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Pipers brave it out at County Fermanagh Championships 

Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell

THE 51ST annual County Fermanagh Pipe Band Championships took place at Celtic Park Playing Fields, Enniskillen last Saturday.

Bands men and women braved the weather to battle it out for supremacy in all six grades and drum majoring events.

Winning their first Grade 1 competition was Ballinderry Bridge with Pipe Major, Noel Mullan.

The band also looked the part wearing their new Connemara Tartan uniform. The win was a great confidence booster for the band who begin to challenge in the top grade.

After 13 years competing in Grade 2 Killeen Pipe Band, under the direction of Pipe Major Philip Boyce, had the sweet taste of success last Saturday when they won the Grade 2 championships. A great credit to a band dedicated to hard work and perseverance.

Seven Towers Pipe band, with Pipe Major David Reid, had their first local win of the 2005 season when they took top honours in Grade 3A. The band also took home the trophy for best pipes in the grade.

County Armagh band Battlehill - who were promoted to Grade 3B for this season - put on a great performance winning both piping and drumming under the leadership of solo piper Mark Falcon.

In Grade 4A it was a good day's work for Tyrone band Aughintober under Pipe Major Glenn Ferry when they took the top trophy with piping preference. And keeping it in the family was Ryan Ferry, who won the juvenile drum majoring championships.

A great welcome awaited Eden Pipe Band from Plumbridge who were back to the competition arena after an absence of some nine years.

Pipe Major David Caldwell led his band to a well-deserved third place in Grade 2.

The final winners at the County Fermanagh Championships were Cullybackey in 4B.

This Saturday's competition will be the County Antrim Championships, held in the picturesque village of Broughshane.

The event will be part of a summer festival organised by Broughshane and District Community Association in partnership with the RSPBA County Antrim section and sponsored by the Ulster-Scots Agency.

Fifty bands are expected to take part in the competition and the adjudicators will be Jim Baxter, Jim Campbell Winston Pollock and Adrian Hoy.

And there will be fun for all the family that day according to Sandy Wilson, Association Chairman.

There will. be circus performers, novelty and confectionery stalls, a bouncy castle, slide and trampoline and quad racing.

"The festival and championships takes place at Broughshane Community Centre, Knocken Road, Broughshane. Events begin at 9.30am.

The Mid Ulster Championships will be held in Cookstown on Saturday June 11, followed by the County Down championships at Castle Ward, Strangford on Saturday June 18.

Second of this year's five major championships will be the European Championships.

An expected 120 bands from England, Scotland, Northern and Southern Ireland will be taking part in the event which will be held in Banbridge on Saturday June 25.

Competitors from New Zealand Police Pipe Band and Belgium's Antwerp Pipe Band will also be there.

Performances from Highland dancers, 'Young Drums,' from Rathfriland and the Irish dancers, 'Trim the Velvet' are also planned.

Last week Field Marshal Montgomery from Lisburn played their way to victory in Grade One at the Scottish Pipe Band Championships.

The championships attracted a record 141 entries and presented one of the most spectacular gatherings of cultural music and dancing to be seen and heard anywhere in the world.

Over 3,500 musicians and dancers performed in the various grades for the title of Scottish champions. Held in the scenic Levengrove Park on the banks of the River Clyde and in the shadow of Dumbarton Castle, this venue was a truly fitting location for the championships.

Of all our bands and drum majors only three were successful in winning titles.

Field Marshal carried on from last week's victory in Malahide by winning the Grade 1 championship trophy. Pipe Major Sammy Connolly took his Ravara outfit to the top in Grade 2 and the drum corps of Seven Towers from Ballymena won best drums in Grade 3A. '

Other Ulster bands to collect trophies were Seven Towers who were runners up in 3A with Marlacoo in third place. Sergeant Walker took fifth in 4A with Annsborough in sixth place in 3B and Antrim fifth in 4B.

Strathclyde Fire Brigade won 1st place in Grade 3A; Bo' ness RBLS won 313; Rothesay & District 4A and the Welsh Piping Society took the top place in 4B.

The first of this year's section's competitions is the Co. Fermanagh championships, which will take place at Celtic Park, Enniskillen on Saturday 28th May with an entry of 48 bands including a Grade One entry.

This will commence at 12.45.

Band coaches are reminded that they are requested to park at the Ardhowen Theatre.

The Co. Fermanagh championships will be followed by the Co. Antrim section's event, which will be held on Saturday 4th June in the Playing Fields. Community Centre. Broughshane. Adjudicators will be Jim Campbell, Winston Pollock Jim Baxter and Adrian Hoy.

Bands are reminded there will be a short parade of the village after the competition when they will be a free draw for those taking part. The draw will have six winners each taking £100.

The Mid-Ulster Championships will be on 11th June in Cookstown.

On the 8th June, the Mid Ulster section are hoping to stage a parade for non competing pipe bands. The bands are to assemble in Burn Road car park and commence at 8pm to parade the town centre and then return to the car park. A memento will be presented to each participating band.

The association would appreciate the support of pipe bands in this venture and it should be remembered that this is not a competition. For more information on both these events please contact secretary Gloria Patterson tel. 8283 1232

Ulster Star
03/06/2005