The Piobaireachd Society’s ‘Talk Piobaireachd’ sessions continue tonight at 8pm GMT. These well-attended online lecture/discussions are open and free to all members of the Society. If you are not a member you can join here. Standard membership per annum is £15 (senior) and £5 (student or junior). This evening’s session will be led by PP Editor and Society President, Robert Wallace on a topic of his choosing.
This series has proved popular and the Society has now increased its attendance capacity on Zoom from 100 to 500. If you are a member but have not received login information please contact the Society here. Other sessions in the season to follow are:
Mar 17, 2021 20:00 (Dr Jack Taylor)
Apr 14, 2021 20:00 (Jack Lee)
May 12, 2021 20:00 (Duncan Watson)
Here we go again….Games cancellations for the 2021 summer have started. The Scottish Highland Games Association have announced that Tomintoul, Stonehaven, Cupar, Kenmore and Lochcarron Games are off until 2022. It looks increasingly likely that others will follow, particularly in the early to mid summer period.
The SHGA have announced that they have been given a grant of £10,000 from the government’s Events Industry Support Fund to offset losses during the pandemic.
The Associaition have noted the passing of Andrew Rettie. Andrew was 81 and was secretary of the SHGA for many years. He will be known to pipers as a co-founder of Perth Highland Games, and secretary of Crieff Highland Games.
We received a request last week from the family of a former piper in the Fintan Lalor Pipe Band, Dublin. Our Northern Ireland Correspondent Gilbert Cromie and former RSPBA judge Ian Wood responded immediately.
Gilbert: ‘Reference the item from Jeff Solan regarding his grandfather. These two pictures are from 1937 & 1938. The 1937 picture shows them with the Benmore & Hamilton Shields won at the Cowal. The 1938 picture shows them at an Empire Exhibition event in Glasgow.
The Pipe Major of the band at that time was Paddy Solan so he is positioned on the left hand side of both photos. These photos came from the Fintan Lalor website which I believe has disappeared. Hope this helps Jeff.’
Ian: ‘Just noticed ref. on PP to someone trying to identify their grandfather in band photo. They didn’t give christian name, so I’m sending a photo I have with names attached. I’m not sure of the spelling of a couple of names.
Back row (l – r): P/M P Solan, J Solan, J Mullan, G O’Brien, J Mc Cormack, M O’Hanlon, M Carrol, T Rogan, J Tully, L Keogh, C Mulligan, E McDonald, P Leach, J Keogh; Front row: D/M A Gibson, D/Sgt J (Bisto) Keogh, C Merrigan, J Duffy, D Creaghan
Many thanks to Gilbert and Ian.