Northern Ireland News: Kids with Cancer/ New Generator/ Ulster Solos/ New Chairman/ Beth Adger

The recent Kids with Cancer Charity Concert was an outstanding success and if you tune into the Big Rab Show YouTube channel you will be able to enjoy it yourself. Northern Ireland has hosted many top quality concerts throughout the years, featuring some of the greatest pipe bands of the modern era but the lineup that was brought together at the Royal Hotel, Cookstown, last month surely surpasses the best…

News from Across the Water: Bill Livingstone Remembered/ Waterford Solos/ St Patrick’s Day/ Drumlough 75th/ MacDonald Solos/ Video Archive

Many local pipe band enthusiasts were sad to hear of the passing of Pipe Major Bill Livingstone. Bill will ever be associated with his leadership of the 78th Fraser Highlanders from Ontario, Canada. He brought the band to Scotland in the early 1980s and in 1987 they went on to become the first from overseas to win the World Championships. Several days before that iconic event the band played in…

News from Across the Water: Terry Tully Audience/ King’s Honours/ Drum Majors to Canada/ 75th Anniversaries/ Tribute Band/ Leinster Solos

Irvine Memorial are delighted to be able to bring the renowned piper and former Pipe Major of St Laurence O’Toole, Terry Tully, to the Valley Hotel, Fivemiletown, Co. Tyrone. on 7th February for another ‘Audience With’ event. In addition, there will be performances by Stephen Creighton, leading drummer of the current World Champion drum corps, and P/Sgt. and Northern Ireland man, Brendan Murphy. The evening will take the form of previous…

Discontent in Northern Ireland at Date of UK Championships

The recent announcement by the RSPBA parent body that the UK Championships are to be held on the 12th July 2025 at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, near Edinburgh, has caused some consternation amongst the local pipe band fraternity in Northern Ireland. On a number of fronts this date does not suit bands from Ulster and adjacent counties – and they are not all associated with the Twelfth of July…

News from Across the Water: Derry-Londonderry to Host All Irelands/ RSPBANI AGM/ Tartan Dander

Next year’s All Ireland Pipe Band Championships will be coming to Derry-Londonderry on 5th July 2025. Surprisingly, but none the less welcome, the announcement came from the Executive Office of the Northern Ireland Assembly This underlines that they consider it a significant event in the region’s cultural and tourism calendar and means there will be financial backing for the event. The venue is the city’s Ebrington Square, a public space…