Alan Darragh - An Irish Master

By Liam O'Comain

In the opinion of many amongst the pigeon racing fraternity in Ireland our subject, Alan Darragh, is the best pigeoner in the island at present and indeed has been for some time. In fact there are those who consider him to be amongst the top three in the history of the sport in the western isle. And if records are anything to go by then Alan Darragh deserves the many accolades that he receives.

Alan's father, Jack Darragh, was the source which brought our subject into the sport of sports. Jack Darragh was in the sport prior to the 2nd World War but left it for a period and in due course in about the late 1950s he brought Alan home a couple of pigeons. Then in the early 1960s the father and son joined the Cullybackey Flying Club where they raced as partners. However, although continuing as partners, two lofts were erected and Jack and Alan experienced many competitive moments as they raced to the separate abodes.

As time passed by Alan married his girlfriend Betty and settled down a few miles from the family's homestead. Then when Jack decided to leave active participation in the sport in the mid-1970s Alan took the birds to his own home.

To those who know him Alan Darragh is an astute pigeoner therefore he knew that to fulfil his ambitions in the sport other bloodlines were required. This was when he opted for the pigeons of the  McCartney Bros from Moira in County Down who were past Irish National King's Cup winners in 1959 from Redon plus 2nd Open in 1962 from Les Sables. There our subject purchased 3 pigeons -  two hens and a cock. This was followed up by the purchase of a hen at Stanley Calvert’s clearance sale. The McCartneys and the latter purchase were of the Van Cutsem / Logan bloodlines. Thus, based upon the combination of the new blood and the old blood, Alan Darragh laid the basis for one of the greatest distance phenomenons in European pigeon racing at present. Of course other bloodlines have been occasionally introduced but only when our subject desires based upon due consideration.

By 1980 the Frans Van Wildemeersch bloodlines were introduced, adding speed, and in that decade (1984) Alan Darragh became the Irish National Flying Club Champion on the north road for south road racing was banned due to a disease threat. More success was to follow for amongst  the 1985  youngsters was a blue cock destined for greatness. This was the 'Independent Ranger' who, into a north wind, won the Irish National from Les Landes at a velocity of 891 ypm. As well as the McCartney bloodlines the '...Ranger' had Venner and Harper blood in its veins.

By 1989 Alan Darragh had his fair share of success but more was on the way for the lofts won via a blue cock racing from Sennen Cove (332 miles) the Irish Yearling National. This cock was named ‘Swallow Brae Lad’ and he won 1st Open on a velocity of 1027 ypm, winning £4,000 and a new car. Surely the latter successes alone had stamped Alan Darragh as one of the kingpins of the sport but more was to follow when in 2003 Alan won 1st Open from Fougeres (503 miles) as well as scoring 3rd Open in this race which is known as the Friendship National. The 3rd position pigeon  had flown from France on four occasions winning 31st Open, 13th Open, 33rd Open in the Old Bird Derby.

The lofts have also scored 2nd Open in the Old Bird National Redon (France) at 531 miles; 1st Open Northern Ireland Provincial Amalgamation Inland Derby; 2nd Open Old Bird Derby Dinard (France); another 2nd Open Old Bird Derby in 1995; 1st Open Penzance Classic (Britain); then a 3rd Open Old Bird Derby. In 2002 Alan won the  French Diploma for Best Average in the Old Bird Derby and Old Bird National. But that was not the finish for our subject won 1st Irish National Open ( 2005) Old Hens from Wadebridge in Britain. During the present year 2006, Alan was to win the Friendship Old Bird National flown from Portland in the South of England, the first loft in the history of the Irish National Flying Club to have won 5 x 1st Nationals! Alan timed his three year old Blue w/f cock at 20.08hrs to record a velocity of 1,204 ypm for the 339 miles. 1st of about 150 home in the three days allocated to the race, it being a tough fly. These are but a few of many successful positions on the tough route into the north of  Ireland.

Finally, in conclusion, the successes of Alan Darragh confirm in my mind the existence of a master at the sport of distance pigeon racing. Husbandry must be a part of his very nature for without this gift participation in the sport is strewn with many difficulties, not least is the yearly sapping of the will to continue. By reputation Alan Darragh calls a spade a spade and lacking this element of character may underlie the lack of success for many. For the sport requires 365 days of commitment based upon a directness of nature. Our subject epitomizes this. Thus I await his future successes with interest for the words - 'the record breaker' - are written in large letters high in the sky over the Swallowbrae Lofts in Ireland.