The Queen Of Ireland

by Liam O Comain

Within the context of pigeon racing history, it is recorded that the longest distance winner of the Irish National Flying Club (south road) National was the great Bann King of Anthony McDonald (Coleraine) from Les Sables at a distance of 633 miles. Whereas the longest Irish north road National winner was that of Dan Kenneally of Cork from Lerwick at 640 miles. Record holders within their own geographical race perspective.

But I have heard of other great Irish pigeons racing from further distances than those stated. Until recently those examples of thoroughbred athletes who had to face two water crossings, aside from the long miles over land configurations on their way to Ireland, seemed to be but the contents of a dream. However, what  appeared to be a dream I can now reveal as a reality.

The reality is the aptly named Queen Of Ireland, a light mealy hen bred and raced by the late Jack Leathem of Downpatrick in County Down in the north of Ireland. Her owner was, in the opinion of many of the earlier writers on the sport, one of the top distance European flyers in the early years of the 20th century. In fact it is written that he never failed to time from a distance event whatever the conditions in that era when the transport of our pigeons was no more than primitive.

Leathem was a fancier from boyhood and through a long pigeon career he served for a while as the loft manager of the great Irish pigeoner E. A. Robinson. In fact when Robinson won 1st, 2nd and 4th National in a King's Cup race in the 1930s Jack Leathem was his loft manager. That was in 1937 and it was the very same year when Leathem scored his most notable success as a pigeoner.

In relation to this success some years prior, our subject had obtained a cock bird from another Irish stalwart of the sport named Izaac Greenaway and although lacking information re its mate it fathered a light mealy hen which in due course flew Redon (France) twice and in her racing career won seven firsts, eight seconds and four thirds. Well with such an outstanding racer in his loft Jack Leathem, like all great pioneers, dreamt dreams that never were and asked why not. Thus his precious mealy hen went to San Sebastian with the English based National Flying Club and won 150th Open position in the National. There were 1,728  pigeons in the convoy.

Now we all know or can imagine what it is to face such an awesome task into Britain from the Spanish  race point but to continue on one's own across the Irish sea into the north of Ireland confirms one as the thoroughbred athlete of thoroughbred athletes. For taking all into consideration - the distance, the terrain, the time in the basket and the travelling circumstances, etc., Jack Leathem's mealy exhibited one of the greatest acts of flying in the history of pigeon racing. And although lacking Leathem's measurements the distance must be approximately 800 miles.

The sire of the mealy was Leathem's best stock cock and in his career he sired 1st Milford smash, 1st and 2nd Milford, 1st Penzance as well as being the grandsire of many other winners. He was of Gits (Belgium) and W. C. Moore (Britain) bloodlines. What a pigeon and what a daughter! But an example of pigeons bred and raced in 'the parish next door to America' - the land of Erin!