Big thank you from Lisburn.com

Andrew Carlisle crowned All Ireland piping champion 

Pipe Bands by Mervyn McConnell

THE 2006 All Ireland solo piping and drumming championships took place in the High School Newry last Saturday. There was a great entry of over 200 competitors and the school was packed with enthusiastic supporters.

The senior All Ireland piping champion was Andrew Carlisle who pipes with world champions Field Marshal Montgomery and the drumming champion was Steven McWhirter from the Simon Fraser University Pipe from Canada band but who comes originally from Co. Antrim.

The Piobaireachd winner was Charles Noin originally from France, but who is now working as a teacher in Wellington College Belfast.

The Annual General Meeting of the Co. Antrim section of the RSPBA was held on Tuesday September 12 in the Adair Arms Hotel Ballymena.

There was a good turn out of representatives and the meeting was chaired by Winston Pinkerton and the election of officers was conducted by Lorraine McVeigh.

The Officers elected were as follows - President Mayor Tommy Nicholl; Chairman Winston Pinkerton; Vice

Chairman Maurice Dickson; Treasurer George Ussher; Trophy Officer Frank Kennedy and Secretary Patricia Pedlow. It was confirmed that the Seven Towers Solos in conjunction with the Co. Antrim Section would again take place next year in Ballee Community School Ballymena. The Co. Antrim Pipe Band Championships will also be taking place but the venue and date is still to be decided.

Chairman Winston Pinkerton also confirmed that the British Pipe Band Championships will be taking place in Ballymena Showgrounds on Saturday June 23, 2007.

Following the success of their 2005/2006 classes for beginners, the members of Tullylagan Pipe Band are pleased to announce that their School of Piping and Drumming for the incoming year will commence on Friday September 22 at 7pm in Desertcreat Parish Church

Cookstown. Beginners, particularly those in school years 6,7, 8 and 9 would be most welcome. The registration fee is £35 and includes the provision of practice chanters (pipers), sticks and pad (drummers) and all term 1 tuition. For any further information please contact Ian Trainor on 8676 6460 (evenings).

Tullylagan Pipe Band plans to compete on the 2007 season. Band practices will resume on Friday September 22 at 8pm in Desertcreat Parish Hall, Cookstown.

Enquiries from any pipers and drummers interested in joining the band would be most welcome. Please contact Pipe Major Alan Warnock on 6632 6849 again in evenings.

September 30 is the date for the meeting of the Northern Ireland Branch of the RSPBA in the Bridge Community Centre Lisburn commencing at 2pm.

October 7 will see the annual invitational 'Piper of the Year' event taking place in the Adair Arms Hotel Ballymena. The Piobaireachd section will start at noon and the MSR around 7pm.

On October 14 a solo drumming championship competition organised by the Competing Soloists Organisation will take place in the Courtyard Theatre Ballyearl.

Then the big event for drummers will be the world solo championships staged here in Northern Ireland for the first time at Monkstown Community School Newtownabbey on Saturday October 28.

This competition will be sponsored by Sam Hodgen and Andante Percussion from Rathfriland.

The 2006 Annual General Meeting of the Northern Ireland branch of the RSPBA will take place on Saturday November 11 in the Bridge Community Centre Lisburn.

RESULTS OF ALL IRELAND

Practice Chanter - 1st. John O'Donnell. 2nd. Scott Barr. 3rd. Hugh O'Donnell

Novice Piping - 1st. Adam Finis. 2nd. Johnathan Gardner.

Piobaireachd - 1st. Charles Noin. 2nd Andrew Carlisle. 3rd. Alen Tully Juvenile Piping under 14 - 1st. Neil, Badger. 2nd. Joshua McKee. 3rd. Ross Hume

Juvenile Piping under 16 - 1st. Jemma Redmond. 2nd. Darragh Bollard. 3rd, Scott Wallace.

Junior Piping - 1st. David Stone. 2nd. Michelle Redmond. 3rd. Megan Harrington

Intermediate Piping - 1st. Lindsay McNicholl. 2nd. Ashley McMichael. 3rd. Andrew Shilliday.

Senior Piping - 1st. Andrew Carlisle. 2nd. Alex Gandy. 3rd. Julian Dorman Drum Pad - 1st. John Herron. 2nd. Adam Morrow. 3rd. Cameron Sharp

Novice Drumming under 12 - 1st. Blake McVeigh. 2nd. Lloyd Burgess. 3rd. Janie Corbett

Juvenile drumming under 14 - 1st. Dean Smith. 2nd. Clarke Campbell. 3rd. Connor Cooney

Juvenile drumming under 16 - 1st. Gareth McLees. 2nd. Michael McKenna. 3rd. Aaron McLean

Intermediate Drumming - 1st. Conor Sherry. 2nd. Nicholas Harvey. 3rd. Chris Johnson.

Junior Drumming - 1st. William Glenholmes. 2nd. Chris Taylor. 3rd. Johnathan Hoy. Female medal - Rhoda Byrne

Senior Drumming - 1st. Steven McWhirter. 2nd. Aaron McCartan. 3rd. Stephen Creighton.

Ulster Star
22/09/2006