Big Names at Final NI contest of Season and Ulster Pipe Band Championship Report

The next and final RSPBANI Branch competition of the season will take place on Saturday August 6^th at the Donard Park, Newcastle, County Down. There is an entry of thirty seven bands including Field Marshal Montgomery and St Laurence O’Toole in Grade 1 and thirty three drum majors.
This event will also see the culmination of the seasons Champion of Champions competition and a large crowd is expected to attend, particularly for the end of competition parade. 

On Saturday July 23^rd the grounds of Ballymena Academy hosted the Ulster Pipe Band Championships and a very successful event it turned out to be with a large crowd and decent weather except for a heavy shower in the mid- afternoon. There were thirty one band entries and twenty six drum majors.
A highland dancing competition was also in full swing throughout the day such is the popularity of this genre in Northern Ireland over recent years. There were few surprises amongst the results with Ravara having a clean sweep of the prizes in Grade 2 and Clogher & District edging out an improving Matt Boys Memorial in Grade 3A. Cullybackey dominated in Grade 3B however the emerging 4A band Kildoag lifted the drumming title. Kildoag also had a clean sweep of the prizes in Grade 4A.
Syerla & District’s domination of Grade 4B continued however it was good to see emerging bands such as McDonald Academy and Hollymount securing 2^nd and 3^rd placings. Closkelt were awarded the Ulster Championships unopposed however they put on two excellent performances in their MSR and Medley runs which were very much appreciated by the spectators. Emma Barr had her first win in the Adult drum majors while Louis Anderson closed the gap In the Juvenile Champion of Champions on Charlotte Ruddock who did not compete. Mia Buckley won the Junior section and Jorja Turkington continued her dominance of the Novice grade.

Results: Drum Majors: 

Novice: 1^st Jorja Turkington. 2^nd Mia Lily Fraser, 3^rd Lydia Todd, 4^th Willow Rose Elliott, 5^th Molly Bell
Junior: 1^st Mia Buckley, 2^nd Carys Graham, 3^rd Rafaela Fields, 4^th Molly Gilmore, 5^th Debbie Gilmore. 
Juvenile: 1^st Kathy Hunter, 2^nd Leanne Crooks, 3^rd Louis Anderson, 4^th Louise Smiton, 5^th Grace Thompson. Senior: 1^st Emma Barr, 2^ndLauren Hanna, 3^rd Kara Gilmour, 4^th Andrea McKeown, 5^th Kathryn McKeown. Bands:
Grade 4B: 1^st Syerla & District [also Best drums and bass section], 2^ndMcDonald Academy [also Best Pipes], 3^rd Hollymount. 4^th Altnaveigh Memorial. Best M&D Major Sinclair Memorial.
Grade 4A: 1^st Kildoag [also Best Pipes, Drums, Bass Section and M&D], 2^nd Cloughfin, 3^rd William Kerr Memorial, 4^th Raphoe Ulster Scots.  
Grade 3B: 1^st Cullybackey [also Best Pipes & M&D], 2^nd Major Sinclair Memorial, 3^rd Kildoag [also Best Drums and Bass Section], and 4th Broughshane.
Grade 3A: 1^st Clogher & District [also joint Best Pipes and Best Drums] 2^nd Matt Boyd Memorial [also joint Best Pipes], 3^rd Tullylagan, 4^thAugharan.
Grade 2: 1^st Ravara [also Best Pipes, Drums, Bass Section and M&D], 2^ndManorcunningham, 3rd St Mary’s Derrytrasna, 4^th Clogher & District.
Grade 1: 1^st   Closkelt [also Best Pipes, Drums, Bass Section and M&D]. 

On a minor and fairly petty point, but for historical purposes, this was in fact the 68^th,not the 71^st  Ulster Championships as was advertised due to the fact that no competitions were held in 1969 [government ban on parades/gatherings] or in  2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.