St Colmcille's Pipe Band toast Cobh success
ST COLMCILLE'S Pipe Band, Tullamore scooped a huge haul of seven prizes at the South of Ireland Championships in Cobh, Co Cork last Sunday.
In what was just the band's second competition appearance of the season after a 17-year lay-off, they saw off all comers from eight different counties to claim outright first place in three different grades, while the drum corps and bass and tenor section also picked up a couple of prizes each.
Ranked in Grade 5/4B in their first season back on the competition circuit, St Colmcille's won the Grade 5 contest as well as Grade 5 map, which required specialist 2/4 tunes.
St Colmcille's also had the option of playing in the Grade 4 competition in which, most hearteningly, they also claimed first place despite competing against bands ranked in a higher grade than them.
The band was also judged to have the best drum corps and bass and tenor section in both the Grade 5 and Grade 5 map, which made for a total of seven trophies going back up the new M8 motorway on Sunday evening.
The competition chieftain for the day was athlete Sonia O'Sullivan, who is a native of the picturesque Cork town and the Olympic silver-medallist presented the band with each of their prizes.
The results are a great fillip for the band with the season very much in its early stages. They face a big step-up this weekend though when competing in the Mid-Ulster Championships in Cookstown, Co Tyrone on Saturday, with Northern Ireland very much the hotbed in terms of pipe band music.
“I'm very proud of everyone involved in the band,” said pipe major Joe Mooney. “It's a great shot in the arm for us and proof that we're going in the right direction. But the acid test comes this Saturday in Cookstown, and we're looking forward to testing ourselves in that arena.”
Drum sergeant Willie Currams, who doubles up as the band's chairman, was also elated at the four prizes picked up by the drum corps, which includes a number of youngsters who have blossomed under his tutelage.
“I'm delighted for the young lads especially.They've come on in leaps and bounds in recent months and got their reward for it last weekend. Hopefully we can build on this, starting with Cookstown on Saturday and working towards the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow in August, which the band will be competing in for the very first time,” said Willie.
As the band continues to go from strength to strength they are, as ever, keen to enlist new members. Lessons take place at St Joseph's National School, Arden View every Saturday at 5pm (resuming on June 19 as the band will be competing in Cookstown this Saturday). Contact Joe Mooney (086) 3268293, Willie Currams (087) 9583724 or Pat Nolan (087) 6101773 for further information.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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