Creggan's pigeon racing philosopher

Creggan’s Noel McGrotty, who will be 95 years old at Christmas, is something of a pigeon racing philosopher.

Speaking to The Derry News, Noel pondered “the hidden benefits of working with animals”.

“Pigeon racing has a wider role than most people think,” he said. “This social pastime of ours often performs not only as a competitive sport but also as an educational, social and charitable role as well. The full impact of the sport’s other roles are not generally fully recognised and grossly ignored.

“The therapeutic role the sport plays remains hidden but, I think, looking after domestic animals enables people to be in touch with the animals and birds. Domestic animals enable people to be in touch with an uncomplicated world that appeals to every child.

“We tend to ignore this uncomplicated world when we become adults and clever. Our lives become less sympathetic and more competitive,” added Noel.

“Nevertheless, we would be very wrapped up in ourselves if we did not think at least some of our community might suffer from one of the most common conditions of our time, namely mental depression. We would be particularly naive if we did not think pigeon racing and looking after some type of animal did not in some way help a few depressed young people, maybe even help prevent the worst of all outcomes of depression - suicide.

“The help that dumb animals and birds give us at times comes in the form of them not requiring an explanation and no talking back.

Noel's champion pigeons.

“It is always good to have something other than ourselves to think about and look after. It is good to have birds that provide an uncritical response at a time when society is often super critical and lacking in understanding,” said Noel.

Noel was born in Duke Street in the Waterside. His father Jim was from the Waterside and his mother, Mary (née McDermott) was from Ardmore.

Tragically his father was killed in 1935 in a motorbike accident, at Ardmore Chapel.

“My mother was left to rear five sons: Jackie, Benny, Lennie, Jim and me but luckily my mother’s mother, our granny, Annie (née Cunningham) and granda, James lived next door to us in Ardmore, beside the chapel.”
Noel remembered having a fascination with pigeons since he was very young.

Smiling he said: “When I was a wee boy, I used to go round all the farms in Ardmore looking for pigeons and try and catch them.

“I had a pigeon loft in the Waterside and it came with me to the cityside when I married my wife, Sheila, who was from Fulton Place, and moved over; we reared seven of a family, Jim, Marie, Tony, Ann, Frank, Sean and Dermot.

“Pigeon racing was a way into another world for me. They have kept me sane whilst growing old in a mad world. One which is steadily growing madder by the day.

“When I was a boy, pigeons were all I had to call my own. They were my way into a new world. When I began racing them properly, I found a new society into which I was accepted at face value. No questions were asked about where I lived or worked. I made some lifelong friends when I was climbing the ladder of life.

“They were the source of a lot of pleasure and much daydreaming. Today they are my escape from the realities of a world that is in chaos.
“No-one in Ardmore kept pigeons when I was young, then I got to know a lot of people who kept racing pigeons - Willie Henderson and Lowrey Alford among them.

“I joined the Londonderry club in 1946. I was 15 or 16 then and I was serving my time in Hill’s Upholstery in the Strand Road. I raced my first pigeon in 1946. From Sutton, just North of Dublin - the first race every year,” recalled Noel.

Asked how he knew whether a pigeon was going to be good at racing, Noel laughed and said: “That is the 64 million dollar question.”

“It is like racehorses or greyhounds. There are plenty of horses that look good but how many of them could win a Derby?” said Noel.

“That is one of the imponderables. That’s what keeps you going, striving to breed a champion.

“Over the years I have had some good pigeons. In 2010, one of my pigeons won a race from France to Derry.

“In one race from France in 1966, I clocked five pigeons on the second morning. That was never done in Derry before,” said Noel, who added the distance from France to his backyard was 500 miles.

Noel said pigeon racing meant you were in touch with animals.

“I think the younger generation is not in touch with animals or nature much at all. If you took them out to Prehan Park and pointed out four or five trees and asked them to name them they wouldn’t have a clue.

“To my mind, pigeon racing involves three disciplines - animal husbandry, environment education and geography.

Noel's champion pigeons.

“I just think it is a pity, pigeon racers in County Donegal, the most northerly county in Ireland, are not allowed to take a position in the Irish National Flying Club’s Northern Section. It is restricted to pigeon races in the Six Counties only.

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“The Irish National Flying Club is the main organisation for major national pigeon races in Ireland.

“ It has three sections: Southern Section (Dublin across to Galway); the Centre Section (Dublin to the border); and the Northern Section.

“Donegal has the longest flying members and they are only allowed to take a position in the Central Section because they live in the Republic of Ireland, even though it is the furthest distance from France.

“One thing I love about keeping pigeons is meeting other pigeon fanciers from all over.”