Northern Ireland Show Season Update

Old Birds T/W - 1st: H Cubitt, 2nd: W & W Gilbert, 3rd: W & W Gilbert, 4th: J Millar & Son, Res: Steele & McNeill, VHC: J & M Milliken, HC: J & J Greer. Judged by Bobby Coyle (Coleraine Premier).

Old Birds Handled - 1st: J & J Greer, 2nd: H Cubitt, 3rd: H Cubitt, 4th: H Cubitt, Res: J & J Greer, VHC: Steele & McNeill, HC: J & J Greer, C: Steele & McNeill. Judged by Bobby Coyle.

Young Bird T/W - 1st: W & W Gilbert, 2nd: W & W Gilbert, 3rd: W & W Gilbert, 4th: J & J Greer, Res: J & J Greer, VHC: J & J Greer, HC: J & M Milliken, C: W & W Gilbert. Judged by Robert Turkington (Doagh & District).

Young Birds Handled - 1st: F Barkley, 2nd: J & J Greer, 3rd: W & W Gilbert, 4th: J & J Greer, Res: W & W Gilbert, VHC: W & J McLean, HC: H Cubitt, C: W & W Gilbert. Judged by Noel Higginson (Ballyclare & District).

The club members wish to thank the judges for the shows Bobby Coyle, Robert Turkington and Noel Higginson also to thank Henry McLaughlin for the prizes and Fullans Eurospar Rasharkin for the raffle prizes.

Cullybackey held their 4th show of the season last night Sat 23rd November with old cocks handled and late breds handled. With a great turnout of 11 members penning 69 old cocks and 31 late breds. Continuing the great run of 100 birds per show over all year. Thanks to everyone. The winners this week where J & J Greer winning the Old Cocks and G & A Eagleson winning the Late breds with their only entry in the class. Well done to everyone, a great double for the home club.

Old cocks handled - 1. J & J Greer, 2. A Darragh, 3. J & J Greer, 4. G Gibson, Res. A Darragh, Vhc. A Darragh, Hc. A Darragh, Commended C Moore

Latebreds - 1. G & A Eagleson, 2. A Darragh, 3. C Moore, 4. A Darragh, Res. C Moore, Vhc. C Moore, Hc. C Moore, Commended J Whyte.

Best in Show J & J Greer. Raffle winner S & N Doherty.

The club would like to thank the judges Bobby Bethel and David Young (Muckamore) for taking the time to come and judge for us, much appreciated. Next week is Old hens handled and fancy through wires, everyone welcome penning from 7pm to 8.00pm.

Cullybackey Held their 3rd show of the season on Saturday 16th November with old bird matched pairs and young bird matched pairs, with 8 fanciers penning 34 old pairs and 13 young pairs for the judges from Coleraine Premier to run their eye over with Sean, paul and Dennis in charge of the cards.

This week's winners were Chris Moore who won the old birds matched pairs and Best in Show with a pair of lovely Blues. The winner of the young bird matched pairs and taking 7 cards where J & J Greer. Well done to all, a big double for the home club.

Old bird matched pairs - 1. C Moore, 2. J & J Greer, 3. J & J Greer, 4. A Darragh, Res. C Moore, Vhc. J & J Greer, Hc. J & J Greer, Commended J Whyte.

Young bird matched pairs 0 1. J & J Greer, 2. J & J Greer, 3. J & J Greer, 4. B Herbison, Res. B Herbison, Vhc. G & A Eagleson, Hc. B Herbison, Commended N & S Anderson.

Best in Show C Moore. Raffle winner. J & J Greer

This Saturday sees the start of the handling classes with old cocks handled and Late Breds. To qualify as a latebred it must have two nest flights on both wings. Penning from 7 to 8.00pm. All welcome. Cullybackey Open Show will be on Saturday 21st December with 3 in 1 classes for old birds and young birds. All lofts welcome.

Kells and District Week 4 - 20/11/24. Young Hens T/W - This week we saw 12 fanciers pen 125 pigeons

Results as follows: 1 - W&W Gilbert, 2 - W&W Gilbert, 3 - R. Service & Son, 4 - M. Neilly, Res - W&W Gilbert, V. H. C - F. Simpson, H. C - Blair & Rankin, C - F. Simpson

Judge - R&S Hope (Crumlin & District). Raffle winner - R. Service

Well done to all card winners this week. Thank you again for showing up and supporting Kells club. Thank you to our judges this week Ryan and Scott and for taking the time to come and judge for us and on such a cold wintery night

Next week will be Mated pairs - young pairs and old pairs all T/W. (Any pair that look alike, or similar). 27/11/24, Penning 7-8.00pm.

Edgarstown HPS 3rd Show Matched Pairs result - 1st A Neill, 2nd A Neill, 3rd A Neill, Res Kieran Shannon, VHC Mullen Bros, HC P Boyd, Commended Kieran Shannon.

Best Dark Cheq pair K Shannon. Best Cheq w/e pair A Kelly

Well done Alwyn on a clean sweep tonight taking the top 3 with some tidy pairs on show, thanks to R Milligan and Gerry Swift (Monaghan) for judging the show.

Next week’s show is for any age cock or hen with specials for best Cheq and best Blue with R bell & Sons and A & R Neill in charge penning from 7pm – 8.00pm.

Lurgan Social HPS 4th Show Result - 1st Keelie Wright, 2nd Keelie Wright, 3rd Keelie Wright, 4th Keelie Wright, Res Keelie Wright, VHC Keelie Wright, HC Keelie Wright, Com Keelie Wright. Best YB Keelie Wright, well done. The club would like to thank Davy Calvin and Bob Buckley for judging tonight and for their generous special.

Strabane & District Results from the show, Young Cock bird's.

1st Paul Walters, 2nd Paul Walters, 3rd Gerard (Nippy) McCauley, 4th Paul Walters. Like to thank Raymond Monteith for judging tonight's show.

End of an era!

Well it’s finally here, 2024 will see the end of the partnership of HT&J Larkin, due to looming exams, increasing costs the boys will not be racing as their own entity going forward.

Since 2020 the boys have certainly more than held their own, their partnership was formed at the behest of the secretary and youth development officer of the RPRA at the Blackpool show 2020, racking up an impressive 28 firsts, countless seconds thirds and other positions. Two NIPA bronze awards for their 25’ cock and 90’ hen, an RPRA Irish region 0-250 miles award for “Rosita”, also runner up in the RPRA 0-250 award. RPRA Irish region young fanciers of the year three times and NIPA young fanciers of the year twice.

Not a bad innings, I think you’ll agree. Sadly it has to come to this, they are not leaving the sport, they will amalgamate both lofts to be Alan Larkin and Sons and they will continue to enjoy the competition, craic, camaraderie and the birds.

Heartfelt thanks to all the fanciers who gave the boys birds, support and encouragement along the way, especially Geoff Douglas, Michael and Martin Johnston, Ian Gibb, John Abernathy, Brian and Sharon Keegan, Roy Bothwell, Raymond McBride, Herman McAvoy, S&E Buckley and others. Club mates and administrators, (including Ian Evans and Richard Chambers of the RPRA,) past and present for their time and patience with the boys. Yours in sport, Harry Tom and Joseph Larkin, The Meadows HPS, Lurgan.

Adie will be arranging an on-line sale for the NI Air Ambulance during December with Sawyers Auctions. A draft of birds from top lofts in Ireland, if interested in putting up a bird contact either Adie or Homer. Send on the dinner and awards night presentation to keep the column filled up in the winter season. I have listed a few more photos from the NIPA Ladies Night.