Category: History

Detailed Information on Historic Northern Irish Pipe Band Photographs

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We are grateful to RSPBA adjudicator Harry Stevenson (pictured) and to Tommy Johnston of Pipe Dreams for supplying the following information on our historical Irish bands feature of a week or so ago. Main Picture (above): This is the Red Hand Brian Boru  Pipe Band with Trevor Forster as Drum Major. They played the Brian Boru pipes which had been  developed by Henry Starck the famous pipemaker in London. Brian Boru…

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Donald MacDonald Cuach – Update on Last Friday’s Contest

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  Press release: Winners have been announced for two prestigious traditional music competitions held at Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles last weekend. The winner of the 32nd Donald MacDonald Cuach piobaireachd competition (15 June) was  Iain Speirs. Iain’s tune was ‘An Gròta’ or ‘The Groat’. Iain has won the prize twice previously, in 2009 and 2016. Adjudicator Allan MacDonald praised the high quality of all the players. The…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Band MSRs/ Aberdeen Games/ Honours/ New Books/ Renfrew PB

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I have some sympathy with the views of Calum and Stewart who commented on ‘The Analyst’ piece on MSRs – some sympathy but not too much. It is one of the problems of pipe band competition that the legislators, those who have the power to effect positive change, seldom sit through the events in need of an overhaul. Nor do bands people, the competitors, those on whose views the RSPBA…

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PP Ed’s Blog: Europeans 2019/ CoP-NPC/ Queen’s Honours/ PS recital/ Bill Boyle

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A couple of readers have asked about the venue for nest year’s (2019) European Pipe Band Championships. RSPBA Chairman John Hughes  has told us that an announcement will be made this week once final arrangements between the Association and the new promoters have been completed. This year’s Europeans are at Grant Park, Forres, Morayshire, on June 30th. Massed bands from last year’s contest above. This will be Forres’ sixth and final…

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Historic Pictures of Irish Pipe Bands Needing Identification

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Yesterday’s story about the Fintan Lalor and Robert Armstrong Pipe Bands has proved popular and generated quite a bit of response including an email and a set of pictures from Mr David McFall. David writes: ‘Recently my mum was rummaging through old memorabilia and came across photos of the Robert Armstrong Memorial Pipe Band which my grandfather was a member. I was just browsing to see if anything still existed…

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