The UCPSC. The birth of Clay Pigeon Shooting in Ulster?

I've been looking through the "British Newspaper Archives" for various things.  Local history of my own townland, mentions of the Faughan and stories of poaching and pollution for over one hundred years.

I then randomly typed "Clay Pigeon Shooting" into the search function.  I know I'm a geek but I found it very interesting.

One of the first mentions I found of the sport was from Belfast Telegraph on 30th June 1883 with a section titled; "The Prince of Wales and Clay Pigeon Shooting".

It goes on, "The Prince of Wales, accompanied by several noblemen and gentlemen who take an interest in sport, recently went to Hurlingham, and saw several matches where clay pigeons were used. They were highly satisfied with the result, and, we believe, are of opinion that the clay pigeon may be substituted for the living bird. It is believed that the result of this visit will be to facilitate the passing Mr. Anderson’s Bill prohibiting pigeon shooting from traps".

So, there were clay pigeons being used from 1883 or even earlier.

The first mentions of clay shooting in Ulster come in the "Northern Whig" on 13th November 1883.  Firstly, an advert looking for members for a new club.

Advert in the Northern Whig November 1883

A short advert in the "Persons Wanted" section of the paper reads; "GENTLEMEN desirous of becoming Members of a Club for Flying Clay Pigeon Shooting will please send their names JOSEPH BRADDELL & SON, Castle Place, Belfast"

In the same newspaper on the same day an article in the "Sporting News" section reads as follows:

"FLYING CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING - Lovers of true pleasure will hail with satisfaction the announcement that there is likely soon to be in operation in our midst a club for the popular practice of shooting terra cotta pigeons. The sport is a novel one in this part of this country.  In reference to it a correspondent signing himself "Anti Cruelty" writes:- "I was very much pleased to read the announcement in your paper the Mesers. Braddell and Son are arranging for the formation of a club for flying clay pigeon shooting. No one deplores more than the true sportsman the pain and suffering caused to birds and beasts by shots that maim and do not kill; and I hold it to be the duty of every man who intends to enter the fields as a sportsman to learn first of all the art of shooting well- i.e., to aim so correctly that none but the centre pellets strike the mark. As I know of no practice so well calculated to give correct aim as that of clay pigeon shooting, I do earnestly trust that the proposed scheme will have the support of all who love sport without cruelty."

The next mention of the sport comes in the "Belfast News-Letter" on 14th April 1884 and reads as follows;  "ULSTER CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING CLUB.- In connection with this club, a clay pigeon-shooting match will be held on Wednesday afternoon, at three O'Clock, on the grounds at Oldpark, which have been secured for use by members of the club."

Then on the 17th April 1884 there is an article detailing the first shoot at the Oldpark grounds.

"ULSTER CLAY PIGEON SHOOTING CLUB- Yesterday the operations of this Club were opened with an afternoon's excellent sport on the grounds of the U.C.P.S.C. at Oldpark. 

There was a numerous array of marksmen and a good many spectators, and there were also other indications which could not but give encouragement to the members and friends of the club. 

It is highly gratifying that mechanical science has relieved the sporting world from one of the most horrible brutalities connected with it. For several years past the cruelty of pigeon shooting has been freely commented upon, and it is gratifying to be able to state that from no quarter was a stronger protest raised than from the Belfast Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. It will, no doubt, be remembered by many that to a pigeon-shooting match held a few years since in Belfast that excellent Society sent one of their constables to watch the proceedings and report thereon. The document which he sent in disclosed a state of matters of very revolting character indeed. The “sport” was associated with the maiming of very large number of pigeons, which for several days afterwards were to be seen in the vicinity, receiving additional Injury from lads, who stoned and otherwise tortured them. Yesterday afternoon’s enjoyment at Oldpark could in no way be associated with the cruelties even of Hurlingham. No wounded birds are to day the vicinity of the Club’s beautifully-situated grounds, and none with broken wings or legs are to be seen starving to death adjoining housetops. Mr. George Anderson, M.P., deserves the highest praise for his indefatigable efforts in the House of Commons to protect the poor pigeons, and it is highly pleasing to able to refer to the disapproval expressed by her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales regarding the cruel practice of shooting them.

 The grounds which the Belfast Club have secured are situated adjacent to the town, and in a very picturesque position. Leaving the Antrim Road at Kenbella Avenue, a very short distance past Hopefield, proceeding up the latter thoroughfare and across the Limestone Road, and adjoining the Limestone Railway, the spacious plot is at once reached. It is somewhat triangular in shape. Bounded on the left by the second reservoir of the Water Commissioners, which presents a somewhat lake-like aspect and a gently rising natural slope, it has on the right the verdant banks of the Oldpark and Carr’s Glen Basins, while away in the distance rise the Black Mountain, Divis, and the Cave Hill, forming Titanesque enclosure to the whole. 

There were yesterday three traps set ten yards apart, and so shaded were they by wooden structures that none the marksmen could possibly be aware of the one from which there would rise his “ bird,” which is saucer shaped, and composed of very brittle pottery clay. Its dimensions being five inches wide by two inches deep. These “birds” were thrown from the trap by the pulling of cords, which were manipulated from a point adjacent to where the sportsmen were standing. The flight of the “ birds” can be graduated from a slow, easy motion, to the quick spring of a snipe, or the arrow like rush of a partridge. They dart off in every direction, have all the characteristics of a bird breaking cover and sailing away to settle down gradually, and have flight of from forty to seventy five yards in a horizontal line, at any angle, In any direction. The surface presented, when on the wing, is about equal to the body of a pigeon. If hit, the pigeon breaks to pieces, so there can be no doubt as to a hit or a miss. When not hit the clay pigeon does not break, and can used again. 

All former attempts as substitutes for live pigeons, such as glass balls, have been failures on account of their great departure from the swift, horizontal flight of game birds. The clay "bird,” however, gives the true motion in the air necessary for wing shooting.  Accordingly, the great feature of this invention is, that it enables a person to become a crack shot in this class of sport without the use of pigeons or other live substitutes. It has, no doubt, surpassed all other attempts to supersede live pigeon shooting. As was shown yesterday, the flight is in one respect exactly the reverse of that of the real pigeon when freed from the trap. "The latter,” has been stated, "starts slowly and increases its speed with each additional yard, whilst the former starts at a great pace, and gets gradually slower towards the end. In this contrast the clay pigeon, will probably be thought, possesses a decided advantage over the real bird, inasmuch as it does away with one of the objections most frequently urged against pigeon clubs as a practice or preparation for game shooting, namely, that they encourage 'snapping over the trap' and that pigeon shots very often acquire a mechanical 'form’ the reverse of desirable in the field.” 

The bloodless proceedings of the day were in the highest degree satisfactory, and gave every promise of a successful career for the club. 

Amongst the most successful members in the four sweep stakes were the following gentlemen:-

                 I

G. E. Murray ... 11001
R. Kyle ... 01010 Won on Tie
James Cunnighman ... 01100

                II
G. E. Murray ... 10111
C. Richardson ... 01110-Tie 0
Dr. Rea ... 11010-Tie 0
J. Cunnigham 11001-Tie 1

                III
C. Richardson ... 01101-Tie 0
Dr. Rea ... 10110-Tie 1
G. E. Murray ... 10111

                IV
Dr. Rea ... 10101
C. Richardson ... 00101 Tie 00
G. E. Murray ... 01010 Tie 01

At the close of the shooting a meeting was held for the purpose appointing a committee to conduct the buisness of the club."

So there you have it. A shooting report and results from possibly the first clay pigeon shoot in Northern Ireland and Joseph Braddell & Son in Belfast were highly involved in it's establishment.

From the directions to the ground given above, it must have been located at the Belfast Waterworks.  The railway mentioned is now the Cavehill Road.  Comparing historic maps with modern day ones, that whole area of North Belfast has completely changed.  Hopefield, mentioned above, looks to have been a large country house residence with gate lodge and acres of land to it in the Townland of Skegoneill.  It was between the Antrim Road and Cavehill Road and is now rows of terraces of houses.  Kenbella Avenue is now called Salisbury Avenue.  This would have the ground at what is now the junction of Hughenden Avenue and Westland Road.

Possible location of the UCPSC grounds in North Belfast.  The Green Area between the Waterworks Reservoir and Northern Ireland Water in the top left of the picture.  A long time before Westland road and Westland drive were built.

The first Clay Pigeon Shooting Club in Ulster quite possibly and it wouldn't be long until many others started up including one in Sydenham in the east of Belfast.

If anyone reading this would have any further information I would be delighted to hear it.

Late season fishing

Before I begin, these are all my own personal thoughts and feelings.  I am not demanding that everyone should stop fishing in September or anything like that.  I am just putting my thoughts out there for whoever wants to read them.  I already know I'm a weird, strange character and I find it difficult to explain things verbally, so I write them down.

There are just 7 days left in the 2018 fishing season on the Faughan. We've had quite a dry spell recently again with the river being quite low.  This weekend though has seen Storm Calum and another front bringing heavy rain and the river is quite big but still carrying some colour as I type this. I have already stopped fishing for the season so it won't have any effect on me.

I have to say that I'm not very comfortable with fishing at this time of the year.  I just don't see any need for me to do it. Whether it's one of the traits of my introvert personality but I almost feel sorry for the salmon at this time of the year. Having been spawned in the river two or three years ago, to survive predation, pollution and all the other raft of in river problems.  Having swam thousands of miles with all the problems that they encounter on the high seas, to make it back to river again after all the trials and tribulations that will have seen millions of salmon not make it back, through everything that man and nature can throw at them, to get caught by an angler this late in the season and perhaps not get the chance to spawn.  That is just so very sad in my book.

I almost liken it the story of George Edwin Ellison. George was career soldier in the British Army.  He had joined the army many years before the First World War broke out.  George was with the first waves of troops to enter France and Belgium in 1914.  He fought in many of the key battles of WW1 including Mons, Ypres, Loos and Cambrai to name but a few.  He had survived for the entirety of WW1 only to be shot and killed by a sniper at 9:30am on 11th November 1918.  4 hours after the Armistice had been signed and just 90 minutes before the ceasefire was to take effect at 11am.  

This isn't just a recent notion in my head.  I have thought this way for many years. Years before the internet or facebook or online forums and any of the zealousy on any side of the Catch and Release debate.

The 'Harvest Run' was always the time I looked forward to most on the Faughan. Without doubt, the grilse runs were fantastic and you usually caught more fish but the Harvest Run was my favourite run of the year.

The Faughan grilse had got quite small, 5lb was a big grilse with the size usually between 2 and 4lb.  The Harvest Run though in the middle weeks of September, beautifully shaped fish, shining silver with sea lice usually still attached in a size of 8lb and over.  That was fishing.  That was the Faughan at it's best.  There would still be fresh fish arriving until the season ended on October 20th.

Sadly, things have now changed.  That Harvest Run has disappeared along with the biggest part of the grilse run.  For whatever reason, our rivers now are not getting the runs they did in the past.  I have read about problems in the rivers, problems at sea, problems with fish eating birds, seals, dolphins, anglers... the list could go on and on.  I really don't know why the runs are not what they were nor do I want to speculate here.  This is not what this post is about.

Even in the days when catching silver fish late in the season was more than likely, you did catch coloured fish too.  For some reason, I just didn't get the same buzz from catching the coloured ones as I did when I caught a beautiful silver one.  I really don't know why that was.  They were all salmon so catching a salmon should have the same excitement or sense of achievement attached to it regardless of colour.  It just didn't feel that way to me.  It was like catching a sea trout for me.  If you've read my blog post entitled "Auld Trout" you will know that I didn't see catching sea trout as particularly interesting and almost as by-catch.  That was what hooking and landing coloured salmon felt like too.  I would be fishing, feel the line tightening, "Yess", get it in close enough to get a look at it, "Ahh S**te it's coloured".  Just like sea trout, I didn't treat them any differently to a clean salmon and played them hard and got them off the hook and released as soon as possible.  I just didn't have that big silly grin on my face or the buzzing feeling I had when I'd hooked and landed a nice silver fish.

As the fresh runs of fish got smaller and smaller on the Faughan late in the season, so did my interest in fishing.

Since 2010, I have fished a handful of days in the month of September when I got the water in the river that I liked and I haven't wet a line in October since 2009.

It was 2004 though when I really started to question if I 'needed' to be fishing in October at all.  It was the last day of the season and as usual I had the day booked off work to fish the last day.  I remember it so well, walking up the fields to a pool above me here with the grass crunching under my feet with the frost.  I can still picture the fields all white with frost and the leaves nipping off the trees under their own weight as there wasn't a breath of wind.

The first pool I fished I hooked a fish after only a few casts.  A heavily coloured fish around the 6lb mark which was played hard and released very quickly.  In the next pool down, I had fished through the neck of the pool and was making my way into the pool itself when the line tightened again and I had another fish on.  It was a strange take.  Then this dull, drawn out fight started.  It took me much longer than I wanted to get the fish in and get the hook out of it.  It was a heavily coloured hen fish not far off double figures. I then held it in the water to recover.  The water was so cold that I had pains in my hands holding this large hen fish, hoping it would recover.  After what seemed like an absolute age, I would say around 20-25 minutes, it eventually showed some signs of life and swam off very slowly.  I often think about that fish when I think about fishing at this time of the year.  I seriously doubt that the fish survived to spawn. I should really have knocked it on the head after the first 5 minutes. Had I not bothered fishing that day, there's every chance that that hen fish could have made it to the spawning beds unhindered and produced another 8 or 9000 eggs for the river.  If me not fishing now results in even one single fish making it to the spawning grounds unhindered, I am more than happy to stop fishing sooner in the season.

People say to me that the same things could happen in July that could happen in October.  That is very true but the fish I hook and land in July are a lot cleaner than the fish in October.  If one does become deep hooked or doesn't recover, I will knock it on the head and give to someone to eat.  It is much harder to give away a salmon in October that is very coloured.

A lot of people say too that there are silver fish in the river so it should be OK to be able to fish for them.  My answer to that is that there are fresh fish entering the river in every month of the year.  Some months have more than others obviously, but the counter on the Faughan showed more fish entering the river in April and May, when the river is closed, than entered the river in September and October in recent years.  Should the river be opened all year round?  I would hope not.


Again, I know overthinking is a trait of an Introvert personality but I have always questioned why people feel the need to stick to 'rules' in deciding what is right and what is wrong in their own minds.  Just because someone decided there would be a date when fishing should stop every year, does that really make catching a coloured salmon on the 21st of October any more of an issue than catching one on the 19th?

I am really not trying to offend anyone reading this or trying to start a campaign to have rivers closed early or anything like that.  I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable end to the fishing season.  I'll look forward to this day week when the season will be already ended and I can start to walk the river again without annoying anyone.  It won't be long until I'll be looking for Redds and signs of spawning activity again which I enjoy as much as the fishing.