From the Barrow Valley 13.

This week we have the Irish Homing Union National Flying Club race from Valentia to look forward to, it is the longest inland national race for us before we cross the channel, and it is a race that all the local clubs look forward to as it gives us all an opportunity to race directly against each other, so there is no hiding place for those that want to compete.

Three Counties RPC. Valentia with the IHUNFC.
Tom and Shane McNally won in the Three Counties with a velocity of 1554ypm, this is possibly the best velocity in our area from quite a sizable send with the National. Well done to Tom & Shane on a fine performance.


Tom & Shane McNally holding thier winner of the Valentia Island Race, in the Three Counties RPC. 

Carlow South RPC. From Valentia with the IHUNFC. Has Dwyane Brennan at the top of the sheet again this week. On a velocity of 1552ypm. His winner is a two year old blue hen that has already won, 1st Club, 1st Section and 2nd Federation last year as a yearling. This year as a two year old from the previous three races, she has scored 2nd club Pilmore Beach [1], 2nd club Pilmore Beach [2] and 3rd club from Castletown, this week the hen goes one better by taking 1st Club, 2nd section, 5th federation from this Valentia Island race.


Dwyane Brennan holding his winner from Valentia Island.

Tom Gorman is in at third position 1513ypm with a yearling cock closely followed by Michael Purcell junior & family with two, two year olds on 1492 & 1485ypm.

Carlow & District SRRPC. Valentia with the IHUNFC.
Anthony Kavanagh finishing on a velocity of 1447ypm had the best in the Carlow & district SRRPC from Willy Doyle in second place. There was good clocking and returns in this club as well with Roly Brennan clocking the next four together followed by Jimmy Kell and Reggie Condron filling the final places in the top ten.


Anthony Kavanagh winner of the Valentia Race in the Carlow & District RPC race from Valentia Island.

Barrow Valley RPC.  Valentia with the IHUNFC.
The winner in this week’s race is  JJ Hurley, racing a three year old cock, velocity 1535.7ypm and raced on the roundabout system, followed by Billy brooks with a yearling flown on the natural system. JJ Hurley, Davy Hurley & Joe Brennan filled the remainder of the top ten positions in this club.


JJ Hurley, winner from Valentia Island in the Barrow Valley RPC.

Carlow & District RPC. Valentia with the IHUNFC.  
Paul Byrne had the winner here for the second week in a row on a velocity of 1535. 4ypm Great to see Paul making a comeback after taking a back seat in proceedings for a couple of years, he was always one to watch and could always fly a good pigeon, well done Paul. Within a decimal 1535.0 John Fagan had the next one here in this club followed by PJ Nangle of Carlow Pigeon supplies with two his first on 1532ypm and the next one on 1517ypm, sandwiched between these two was one to Shane Stronge on 1517ypm another strong competitor in the Carlow & District.

Carlow Premier RPC. Valentia with the IHUNFC.
Slawomir Wolosyn made a clean sweep of the top positions in the Carlow Premier, his best velocity was 1533ypm. Ger Moran, Colm Keating, John Jackson & Pa Holohan were all in contention with birds clocked within minutes of the winner.


Slavic holding his latest winner from Valentia Island, in the Carlow Premier RPC.

Well the first Inland National is over, and as I predicted it was a very close affair between the clubs in our area, the five club winners mentioned all finished within a few yards of each other and all will feature in the section results, so well done to all concerned. It’s not easy to get a detailed report on all the birds and the fanciers that own them, I am heavily involved with running a marking station along with club activities and helping out with the National, if fanciers could e-mail some information and photos of their winning pigeons and themselves, I will be only too glad to put it all together for dispatch to the fancy press, as it is very time consuming to follow people for information.

It’s now Wednesday, late again for the deadline, but hopefully it will get in the next available issue.  Marking for the first channel race is tomorrow, Thursday, race Saturday, then a club/fed race from Barlycove, mark Friday, race on Saturday and the INFC Inland National from Skibbereen, with marking on Monday for a race on Tuesday. So as you can see, a fairly hectic schedule, any help with sending in results would be much appreciated.

Just a few lines on the Valentia race with the IHUNFC.

The Bolger Family from Wexford had a fantastic win in the Irish Homing Union National Flying Club race from Valentia Island at the weekend, taking the first three positions in quick succession from an entry of two thousand four hundred birds.

The winner was bred by Derek Walsh of Dynasty Lofts in Waterford, the pigeon is a direct son of Mr Blue Skies, the 2017 IHUNFC winner for Derek when competing against two thousand three hundred birds. Mr Blue Skies is a grandson of the world famous “ Di Caprio “ from the legendry Leo Herman & a grandson of Golden Bolt, full brother to Bolt first national ace pigeon 2013 later sold for a world record price of €320,000.  The dam of the winning cock for the Bolger family was home bred, and which is still in the racing team, she carries the bloodlines of DiCaprio and is a granddaughter of the world famous “Gold Dust” one of the best breeding sisters of the first national Ace Pigeon “Kittel”.  The other birds clocked are from the lofts breeders which consist of Olimpiad/Di Caprio, Van den Bulck, & Karel Laenens Pitbull lines.

I would like to thank Derek Walsh for the above information on the Bolger family pigeons, but would also like to point out that Derek Walsh himself had a fantastic race taking a total of seven positions in the top ten [provisional ] result. I will get more info and some photos on his birds & results for another day, well done all.

Punch.