Before I start this article I would firstly
like to thank the Editor, Steve Richards and
the staff of the BHW on behalf of Richard and
John for inviting them to contribute this article
to the British Homing World Stud Book.
Set deep in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains
race one of the top stars in the mighty NIPA
the lofts of Donnelly Brothers.
The partnership of Richard and John Donnelly
came together in the year 1990. Previously they
had flown separately. John the older brother
was the first that became interested in the
sport through a fellow fancier from the Dromore
area the late Alfie Magill. This was in the
late 70s and a loft was erected for John then
12 years old and he then joined the Newry Invitation
Club in 1978 were they still race to this day.
Incidentally this first loft still forms part
of their present day set up.
In the mid 1980s the younger brother Richard
started to take an interest in the pigeons at
a tender age of 16. They both raced to the same
garden were they still fly to today. Saturdays
was always an exciting day waiting for the first
arrival. The anticipation and anxiety on a Saturday
was there to see, as both brothers didn’t
know which lofts the first pigeons would home
to. So in 1990 it was decided to come together
and form the present day partnership of Donnelly
Bros.
In the year 1990 a sale of top class winning
pigeons for the late WV Troughten of Bleary,
Co. Armagh were to come on the market as this
fancier had decided to retire from the sport.
This was a family of winning lines that had
excelled at the highest level in the mighty
NIPA winning all before them. John and Richard
decided to go to this major sale and try and
purchase some of this excellent stock. They
went to the sale and managed to buy twelve of
these pigeons. They purchased four principle
Delbar cocks and a Grondelaer Gweerts young
bird cock that had won 8th open from Tramore
from 160 miles from over 20, 000 birds and 2nd
open from Skibbereen Derby the following week,
beaten only by a loft mate. The sire of this
cock was one of the Delbar cocks that they had
purchased. This young cock now known as the
“G2”, went on to become their number
one stock cock were his bloodlines have excelled
at the highest level in NIPA racing. His bloodlines
have been responsible for attaining most of
their open winners to this day. Three direct
sons of “G2” have won NIPA opens
from over 26, 000 birds.
When acquiring new stock the brothers would
always be on the look out for winning lines.
These must be winning lines at the very top.
They like a well-balanced pigeon with good feather
quality. The racing lofts are of varying designs
with tiled apex, tin apex and flat roofs. There
are also different means of ventilation with
the old bird lofts being ventilated through
the tiles in the roof and the doors. The young
bird lofts ventilation enters via louvers along
the front of the loft and a 3-inch gap running
the length at roof level.
The season starts for the partnership at the
start of the good moult with the inmates receiving
plenty of good baths and fed ½ depurative
and ½ moulting mix until pairing up.
The race team are paired around the middle of
January with only the best bred from. They each
are allowed to rear two youngsters in the nest
and must rear them up until weaning. Then the
youngsters are removed and the cocks will sit
for another seven days and then will be put
on widowhood. The training will begin with the
birds flying around the lofts with a gradual
build up of exercise eventually flying for an
hour morning and night. Prior to the beginning
of racing the pigeons will have a treatment
for canker and then half way through the season
will they have the same. That is all. They believe
medication should only be given when needed.
There is know guess work. They would always
seek medical advice before following out any
medical requirements. If its not broke don’t
fix it!
The racers would go to all the inland races
with the best selected for the big national
and specialist races. Prior to basketing it
really depends on the wind direction if the
cocks would see their hen. If it was going to
be a fast day they wouldn’t want to excite
the cocks to much and they may only get their
bowl or nothing at all.
This now takes us on to the star of this report,
“Scarecrow”. This two-year-old black
widowhood cock can only be described as a racing
machine. In his short racing career he has amassed
a total of 3 x 1st opens in the mighty NIPA
against massive birdage. From the prestigious
Mallow 5-Bird Championship this super-racing
machine was out on his own against what can
be described as the cream of the sprint birds
here in the mighty NIPA. If he was an athlete
he would go down in history with the likes of
the immortal “Carl Lewis”, described
by many as the best male sprinter of all time.
“Mallow 5-Bird Championship”
On Saturday 11th June the mighty NIPA held their
inarguable 5-Bird event from Mallow in Co. Cork.
650 members sent 2, 884 of the finest birds
to this prestige event. The convoy was competing
for not only the impressive Tyrone crystal trophy
but also prize money of £15, 118.
In this race every loft that enters can send
up to 5 of their best birds to this event. The
convoy was liberated at 11.15 into a fresh headwind
and glorious sunshine, which would make conditions
perfect for the journey home. This has to be
one of the best races in Ireland in the NIPA
were you can send your best birds to compete
against the cream of sprinters in the NIPA.
In one of my reports done earlier for this race
it read.
Congratulations goes to the Newry loft of Donnelly
Bros, Richard and John on winning the race with
the only pigeon breaking through the 1300ypm
barrier and also winning £857. This loft
is one of the best lofts in the mighty NIPA.
Not only have they just one the 5-Bird event
the week previous they won the NIPA open from
over 13, 000 birds with the same widowhood cock
bird that has now won the NIPA 5-Bird Championship.
Last season the loft also won the same two races
and have now done the same double. That is what
I call serious flying. The winner of this remarkable
achievement of winning back-to-back NIPA opens
is a 2yo black widowhood cock named “Scarecrow”.
This outstanding widowhood cock also won the
mighty NIPA open last season from Rosscarbery
from 14, 575 birds. That’s 3x 1st opens
to his credit. He also finished with the coveted
1st Irish Region RPRA Award in the 0-250 miles
and went on to claim 3rd Overall RPRA Award
in Great Britain 0-250miles as a yearling.
Scarecrow was mated in the middle of January
with the rest of his inmates and reared two
youngsters. He was then left to sit on the second
round for seven days. Once put on widowhood
he was exercised round home morning and evening
up to a gradual build up of one hour. From his
first race from 1st Kilkenny on the 16th April
he was 64th open from 25, 214 birds. The following
week again from Kilkenny he finished 99th open
from a field of 26, 120 birds. From the Pilmore
Beach race in a northwest wind he finished 4th
open from a field of 25, 641 birds. He was then
sent to the Rosscarbery Old Bird National with
full confidence but failed to return on the
day, which set the alarm bells ringing with
the Donnelly Bros. He spent a night out the
first and last time he would have to do this
due to know doubt that he suffered a scalp to
the wing were he might have had a near deaf
experience with a hawk. He was rested for a
while and started to show signs that he was
know worse for ware from the injury he received
and was sent to the very fast Thurles race.
The following week was an inland race from Rosscarbery
and during this week “Scarecrow”
was showing signs of hitting top form. He was
noted showing off around the loft clapping on
and off with a great big ball in his throat
and every time he hit the loft he would start
to sing! A true sign that he was right on the
button. He was entered into the race and came
and won the mighty NIPA open from a field of
over 13, 000 birds. He received his hen for
the first time in the season for this race before
being basketed and he finished like a train.
Last season he won this very same race with
over 14, 000 birds. I remember phoning up Richard
to get a photo of this remarkable pigeon and
he told me to wait another week, as he didn’t
want to annoy him as he had one more race to
do and that was the Mallow 5-Bird. How right
he was. He was got ready for the Championship
race with an hours exercise morning and night
with a daily feed of ½ depurative and
½ widowhood up until Wednesday morning
then on Wednesday night till basketing day full
widowhood feed. He was fed on the best Belgium
mixture that they could purchase. For the Mallow
5-Bird race he received his hen a little bit
longer for this event. He was the only bird
in this race to break the 1300ypm into a northwest
wind and was 11ypm clear of the pigeon in 2nd
open. Not only did they pull off a remarkable
double with “Scarecrow” winning
back to back NIPA open wins. They also won these
two very same opens last season, which is truly
world, class flying.
I asked Richard what plans he had made for the
immortal “Scarecrow”? And he told
me he will now move into the stock loft the
most important loft in the garden were you have
to put your best!
His most memorable result would have to be “Scarecrow”
on winning 3 x 1st NIPA opens against massive
birdage. This in a long line of success that
has seen this partnership win 24 x 1st NIPA
opens; 1st INFC Skibbereen National; 3 x 1st
Gold ring wins and countless Region Awards.
Their advice to new starters is don’t
keep to many pigeons and always try and buy
what you can afford and listen to experienced
fanciers. We should always try and encourage
new starters, as this sport is very hard. It
takes time and a lot of hard work to get to
the top and even more to stay there. We started
at the very bottom and struggled but now we
can compete with the best.
I asked them whom they admire in the sport?
And they replied Terence Mc Crudden for racing
the wonderful dark Chequer widowhood cock last
season that won five sections on the channel
and acclaimed the title of “Champion of
Britain” at Middle Distance in 2004. Many
a fancier would have chickened out flying a
pigeon like that to the far end of Northern
Ireland. But he kept him going. In closing the
Donnelly Bros would like to thank all those
that congratulated them in this remarkable achievement
with this super pigeon winning 3 x 1st NIPA
opens, and I bet it wont be the last time you
read about the “Carl Lewis” of the
pigeon world.
Stop Press: On Saturday August
12th Richard and John won the mighty NIPA open
with young birds from a field of 18, 282 birds
in a southwest wind.
The following week on August 13th they went
one better with a 1st and 2nd open from a field
of 22, 319 birds into a westerly wind.
by: Bannsider
E-mail: Mcseveneyj@aol.com
