Author: Gilbert Cromie

Northern Ireland Report for August and September

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Twenty bands and 30 drum majors from Northern Ireland attended the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow in an overall entry of 190 bands and 44 drum majors from 15 countries. The only World title claimed by an NI Branch band was G3A by Tullylagan, together with the drum corps title. This was a great achievement for a band celebrating its Centenary. Only ten prizes were annexed by NI bands…

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Northern Ireland Pipe Band Round Up

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All-Ireland Pipe Band Championships: The spacious grounds of Ballymena Academy were the venue for Ireland’s premier pipe band competition which took place on Saturday 1st July. The weather was ever changing but never cold. The popularity and importance of this competition to the pipe band fraternity on the island of Ireland was illustrated by a large attendance as friendships were made or renewed around the arenas and tuning areas. The variable…

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Pipe Major Alec ‘Eck’ Brown

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The Executive Committee of The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland Branch have issued the following statement, ‘It is with profound sadness that we learned on Saturday afternoon at our championships in Newtownards that our esteemed friend, Pipe Major Alec Brown had tragically passed away despite the best efforts of the medical professionals on site who attended to him. The Executive Committee extends heartfelt condolences of behalf of the…

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Ireland North and South: Terry Takes VP Job/ Warnock Documentary/ Tullylagan Book/ Kenny Crothers/ Innovation in Cork

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At a recent Irish Pipe Band Association National Executive Committee meeting it was decided to appoint a Vice-President to assist President Con O’Conaill. The NEC are very aware that an officer might not be able to fulfil his/her public duties at any given time.  The name of Pipe Major Terry Tully was proposed by Brian MacMahon and seconded by Johnny Sheehan and Terry was unanimously elected by the NEC to…

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Northern Ireland Report: FMM’s Outstanding Tribute to P/M Frank Andrews

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On Friday April 28th the eagerly awaited Frank Andrews Tribute Concert took place at the Tullyglass Hotel in Ballymena. There was an attendance of 600 and it was an outstanding success. I have attended the majority of the big pipe band concerts over the years, at the County Hall or the Waterfront Hall, and I would venture to say that this was amongst the absolute best. The star act was…

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