GE

Visiting Ireland by Garry Edwards

Details of my stay with Jim and Rita Mc Gaeregls in Erie, just out of Dublin, Ireland

Pat and Lorna Mc Kieham drove me from Bally Castle to Erie which took around 4 hours. We took the coastal way which was very breath taking.

We arrived around 1pm, and Rita put a nice lunch on for us. Pat and Lorna had to drive back around four because the was a big Gaelic football match which would create a traffic night mare. Rita has one of the best gardens I had seen this year as their summer is coming to a end. Jim has pigeon cages everywhere. A lot constructed of steel. Jim has quite a few breeds English Long Face Tumblers, Muff Long Face Tumblers, Baldheads, Blondinettes, West of England's, Old Dutch Capuchins, Jacobins and a few others that I have on tape but at this stage I have forgotten.

Every pigeon guy would like a wife like Rita, she feeds and waters the birds six days a week, we would like that also. Jim and Pat went over to U.S.A. to the National Show and brought a few birds to improve what they had. Jim got a couple of wing-dingers . Jim got some Jacobins from Australia a couple off years ago. A splash cock from Darcy Cook and some blacks from John Hall and a dun hen from Gordon Jones. The blacks are producing some real stretchers good legs they stand out in his loft.

I didn't take a photo only video of them but one of the photos a young white is out of Gordon Jones dun hen and imported splash cock. Jim breed a lot of whites, blks, red splashs, yellows, kites out of a Garry Lee bird. Almond and a few other odd colours. Jim got out his show cages so we went though all his young ones. Jim learnt a lot by studying the young ones. They will require a bit of pen training but he has some birds to show against Pat. I would like to see the birds around show time. As I had plenty of time I went though his other breeds, some nice birds.

One day we went into Dublin. We went on a pub visit. We started at 10 am and got back home at 1am, I was drinking pints and rum. The last couple of pubs I went for coffee. We had a good time, the Irish are a wonderful people and know how to drink. Only when they want to. One night we went and paid a visit to Pat Murphy who was out in Australia around six years ago. Pat only had one pair of Jacobins, the English type. Well I had a wonderful four days with Pat and Rita and I thank them for putting me up. Jim is off to, U.S.A. in January 2001 to the National Show , I hope we can meet up again .