPA Old Bird French National, New North Cup for Best Average Bude & Dale YB National and the Les Mairs Memorial cup for Old Bird Fanciers of the year. While racing with the NIPA they won an outstanding six awards, Section B Champion OB of the year, Section B Old Bird Channel Fanciers of the year, Les Mairs cup for 1st Section B Plougastel OB French National, Harper Cup for Best Average Plougastel OB National & Dale YB National, Scania Cup for Best Average Plougastel OB National & Penzance OB Classic and the McCluggage Cup for Best Average In All Channel Races Including Nationals. Runner up in the prize list was treasurer Robin Service who won four races including the INFC Sennen Cove Yearling National, Corrin 5 Bird Championship and the Dunmanway YB National were he finishing 2nd Combine & 2nd Section. Bertie Blair was third in the list winning six races and over the season won top ten Combine positions of 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and twice 10th followed by club Secretary Keith Kernohan and son Callum with three wins including Penzance 3rd Section & 16th Open and Penzance OB Classic 1st Combine & 12th Open NIPA. Shane Johnston & Son won three firsts, Trevor Johnston & Son also won three firsts including 1st & 2nd Combine & 1st & 2nd Section from Kilbeggan young birds and Martin Graham completed the list with two young bird wins.
Prizewinner Points List 2025
J Eagleson & Sons 485
R Service & Son 259
Blair & Rankin 215
K & K Kernohan & Sons 198
S Johnston & Son 180
T Johnston & Son 132
M Graham 38
J Eagleson & Sons 10 x 1st
Harper Cup - Highest Prize-winner
1st Roscrea OB
Dunmanway OB Inland National
Slemish Cup 1st Dale OB
2nd Dale OB
Corrin OB
Bude OB
Dunmanway OB NIPA Yearling National
2nd Cloughmartin OB
McDowell Challenge Cup & George Barr Cup - NIPA OB National
Best Average 2nd Dale & Penzance
OB Inland Average cup
OB Average
NIPA OB National 2 Bird Average
Cross Channel Average
Mooney Cup - Best Individual Old Bird Performance GB21B16451 'Channel Princess' Blue wf hen 1st Section & 7th Open
Ruddell Cup & Vintage Cup - NIPA Dale Young Bird National
Harper Trophy - Best Average NIPA OB National & Nipa Dale YB National
Jacqueline Kirkpatrick Memorial Shield - Best Average NIPA OB National & NIPA Dale YB National
R Service & Son 4 x 1st
2nd Roscrea OB
Corrin OB 5 Bird
Carnvale Cup - INFC Penzance Yearling National
Livingstone Bros Cup - Best 2 Bird Average Penzance INFC Yearling National
Bill Carney Rose Bowl - Nipa Old Bird Of The Year - GB23X15178 'Wee Cyril'
NIPA Dunmanway YB National cup
Blair & Rankin 6 x 1st
Kilbeggan OB
1st Fermoy OB
Cloughmartin OB
1st Kilbeggan YB
1st Fermoy YB Roger King Cup
Flamingo Cup - Best Average NIPA Dale National & NIPA Dunmanway YB National
INFC Skibbereen YB National
K & K Kernohan & Sons 3 x 1st
Penzance OB
Bobby Law Cup - 1st Yearling in Penzance OB - 'Knock Out' Blue Cock GB24B24114
McCrory Cup - Best Average 1st Roscrea OB, Fermoy OB, 1st Dale & Penzance
Penzance OB Classic
Grenagh YB
S Johnston & Son 3 x 1st
Grenagh OB
INFC Skibbereen OB Inland National
Benamore YB
INFC Points Cup
T Johnston & Son 3 x 1st
2nd Kilbeggan YB
Corrin YB
Corrin 5 Bird
Young Bird Of The Year - GB25B35721
Victory Cup - YB Average
YB Inland Average
Best Individual Young Bird Performance - GB25B35722 1st Section Kilbeggan YB
M Graham 2 x 1st
1st Roscrea YB
Cloughmartin YB
Old Bird Winners
Kilbeggan OB - Blair & Rankin 1303, 10th Combine, 21st Section & 85th Open 12747 birds
1st Roscrea OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1790, 5th Combine, 15th, 38th Section & 198th Open 19571 birds
2nd Roscrea OB - R Service & Son 1269, 4th Combine & 18th Section 3426 birds
1st Fermoy OB - Blair & Rankin 1793, 2nd Combine 6th, 33rd Section & 13th, 104th Open 22595 birds
Grenagh OB - S Johnston & Son 1329, 3rd Combine, 6th, 7th, 19th, 33rd, 43rd, 47th Section 2378 birds
Dunmanway OB Inland National - J Eagleson & Sons 1563, 6th Combine & 10th, 13th, 18th & 21st Section 353 birds. R Service & Son 22nd Section
Cloughmartin OB - Blair & Rankin 1606, 2nd Combine 5th, 44th Section & 177th Open 12963 birds
1st Dale OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1519, 8th Combine, 11th, 14th, 21st, 32nd Section & 17th, 32nd, 49th, 69th, 210th, 246th, 254th, 288th, 315th Open 10776 birds. S Johnston & Son 39th, 130th, 262nd Open, Blair & Rankin 195th Open, K & K Kernohan & Sons 243rd Open,
2nd Dale OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1396, 1st Combine, 1st, 5th, 8th, 16th, 48th Section & 16th, 58th, 130th, 199th Open 6954 birds. Blair & Rankin 256th & 334th Open
Corrin OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1561, 7th Combine, 19th, 22nd, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 46th Section 761 birds
Corrin OB 5 Bird - R Service & Son 1549, 6th Combine
Skibbereen INFC OB Inland National - S Johnston & Son 1537, 5th & 7th Combine
INFC Penzance Yearling National - R Service & Son 1129, 20th & 27th Combine
Bude OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1333, 1st, 2nd, 3rd Combine, 1st, 2nd, 4th, 9th, 21st, 31st, 38th Section & 35th, 77th, 90th, 171st, 276th Open 5631 birds
Dunmanway OB NIPA Yearling National - J Eagleson & Sons 1449, 1st & 7th Combine, 5th & 12th Section 247 birds. R Service & Son 2nd & 3rd Combine and 6th & 8th Section.
Penzance OB - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1440, 2nd Combine, 3rd Section & 16th Open 4741 birds. R Service & Son 6th, 47th Section & 52nd Open, S Johnston & Son 10th Section & 99th Open, J Eagleson & Sons 11th, 14th, 31st Section & 100th, 111th, 333rd Open, Blair & Rankin 15th Section & 125th Open.
Penzance OB Classic - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1440, 1st Combine, 2nd Section & 12th Open 1848 birds. R Service & Son 4th Section & 36th Open, S Johnston & Son 7th Section & 59th Open, J Eagleson & Sons 8th, 9th Section & 60th, 63rd Open, Blair & Rankin 10th Section & 72nd Open.
2nd Cloughmartin OB - J Eagleson & Sons 1677, 1st Combine, 4th, 18th, 21st, 34th, 35th, 36th, 38th Section 121st, 223rd, 247th, 326th, 333rd, 334th Open 3338 birds
Plougastel NIPA OB National - J Eagleson & Sons 1149 & 676, 1st & 6th Combine, 1st & 9th Section, 7th & 98th Open 1414 birds
Young Birds Winners
1st Kilbeggan YB - Blair & Rankin 1452, 4th Combine & 18th Section 1043 birds
2nd Kilbeggan YB - T Johnston & Son 1521 & 1521, 1st & 2nd Combine & 1st & 2nd Section 2119 birds
1st Roscrea YB - M Graham 1636, 3rd & 5th Combine & 6th & 11th Section, 72nd & 133rd Open 14578 birds
Cloughmartin YB - M Graham 1476, 2nd Combine, 8th Section & 69th Open 13836 birds
1st Fermoy - Blair & Rankin 1262, 20th Combine, 30th & 32nd Section 1405 birds
Corrin YB - T Johnston & Son 1673, 4th & 12th Combine, 11th & 28th Section, 100th & 274th Open 7902 birds
Corrin 5 Bird T Johnston & Son 1673, 2nd & 4th Combine, 3rd & 6th Section, 18th Open 609 birds
Benamore YB - S Johnston & Son 1721, 15th Combine, 20th Section, 316th Open 6342 birds
Grenagh YB - K & K Kernohan & Sons 1725, 5th Combine, 11th, 13th, 28th, 30th, 33rd, 41st Section 501 birds
NIPA Dale Young Bird National - J Eagleson & Sons 1370, 3rd Combine, 4th Section & 43rd Open 1888 birds, Blair & Rankin 6th Section & 54th Open, T Johnston & Son 19th Section 121st Open, M Graham 20th Section.
NIPA Dunmanway YB National - R Service & Son 1818, 2nd Combine & 2nd Section, Blair & Rankin 3rd & 7th Combine & 4th & 9th Section.
INFC Skibbereen YB National - Blair & Rankin
Mervyn Eagleson.
See the report on Elimar Pigeons click here! https://www.elimarpigeons.com/articles/ ... 5-27-01-26