During the 1960s and 70s the Robert Armstrong Memorial Pipe Band dominated the Irish pipe band scene with one of their main rivals being St Patrick’s, Donaghmore. While both bands have long since departed the scene the Belfast-based RAMS as they were known remain revered with a considerable amount of information available compared to that of the St Patrick’s band who in their day were also trail blazers. During the lockdown I contacted…

On Thursday past the Northern Ireland Pipe Band community was stunned when news filtered through of the tragic death of 17-year-old Drum Major Rachel Lowry in a traffic accident which occurred near Markethill, County Armagh. Rachel was studying Health and Social Care at the Southern Regional College’s Armagh Campus having achieved excellent GCSE results at her local Markethill High School.  A rising star, Rachel was one of a growing number…

In normal times as we come to the end of August here in Northern Ireland, our competing pipe bands would have been reflecting on a season-ending trip to the seaside resort of Newcastle which would have hosted the NI Branch Champion of Champions contest beneath the magnificent Mountains of Mourne which, as the song says, ‘sweep down to the sea’. Sadly this has been anything but a normal pipe band…

We conclude the article on the oprigins of pipe band associations and competition on the island of Ireland. Pictured below are the Robert Armstrong Memorial Pipe Band in 1966. The band won the All-Ireland Championship nine times – 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1977. Almost certainly the contact that the Fintan Lalor and the other Dublin based bands such as St Laurence O’Toole had with the…