On 24th September the All-Ireland & JAC Solo Piping & Drumming Championships took place at Cookstown High School. What a day it was for Field Marshal Montgomery duo James Frazer and William Glenholmes.
They took the senior piping and drumming titles despite stiff opposition. James took the piping title by winning favour with both adjudicators ahead of Alastair Donaghy and John McElmurry. John was the winner of the Piobaireachd A section.
In the drumming William Glenholmes beat off competition from Stephen Creighton and Alex Buchanan who were 2nd and 3rd. The adjudication panel for the day were Greig Canning, Ronan Maguire, Mark Faloon, Richard Parkes MBE and David Middleton (Piping), Stuart Coils, Michael O’Neill, and Stephen Creighton (Snare Drumming) and Ewan Glenny, Tenor & Bass.
A full list of winners can be found on the RSPBANI Branch website.
NI Piper of the Year
The 45th annual Northern Ireland Piper of the Year competition took place in the Adair Arms Hotel, Ballymena, on Saturday 10th October.
The following pipers (in alphabetical order) took part in the event: Alastair Donaghy (Belfast), Julian Dorman (Dublin), James Frazer (Rathfriland), Alan Glenholmes (Ballymena), Drew McAnally (Carrickfergus), John McElmurry (Pomeroy), Scott McKay (Dungannon), Ashley McMichael (Antrim), James Stone (Waterford], and Mark Warnock (Cookstown).
The afternoon session got underway at 1pm with the Piobaireachd while the evening session featuring the March, Strathspey & Reel and Hornpipe & Jig disciplines was at 7pm. The adjudicators were Richard Parkes MBE and Donald McPhee, both multiple solo piping winners.
While the results were being compiled by Ben Greeves and prior to presenting the prizes, Donald McPhee expressed his thanks for the hospitality shown to him throughout his visit by Ken Stewart and the members of the NI Piping Society.
This was matched by teaming him up with his friend Richard Parkes MBE who he had shared many great piping days during the nine years he spent as a member of Field Marshal Montgomery.
While there was no tuning clock, at this competition Donald reminded the competitors that this was very much a regular feature of solo competitions in Scotland.
If they were competing there, as many of them did, it was advisable to ensure that their pipes were settled before they came on to the stage because the tuning period was only four minutes.
Michael McBride then announced the prizes which were as follows – Hornpipe & Jig: 1 James Stone; MSR: 1 Ashley McMichael 2 James Frazer 3 John McElmurry. Pìobaireachd: 1 Ashley McMichael 2 Scott McKay 3 James Stone. NI Piper of the Year: Ashley McMichael.
Pipers Societies
I was fortunate to be able to attend the opening night of the Blackthorn Pipers Society’s 2026 season on Wednesday 16th September. What a great night of piping it was.
Graeme Harris as usual opened the night with a few tunes of the Highland pipes and he was followed by a duet from Alan Waddell (Drumlough) and Ben Cardy (Cleland Memorial). They compete in the U14 solos and are most certainly talented lads and in this informal environment they played a march selection with harmonies as well as a few hornpipes which stretched the boundaries.
Another young player who never disappoints is Harry Bell Hamilton and he played a short selection of marches, as did another young regular Paulus Chan. Newcomers were very much the order of the evening with Shay Toner, Simon Thompson, Tom Cowan and William McFarland all giving good accounts of themselves. Regular Alan Glenholmes was also in fine form, although he only played a few tunes.
The guest piper for the evening was Reece Doherty who had stood in at short notice for Ashley McMichael. Reece played a wide variety of tunes including a few of his own compositions.
This was a very entertaining start to the 2026 season, and it will continue this Wednesday (21st October) when the guest piper will be Alastair Donaghy of Field Marshal Montgomery.
Meanwhile the Causeway Coast Piping Society’s 2026/27 season got underway on Friday 9th October 2026 at the Old School House in Ballymoney. Players included Graham Stirling, Ben Greeves and Reece Doherty.
If either of these events take part near you why not call in; you won’t be disappointed.
Down Academy Juveniles
This was in Ballynahinch High School on 19th September. There was an entry of eighty and the following were the decisions reached by the adjudication panel of Willie Garrett and David Middleton (Piping) and Mark Wilson (Drums).
Piping: U12 Chanter: 1 Lucy Steenson 2 Cameron Black 3 Thomas McIlwaine. U13 Practice Pipes: 1 Joel McCloskey 2 Florence Scott; U14 Piping: 1 Ben Cardy 2 Emily Brownlee 3 Joel McCloskey; U16 Piping: 1 Ben Cardy 2 Alan Waddell 3 Jack Moore; U18 Piping: 1 Jacob Stewart 2 Alan Waddell 3 Harry Steele.
Drumming: U12 Practice Pad: 1 Timothy Buchanan 2 Murray Scott 3 Luke Maguire: U13 Unaccompanied Snare: 1 Matthew Moore 2 Toby Montgomery 3 Alex Glenholmes; U14 Drumming: 1 Lexi Kerr 2 Henry Turkington 3 Jack Semple; U16 Drumming: 1 Ethan Young 2 Calum Freeburn 3 Jacob Laird; U18 Drumming: 1 Ethan Young 2 Matthew Brownlee 3 Jacob Nicholson;
The band committee would like to express their thanks to the adjudicators, general public and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Andante Drums and McCallum Bagpipes Ltd for their support. Videos of all the performances can be found on the Big Rab Show Facebook page.
- If you have any news from the NI piping and pipe band scene you’d like to pass on to Gilbert, please email him here. More reports from him to follow.
