Racing Pigeon Traffic on Irish Rails

[DiveController]

While browsing through some of Jonathon Allen's photos I noticed some pigeon carriers at Lisburn. I know that rail was used to convey the birds to the starting location in GB but I was wondering how prevalent a practice this was in Ireland?

Was it was confined to fanciers in NI or was this traffic carried by the GSR or by early CIE?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/38788790435/in/photolist-SLx6zf-iy2TBc-bYEe8G-oSwRY8-eejVB5-cc3gqj-PN2n8V-ee1gLn-eddXTi-edB6aL-e6hGxX-mNfk1z-edLsnP-faLz5h-Fk8xKw-dREQaM-6FJ6WT-226CG1T-hxbFZZ-7L1G2j-8g4PkM-pLn8L2-dsz7nN-2hE2sVU-9RB9pM-aLuB58-cwJuQY-bY5gML-bY5kTN-apx8yq-moRmF2-8pMCft-nAJ2Z6-7Vuqsb-83DDWB-RJS46i-9zjz3m-7i54P6-K3piHh-bY5S5E-BDgzfe-24wLgqr-bXZ9dN-d9iRqY-8bCWWT-amXKm5-bkDGZH-2fH22J9-2bMLWZb-cc8Le7/

 

[DERAILED]

I remember seeing CIE bogie carriages with pigeons on the Rosslare line in the early 1970s. Can't be more specific I'm afraid as I wasn't an enthusiast at the time.

[jhb171achill]

Irish railways carried them to an extent but there was never a huge interest outside Belfast and Dublin. They went in wicker baskets in the guard’s vans of passenger trains usually.

[PorkyP]

Always thought of it as an English thing really, there was certainly a an established trade on BR...though seem to recall in the press a while back an Irish pigeon sold for some insane amount , over 250,000 or something ...my only involvement has been shooting them I'm afraid to say, we always found them a feckin' nuisance, crapping all over the horses and their rugs etc.

[Broithe]

The current Liberation Sites in the Republic.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1uQBJsuTiAy13ozyGxa6zw9EzrCbl4dVU&ll=52.57355874044342%2C-7.998124950000033&z=8

Showing a tendency to be in the vicinity of railway traffic..?

 

On the Big Island, it seems to be all road traffic now - there is a small business near me with two specially fitted release trucks, though they're not 'at home' on any of the available Street View shots.

 

[Edo]

Jaysis - if I was "liberated" in Gowran - I'd leg it out of there pronto too.....

[Colin_McLeod]

Looks like the traffic goes by bus now!