P/M William Lyons BEM, 1940 – 2026

William Lyons was taught to play the pipes, as a boy, at the Corbet Pipe Band, just outside Banbridge in County Down, Northern Ireland. He joined the Irish Guards, in 1957. 

During his service, he guest-played with one of Ireland’s top bands of the time, Dromara, under Pipe Major Harold Hook. His first piping instructor in the army was P/M KG Roe of the Scots Guards, and he always described it as almost being retaught to play again from scratch. He quickly became a competent and confident piper.

He saw active service in Aden and did tours of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South America and around Europe. He also spent time teaching the 2^nd Royal Australian Regiment Pipes & Drums in Darwin, Australia.

In 1969-70, Will, as he was known to family and friends, completed his Pipe Major’s Course (No. 25) at Edinburgh Castle, under Captain John McLellan. He became life-long friends with Jimmy Banks who was on the same course and was then P/Sgt. of the 2^nd Batt Scots Guards. Angus MacDonald was the P/M of the 1^st Batt Scots Guards at that time, and along with Pipe Major Dixie Ingram, P/M of 2^nd Batt Scots Guard, the four shared a great friendship.

Will learnt a lot from them and re-counted many stories of his times at the Pipe Major’s Course in Edinburgh Castle. He became P/M of the 1^st Battalion Irish Guards and remained there until his army service ended in 1977. Will was a ‘Piper to the Royal Household’ arranging music for high profile state and international events. He was a Decorated Military Pipe Major being awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to piping in the British Army. On returning to Northern Ireland, Will served for 17 years with the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

Will and Ida (Sarah), his wife, had four children. William, Neil, Ian and Sharon. Neil and Ian both took to pipe bands and learned to play the drums and pipes.

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He was extremely proud of his family. His two sons Neil & Ian both saw incredible success, particularly with Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band under Richard Parkes, both winning multiple World Championships and many major championships with the band, spanning five decades.

Ian and Neil both also worked and competed with the Victoria Police band under Nat Russell, during the band’s competing years, and Ian also spent nine years guesting with the 78^th Fraser Highlanders from Toronto under Bill Livingstone. Ian is still a current full-time serving member of the Victoria Police Pipe Band.

(Both Ian and sister Sharon emigrated to Australia and have both lived in Melbourne for over 30 years.)

In his later years, during the early 2000s, Will saw a resurgence in his local Banbridge Pipe Band, and was the piping tutor, teaching many young pipers from around the district and forming one of Northern Irelands very few junior pipe bands. He was featured in a BBC’s ‘Pipe Band Documentary’ which is available on You Tube.

Will was a staunch, upright, no-nonsense man, which worked well with teaching young players, some of whom are playing in Grade 1 bands to this day. But he was much loved and highly respected by so many in the Northern Ireland and the greater pipe band community. In his later years, he’d go to the pipe band contests and sit, on his deckchair, for most of the day, alongside the other old men of piping and would give a full, educated, run-down on which bands were the winners.

Deep-down, his absolute delight would be to see the Field Marshal, with one of his boys, halting at the line. We can only imagine how, as a father, that would have made him feel. He was a hard man on the surface, but a big softy on the inside, and will be missed by us all.   

Will Lyons’ name was very well known in the pipe band world and he will be long remembered by many. His funeral service will be held at Ballydown Presbyterian Church in Banbridge tomorrow, Tuesday 1^st September at1pm. 

Ian Lyons