IRISH NATIONAL FLYING CLUB - SKIBBEREEN OB INLAND NATIONAL
The first of the 6 races organized by the Irish National Flying Club was held on Tuesday 29th May from Skibbereen in County Cork. Overall 392 members sent 3,588 birds to compete for £13,442 in pools and prizemoney, down on the season previous. Liberation was at 8.30am in a Lt Northerly wind and the early birds made good time as usual. The race was sponsored once again by Bamfords Top Flight and we are very grateful to them for their continued sponsorship. The race took the same format as previous few years with the Ronnie Johnston Challenge Cup and Diploma awarded to the Overall winner and the Gerald Delaney Trophy awarded to the best velocity of the other two sections. The winner of 1st Section with the lowest winning velocity will receive a coveted INFC Diploma. There are no INFC Open positions for the Skibbereen Nationals, but prizes are allocated to the three sections. As the result is divided into 3 sections I intend to cover the Top 5 in the three sections in this article as has been past practice. Race winner and 1st South Sect was won by P J Nangle of Carlow & District recording velocity 1308, 1st North Sect was Ronnie Williamson from Newry & Dist 1226 and 1st Middle Sect was Derek Tierney of the Sarsfield RPC in Dublin 1264. P J Nangle wins 2 bags of mixture with 3 bags each going to R Williamson NIPA, J Ward & Son Ulster Fed, J Patterson East Down Combine, T & T Moorehouse & Grandson ECF, P Quirke SLF and D Tierney ISRF. Homers Odyssey will feature Centre Results, Combine & Fed Results and Club Results.
PJ Nangle from Carlow & District, 2nd South Sect 2017 and 1st South Sect & 1st Open 2018
Montage - PJ Nangle's 1st Open Winner Caoimhe photo by Thomas Hore. Montage - PJ Nangle's 3 x 1st Open Nat winners photo by Thomas Hore.
1st South Sect & 1st Open INFC P J Nangle, Carlow & District Vel 1308 flying 133 miles winning £220 and the Ronnie Johnston Challenge Cup
This yearling Blue hen is a Louis Cooreman and is bred from pigeons that PJ Nangle purchased at one of Bob Fenech's sales in Dublin. She is named after PJ's daughter. She was a very good racing hen having previously won 1st Club, 1st Fed, 1st Sect C and 12th Open IHU Nat FC Barleycove Young Bird National. PJ is a huge supporter of the INFC and has been, since he started in pigeons many years ago, often travelling to the marking station in Lisburn on his own with just a couple of birds. Nowadays he brings all of the pigeons from our area to Lisburn and is the most reliable person one could ask for, organising the pick-up of the birds, making sure the lads have their race sheets filled in properly and even getting the correct sterling draft to cover the cost of all the bird's entered, which must be a huge convenience for the marking station official's, then returning clocks, envelopes, and baskets to each member. Well said Francis Martin Corcoran.
We would just like to express the grateful thanks of the INFC members in the Carlow area for the work PJ puts into the INFC on our behalf to ensure that we all can participate in National racing with the INFC, and finally, to congratulate him on his win yesterday.
2nd South Sect D Begley, Carlow & District Vel 1259 flying 132 miles winning £80
From the same club Donal was to finish runner-up in Carlow & Dist, runner-up South Sect and 3rd Open overall. In the South Sect the loft was also placed 6th, 11th and 12th for a good card. The lofts first bird a yearling Blue cock was from a Janssen Blue hen from Les Green of Manchester paired to a Blue Pied Soontjen cock from Sean Milligan & Daughter from NI. He was flying Widowhood and feeding was Natural as supplied by Sheldon Leonard of Arklow.
Donal Begley from Carlow & District 2nd South Sect Skibbereen.
3rd South Sect Shane OHara, Monasterevin RPC Vel 1258 flying 124 miles winning £60
Shane OHara had the big early bird in Monasterevin RPC the Blue yearling hen was bred from his best stock. Dam a Van Reet cross won 1st Fed , 2nd IHU Nat FC, & 2nd Section in 2015 and the sire was a Willy Tass bird bred for stock. Other positions won in Skibbereen National includes 4th, 20th, 44th , 51st, and 60th. Another good all round team performance, well done Shane.
4th South Sect J Hamilton & Sons, Leinster Premier CC Vel 1256 flying 115 miles winning £41
Jimmy Hamilton is a tireless worker for the sport in his own area of competition and enjoys the top racing provided by the INFC. Jimmy's birds bloodlines is a Steffan Lambrecht. Its sire was bred by Steffan Lambrecht and its mother is also a Steffan Lambrecht bred by John Ruttenburg from Baarn in Holland, without doubt he has the best of this bloodline. Jimmy also had another bird that was 10th Open in this race. This pigeon is another Steffan Lambrecht. Sire was bred by John Ruttenburg and its dam was bred by Robin Van Leuven from Berlaar in Belgium.
Jimmy Hamilton from the Leinster Premier CC holding his 4th South Sect Skibbereen.
5th South Sect Patrick Quirke, Wexford North & South Vel 1255 flying 130 miles winning £28
Packie timed a Blue Ch 2 year old hen, 1st in Wexford North & South and the top bird in the South Leinster Fed. Sire Karel Boeckx from ace flyer Terry Kehoe of Wexford and the dam was also sourced in Wexford from Robbie Smyth, a Staf Van Reet. The Cheq hen was 2nd Open Skibbereen National 2016 Young Bird national and was not raced in 2017. 7th Club Barleycove on 19/6/18. Maybe one just to keep for Skibbereen.
Packie Quirke from Wexford North & South holding his 5th South Sect Skibbereen bird , with his daughter Caitlin.
1st & 2nd Middle Sect D Tierney, Sarsfield RPC Vel 1264 and 1250 flying 174 miles winning £601 and the Gerald Delaney Trophy for the Best Vel in the Sect not winning the Open
The winner of the Middle Section and a coveted Gerald Delaney Trophy is Derek Tierney racing with the Sarsfield club in Dublin. Derek has had a terrific Young Bird season last time winning 5 out of 11 races in the highly competitive Sarsfield RPC. Derek is the proverbial small loft fancier with just a 20ft loft to house all his birds, and only keeps three pairs of stock pigeons. This Blue hen was bred by Kevin Rooney, Son & Daughter from Annalong in Co Down from their Hereman Ceusters stock. The sire is a full brother to their No 1 Ceusters hen while the sire is a full bother of De Jan, while the dam is a granddaughter of De Jan. This blue hen has previously been 11th Club (840 birds), & 46th ISRF (9,000 birds) and 3rd Club (741 birds), & 22nd Fed (9,000 birds). Derek has named his section winner Pearls Angel after his mother-in-law who sadly died three years ago.
Pearls Angel 1st Middle Sect Skibbereen 2017 & 2018 for Derek Tierney of Sarsfield RPC in Dublin. Photo Eddie Barry.
A delighted Derek said - Want to thank the lads for breeding me the hen that won again yesterday from Skibbreen National thats 2 x 1st Middle Section wins back to back 10th National, and 2nd National this time. I would also like to thank Brian Brady and Formula 1 Lofts for supplying the sire and dam of the 2nd hen yesterday what a pair these are turning out to be the nest-mate of the 2nd bird is Frill Pearl, 5th Best young bird ISRF 2017. It has 1st Club, 1st section C, 6th Open Barleycove and 2nd Club, 2nd Section C, 7th Fed Thurles. Thanks again lads Derek Tierney.
3rd Middle Sect P Keegan & L Darling, Donnycarney Vel 1238 flying 179 miles winning £218
The first bird is a 2 year old hen, as a yearling was 95th Skibbereen National 2017 along with some good Fed and Club positions. This year she was 7th in the IHU Nat FC from Valencia. 9 days before the Skibbereen National. Where she came to top the station and take 13th place. My second bird finished 53rd is from my friend Ian Vernon crossed with Apollo from Sean Hunts lines. Paul Keegan. The winners of last years Skibbereen Old Bird National were Paul Keegan and Luke Darling from the Donnycarney club in Dublin who have been racing together for 15 years. Paul is a Vice-President of the Irish Honing Union and also served on the INFC committee for eight years, while Luke is secretary of the Northside club. Its good to see two men who put so much into the sport get something out of it. Well placed again after winning the event in 2017.
Paul Keegan & Luke Darling from Donnycarney, Skibbereen Nat winners in 2017 and this time 3rd in the Middle Section.
Two more super workers for the sport.
4th Middle Sect G Cully, Finglas RPC Vel 1237 flying 177 miles winning £166
George Cully timed a Vandenabeele, parents from Grogan and Kearns of Finglas rpc. My good friend Tomas gifted me the sire and I myself purchased the dam back in 2012. She has also had a first 1st Club, 15th Fed 9,842 birds, and a 2nd Club, 21st Fed 7,561 birds, good consistent racer in a big club in Dublin.
This bird for George Cully of the Finglas RPC in Dublin finished 4th Middle Sect from Skibbereen.
5th Middle Sect McCabe & Byrne, Dublin North County RPC Vel 1232 flying 180 miles winning £142
Bird was sourced from partners in the North of Ireland, it is a Stephaan Lambrecht blue hen and was bred by Gibb and Byrne of Lisburn, they have some of the very best. Henry Byrne is based at Sandyhill Stud in Dublin, big chief in the ISRF and can auction a bird as well.
1st North Sect R Williamson, Newry & Dist Vel 1226 flying 219 miles winning £350 INFC Diploma for 1st Sect with Lowest Winning Velocity
Ron times another in a top winning line, Blue Cheq w/f hen was timed at 13.44hrs best bird in the Banbridge Centre and 1st North Section flying 219 miles. Since starting to race on his own after leaving the Bertie Fletcher set up in Portadown he has broken all the records with the number of wins in the Mighty NIPA into Bondhill, now getting nicely set up in Newry at the NI Border.
Ronnie Williamson from Newry & District, Cheq w/f yearling hen raced by Ron Williamson
best in Banbridge Centre and 1st North Sect 1st North Sect Skibbereen flying 219 miles.
2nd North Sect Mark Maguire & Son, Millvale Vel 1224 flying 217 miles winning £600
Another top racer in Newry, Mark Maguire & Son from Millvale have had great success over the last number of years and this time just behind the North Sect winner Ron Williamson.
Mark Maguire from Millvale in Newry, 2nd North Section Skibbereen.
3rd North Sect J Greenaway, Dromore HPS Vel 1224 flying 235 miles winning £250
This yearling hen was 6th Sect D & 16th Open NIPA Rosscarberry YB National 2017, add to that 3rd in the North Sect in the OB Skibbereen and probably more to come. Jeff Greenaway is usually there when the Dromore HPS results turn up, highest prize-winner for many many years and without doubt the man to beat.
Jeffrey Greenaway from Dromore in County Down and the vast number of awards won last season.
4th North Sect I Rollins & Son, Hillsborough & Maze Vel 1218 flying 240 miles winning £200
The bird in question was bred by my good friend Stephen Fegan (Fegan & McAdorey) from the Abbey Social club in Belfast formerly known as the Alexandra HPS in the Ulster Fed. The sire and the dam are both 1st Fed Open Winners for Stevie, in fact the sire has 3 x 1sts and has also bred a 1st Fed Open winner as well. The Sire is a direct Belgium bird, bred by Fabian Peters and the Dam was purchased from Gerald Delaney of the Oroory Hill Stud in Dromore. Birds are raced Roundabout and are trained by Joe Brown of Lurgan whom I would like to thank. This bird achieved 32nd Section with 2667 birds competing from Gowran Park earlier in the season. My birds have now won 8 x 1st Sections in less than a season and a half, plus I've finished runner-up 7 times as well. Last season the loft achieved against top competition Old Bird Section D Fancier of the Year. Well done Clyde.
I Rollins & Son from Hills & Maze finished 4th North Sect from Skibbereen.
5th North Sect D Mawhinney & Son, Beechpark Social Vel 1213 flying 235 miles winning £124
Slate Cock GB15B08813 a very consistent racer for me although a previous winner before winning 1st Club, 5th North Section with the INFC. He is raced on a basic widowhood system keeping everything simple, although rested before going to Skibbereen owing to the very warm weather. The sire and dam were bred by Syndicate Lofts for my long-time friend Jack Walker from Cannock, indeed Jack has supplied many top performance pigeons not only for myself by many other fanciers. Jack actually loaned me the parents of this cock. The Sire of 08813 is of Galveston & Sabina the Dam is of Hollywood & Andrea. These lines have raced very well for me over the years crossed with my old "Glendi" line. Long standing Treasurer having now retired from the port will have more time to sort the racing, good result from Skibbereen.
Davy Mawhinney from Beechpark Social, holding his 5th North Sect Skibbereen winner.
The INFC Committee are grateful once again for all the help at the race marking, and also all those involved in the various Clock Centres across Ireland, every little bit of help is appreciated. On a personal note thanks to all those who supplied text and photos for this report or helped in any other way. The more info we get the better job can be done, any little snips, details of the bird itself plus info on the sire and dam.
Any awards won previous, how long in the birds etc.
Willie Reynolds - INFC Press Officer
Tel/Fax: (028) 256 44683
Mobile: 07538 238364
Twitter: willie reynolds@homerbhw
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