Category: Pipe Bands

Pipe Band Competition Makes a Successful Return in Northern Ireland

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Northern Ireland celebrated the return of pipe band competition today with a very successful event at a sunny Castle Park, Bangor, County Down. The Ards and North Down contest was the first in the province since 2019. As expected, the winners in Grade 1 were Field Marshal Montgomery (pictured). Here are the results, courtesy the Northern Ireland branch of the RSPBA, starting with Grade 1: Grade 2: Grade 3A: Grade…

More Pipe Band Competition Makes a Successful Return in Northern Ireland

Editor’s Notebook: PPBSO Archive/ RSPBA Chief/ Donald Cameron/ Finlay Drynan/ Captain John

Posted on      by      3 Comments

New President Michael Grey has certainly rejuvenated Ontario’s Piping and Pipe Band Society. There’s now new archive material from the Society’s archives available, his latest Newsletter tells me. Above is film of the innovative Vale of Atholl band under P/M Ian Duncan from the North American Championships at Maxville in 1988. The blurb reads: ‘This is the last of nine bands to play on Saturday, July 30, 1988. The Vale…

More Editor’s Notebook: PPBSO Archive/ RSPBA Chief/ Donald Cameron/ Finlay Drynan/ Captain John

Thirty-two Long Months and the Pandemic Nighmare is Finally Put Behind Us (Updated with Full Results )

Posted on      by      2 Comments

It fell to the Kilbarchan pipe band to sound the first note played in anger on a pipe band contest field for almost three years. With that first introductory E this band of 17 pipers swept away months of moribundity and declared ‘the pipe band movement is back’! The occasion was the Gourock Highland Games contest held at the weekend at Battery Park, Greenock. I arrived early just as tents…

More Thirty-two Long Months and the Pandemic Nighmare is Finally Put Behind Us (Updated with Full Results )

Atholl Gathering/ Lochaber Gathering/ Ukrainian National Anthem

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Piping Convenor at the Atholl Gathering, Dr Jack Taylor: ‘There is a healthy entry so far for the Gathering (on May 29), but there is still room for a few more, especially P/A/Non CPA Piobaireachd and junior events. Entries close on Sunday 15th May. Here is the link to the entry form.   ‘It will be Gary West’s first outing as Pipe Major of the Atholl Highlanders. Ian Duncan is handing over the previous…

More Atholl Gathering/ Lochaber Gathering/ Ukrainian National Anthem

History: Northern Meeting 1970, Success for Andrew Wright and Ian McLellan

Posted on      by      Leave a comment

Last week we ran the results from Inverness 1970. Since then our staff have been busy burrowing and have come up with an original report and pictures from the contest published in the Press & Journal newspaper dated September 18. Headlined ‘A Double Gold Success for Piper’ the article reads: ‘A Paisley engineer has scored a double success in the piping world this year. ‘Last month 33-year-old Andrew Wright won…

More History: Northern Meeting 1970, Success for Andrew Wright and Ian McLellan