Munster Federation News
Hi my name is Alan Daniels and I would like to write about our federation's results and history and some of the great fanciers who have flown in our federation past and present. Let me start by giving you some history of our federation, we were formed in 1957 and race the North road into Scotland and we race in conjunction with the north road national. One of my first memories of our federation was attending our A.G.M in 1989 in Lawlor's Hotel in Dungarvan Co Waterford. The first thing I remember was walking into a smoke filled room and a large crowd all talking about pigeon related matters. As the meeting got started the treasurer informed the meeting that he had no balance sheet or any kind of financial report done, after an hour of objections we moved onto the Secretary's report. Our secretary in those days informed the meeting that he didnt have the minute book with him, and them proceeded to tear up a cigarette box to write the minutes and such on, after an hour of objections we got on with the meeting and in the end we left with a race program and I suppose we left happy.
Believe it or not a lot of people did not have cars in those days, and I clearly remember our Secretary heading down the main street in Dungarvan on his horse and cart heading towards Waterford with all our minutes of the meeting written on a cigarette box in his inside pocket. In those days we had a clapped out lorry (like most feds did at the time) and as it left for the race with all our prayers that it would make it to the race point. Again like most Federations we did no move forward in any meaningful way until ten years ago, when a proposal was put to our member's to buy a new lorry, this was a major undertaking and involved buying a new lorry and sending it to Germany to have a Geraldy back, built for pigeons put onto our lorry. A lot of people thought the committee were mad to try take this on, but in the end and all credit to all our member's they agreed, this was the biggest and best undertaking ever to be done in the history of our Federation and indeed we have never looked back, we have all our loans paid back (I should know the loan was in my name) and we are now reaping the reward's as we a in a very secure financial state going forward and credit should be given not to the committee but to our loyal and valued members for the foresight to look to the future to secure north road racing for years to come.
I recently heard the phrase Rolls Royce of racing and we are now the Rolls Royce of North road racing in Ireland. Our prize money is now higher than it ever was with the introduction our golden ring our 2 bird nom and our breeder buyer scheme's, indeed the last year that I was treasurer we paid out 19,000 in prize money for eleven races. When I look back now at that smoke filled room in 1989 I am very proud of the achievements our federation has made in recent times. I recently heard the phase Champion, I would like through this article to talk about two such champions they are Mick Sheenan and Harry Beale of the north road national committee. Mick is retired with a long and distinguished career in the army and he brings his training to his job as treasurer of the national, while on the other hand Harry Beale is a more off the cuff type of guy also now retired, but a great Secretary and a great character, indeed only this week when basketing for the Malinhead National, while talking to Harry you could see a glee in his eye and that cheeky smile he was going to clock and that's what its all about. These two men took over the national with 26 pence in the account and in a short space of time have built it back up to its former glory. These men don't look for paths on the back, or they don't talk about what they done or didnt do they just do for the love of there sport and deserve a lot of credit for the fantastic work they have given to north road racing in Ireland.
Until next time enjoy your pigeons.
Alan Daniels
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