'Indian' picture wins an award

Jamie McCook, better known as 'The Indian' was chosen by award-winning photographer, Julian Behal, for a competition involving leading photographers from across Ireland.

The Late Late Show highlighted the entries for the Press Photographers Association of Ireland's annual competition and Jamie's picture was judged a winner.

The image of Jamie was captured last Easter inside a pigeon coop at his home in Armoy and sees him tousle-haired, sparring topless and with a pigeon taking flight to his right.

The picture, which has already been voted amongst the top one hundred press photographs in Britian, has been featured in a number of magazines. .

Julian, who is on the staff of the Press Association in Dublin, first encountered Jamie when he was watching 'A Dander with Drennan' on television.

Julian admits that from his first encounter with Jamie he was struck by his presence.

"I knew he would be a very good subject and all along I was trying to bring out something of the man in my pictures.

"When I was told he was interested in pigeons I thought it would be good to go into the coop to generate a different atmosphere and setting. I asked him to remove his top clothes and shadow box. There was a cluster of pigeons in a corner who were reluctant to take part, and at that point, I got Maurice to shoo the birds one of which rose perfectly so that I could get the picture I wanted," Julian said.

The picture has now been placed on the wall of the public bar in the Carrick-a-Rede and will soon be accompanied by some background information not only about Jamie but also about the McCook clan in general, many of whom went off to America where they became known as 'The Fighting McCooks.'