The last NIPA race of the pigeon season was the young bird National from Dunmanway in County Cork. Birds were released at 10.15am in west south westerly winds and a quick race followed. Kells fanciers Johnny Barkley and Laura Surgenor had the best bird in the Mid Antrim Combine and also topped Section B after timing at 14.12pm to record 1834 ypm. The sire of their blue Frans Zwols cock came from the late Lexie Mullan and is a grandson of Tip Top Junior. Dam is a hen purchased at a Beggs & Hall sale.
Runner up in the Combine and Section was the Ballymena & District winner Robin Service on 1818. The sire is a cock of Gerald Delaney's and the dam won 1st Combine & 29th Open Infc Skibbereen yb National in 2021 and is the best of Robin's Soontjen lines. Clubmate Bertie Blair was 3rd & 7th Combine and 4th & 9th Section on 1781 and 1743. His first bird was from a gift Busschaert cock from Johnston and Mervyn Eagleson and the dam a daughter of Danny Dixon's Dixie Chick. Danny Dixon was 4th Combine on 1766 with a black cheq wf hen. She's out of a son of 'Aviary cock' paired to a daughter of 'Champion Heartbreaker'. Jimmy Smyth was best in Ahoghill on 1754 and placed 6th & 17th Section and Gary Gibson had the winner in Cullybackey on 1750. Gary's winning Sticker Donckers hen is from a son of his golden hen when paired to her grandsire. The dam is a daughter of Danny Dixon's good 2nd Open Fermoy cock of 2018 and full sister to Danny's Tullamore Open winner in 2022. Freddie Barkley was best in Rasharkin on 1708.
Mid Antrim Combine - Dunmanway YB National 19/189
A Barkley & Son Kells 1834, R Service & Son Ballymena 1818, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1781, D Dixon Rasharkin 1766, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1754, G Gibson Cullybackey 1750, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1743, D Dixon Rasharkin 1742, D Dixon Rasharkin 1742, D Dixon Rasharkin 1742, G Gibson Cullybackey 1735, D Dixon Rasharkin 1733, G Gibson Cullybackey 1725, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1724, G Gibson Cullybackey 1722, D Dixon Rasharkin 1720, G Gibson Cullybackey 1712, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1711, F Barkley Rasharkin 1708, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 1703, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1696, D Dixon Rasharkin 1696, Rock & Moore Cullybackey 1689, G Gibson Cullybackey 1689, A Barkley & Son Kells 1688, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1677, J & J Greer Cullybackey 1676, D Dixon 1675, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1674, R Service & Son Ballymena 1669.
Young Bird Points - Final Table
D Dixon Rasharkin 470, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 298, Young & McManus & Sons Ahoghill 295, G Gibson Cullybackey 275, T Johnston & Son Ballymena 148, A Darragh Cullybackey 144, K & K Kernohan & Sons Ballymena 137, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 132, J & J Greer Cullybackey 93, Steele & McNeill Rasharkin 89.
Young Bird Club Points - Final Table
Shared between Ahoghill, Ballymena & District & Cullybackey
Ahoghill 59, Ballymena & Dist 59, Cullybackey 59, Rasharkin 57, Kells 26, rBoughshane 21, Randalstown 12.
Mervyn Eagleson MAC Press Officer
NIPA Section B Dunmanway 24/250 – A Barkley & Son Kells 1824, R Service & Son Ballymena 1818, S & J Bones & Yates Muckamore 1814, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1781, D Dixon Ballymoney 1766, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill 1754, G Gibson Cullybackey 1750, S & J Bones & Yates 1748, Blair & Rankin 1743, D Dixon 1742.
Cullybackey Centre Dunmanway – A Barkley & Son Kells 1834, R Service & Son Ballymena 1818, S & J Bones Muckamore 1814, Blair & Rankin Ballymena 1781, J Smyth & Son Ahoghill, 1754 G Gibson Cullybackey 1750, S & J Bones 1748, Blair & Rankin 1743, G Gibsom 1735, G Gibson 1725.
Ballymoney Centre Dunmanway – D Dixon Ballymoney 1766, 1742, 1742, 1733, 1729, J Connolly Ballymoney 1720, D Dixon 1726, F Barkley Rasharkin & Dist 1708, D Dixon 1696, 1675.
A Barkley & Son from Kells, 1st MAC Dunmanway