• Home Page

 

Splendid Lakeland setting for Co. Fermanagh championships  

Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell

THE beautiful Lakeland district of Co. Fermanagh was the splendid setting for the pipe band championships last Saturday when the Co. Fermanagh section of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band association held their annual competition at Celtic Park, Enniskillen.

The occasion attracted a large crowd with many of the winners of the Scottish championships recently held in Dumbarton taking part.

In Grade 2 it was a super start to the new season for Ballinderry Bridge under the instruction of Pipe Major Noel Mullan when they won best pipes and overall 1st placing.

Upper Crossgare took runner up place with Cullybackey winning third as well as best drums, best bass and Marching and Deportment. Killeen took the final fourth prize.

In Grade 3A the top prize went to Tullintrain who also picked up the prize for best pipes.

The host band Killadeas were in second place and won the best bass prize. Syerla were awarded third place and won the trophy for best drums. Finvoy competed the prize list with a fourth placing.

In Grade 3B Quinn Memorial repeated their Scottish Championship success when they won the overall first place trophy at Enniskillen.

'This is the first year the band has competed in this grade having been promoted from 4A Mast year where they dominated every competition. Bready took the award for best drums.

It was a day to remember for Pipe Major Isaac Grant and his Co. Armagh band Marlacoo. They won 1st place in 4A and defeated the Scottish Champions Seven Towers, who had to be content with runner up place. It will be an interesting battle for supremacy this season between these two bands.

There was a hat trick of prizes for Gransha when they won best drums, best bass and Marching & Deportment.

Co. Donegal band Manor Cunningham took the double and won best pipes and best drums in Grade 4B.

Chieftain of the day was Ernie Fisher, the managing Director of Fisher Engineering Ltd of Ballinamallard.

This Saturday the action takes place in the village of Ahoghill when the Co. Antrim section championships take place commencing at 12 o'clock. There are 43 bands entered for this event plus an under 16 solo piping competition. The entries for the solo event will be taken on the day of the competition and will be judged by local adjudicator Bobby Brannigan.

A novelty item at this contest will be an appearance by a steel band who will be entertaining the public during the band interval.

Adjudicators will be Ian Wood, Alan Ronaldson, Billy Dunlop and David Brown.

14th June is the turn of the Mid Ulster section of the RSPBA to hold their competition in the Coolnafrankey school grounds commencing at 12 o'clock.

The quartet of the 52nd Lowland Regiment - a Grade 2 band under Pipe N Major Gordon Walker - pulled off a major upset at the final round of the annual National Piping . Centre Quartet competition last Friday.

Competing against a field of Grade 1 finalists, the 52nd Lowlands outfit won 1st place defeating Strathclyde Police who took 2nd place and Dysart & Dundonald 3rd.

Also competing, but not in the prizes, were David Urquhart Travel, Lothian & Borders Police and Vale of Atholl.

Ulster Star
06/06/2003