Special Announcement:
Ballingeary Pipe Band would like to sincerely thank everybody who bought their book, Ballingeary Pipe Band Past and Present and to let it be known that copies of the book are still available in the local shop.
thank you
A Brief History of Ballingeary Pipe Band (Courtesy of Ballingeary and Inchigeela Historical Society)http://www.ballingearyhs.com/
Bunaiodh
Buionn Piobairi Barra Naofa sa bhliain 1928. Roimhe sin bhi "Fife and Drum Band"
i mBeal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh agus nuair a cuireadh deireadh leis an mbuionn sin
chuaigh roinnt des na baill a bhi ann sa Bhuionn Piobairi. Timpeall an ama sin
chuaigh Seamus O Se, Dinny Leary agus Danny Hyde R.I.P. go dti Shanbally "to buy
the Band". Bhi Buionn Piobairi Shanbally ag cur deireadh lena mbuionn fein agus
bhi se oiriunach do mhuintir Bheal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh uirlisi ceoil agus culaith
eide a bhaint amach mar seo. Is fir ar fad a bhi pairteach sa Bhuionn Piobairi
an uair ud agus ar feadh i bhfad ina dhiaidh san.
The Pipe Band was very
active in the 1930's as there were a lot of elections being held during that
decade. The Band used to take part in the Annual Manchester Martyrs Parade in
Macroom around this time. They attended alot of Feiseanna and other festivals
and they travelled to all parts of South Kerry and from West Cork to Kinsale.
The local Tug of War team always travelled with them and took part in Tug of War
contests wherever they went. The group travelled in Tadhg Twomey's and Danny
Shea's lorries. These lorries were covered over and seated.
Diarmuid O
hEaluithe,(Jerh Healy), Gurteennakilla remembers his first outing with the Band.
When he was about 15 years of age the Band were invited to Kenmare to welcome
Eamonn De Valera after he had won an election. It was a very blustery night with
high winds and Diarmuid was given the flag to carry before the Band. The wind
was so strong that Jerry Moynihan, Lackabawn had to come to his aid to keep the
flag from blowing away.
His best memory of his days with the Band is
welcoming home the great Dan O Mahony to his native Ballydehob. The townland
where Dan was born was called Goirtin Na Coille. Dan was the World Champion
Wrestler in the late 1930's having beaten all the top wrestlers in America and
other countries. The band were a bit late arriving in Ballydehob and after
putting on their uniforms and tuning the pipes they proceeded to play through
the town. He remembers a huge crowd being present and bonfires go leor and the
women dancing on the street. There were two other Bands taking part in the
celebrations, one from Bandon and the other from the city. Bandon were leading
the Parade and Buionn Piobairi Barra Naofa joined in at the back. the Marshall
in charge was up and down the road outside the towm keeping everything in order
and then he made an announcement over the Public Address that Ballingeary Pipe
Band had been requested to lead the Parade. It was a great honour to be chosen
by a World Champion and in the following months while Dan O'Mahony stayed around
his hometown and organised regattas and other functions Ballingeary Pipe Band
were always invited to participate. Sadly Dan O'Mahony was killed in an accident
involving his car and a parked lorry while on his way home from a Wrestling
meeting in Dublin.
Is cuimhin le Diarmuid la go raibh an Bhuionn Piobairi ag
seinnt tri bhaile Scoil Mhuire (Schull) i rith an tsamhraidh. Bhi slua mor
timpeall agus bhi roinnt poncánaigh (Yanks) ann chomh maith. Bhi poncánach
amhain togtha leis an gceol agus thaitin an Bhanna chomh mór leis gur thug sé an
dream ar fad isteach i dtig tabhairne agus cheannaigh se deoch do gach duine
diobh. Ag an am sin ni raibh ach beirt as an grupa a bhí ag ól. B'shin 45-50
bliain o shoin.
In the 1950's Fr. Traynor from Lucan in Dublin used to spend
alot of holidays in Gougane Barra and Beal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh. He had a great
interest in Pipe Bands and brought down 25-30 members of a Pipe Band from Bray
for a week. they camped in James Battie's meadow and spent the week playing
music with the local lads. On the Sunday they came to the village and played
with Buionn Piobairi Barra Naofa after Mass. Fr. Traynor is buried in Gougane
where the old cells are. His grave faces the lake.
In the 1950's the Band
re-grouped and at that time Fr. O' Neill P.P. (a native of Kinsale) who had been
an army Chaplain obtained army jackets for the Band members. These jackets were
dyed black with orange braiding and worn with saffron kilts. By now there were
12 Pipers in the band . Many new members joined the band in the 1960's when it
reformed again. Things were going very well at this stage and the band was being
trained by Micheal O Laoire R.I.P. and Liam O Liathain both form Cork. Around
this time Micheal O Laoire and Fionnbarra O Murchu organised a Mass Bands
Competition in Beal Atha'n Ghaorthaidh in which many Bands paticipated.
I
1962 bhuaidh an Banna Ceoil duais i gCoracaigh tareis pairt a ghlacadh i
gcomórtas Bhannaí Ceóil na Mumhan. Bhuaidh siad duaiseanna chomh maith i Mala i
1980, 1981, 1982 agus ag an Pan Celtic i gCill Airne.
Ta alan athruithe
tagtha ar an saol os na blianta atá luaite ach tá an Bhúionn Piobairi fos
laidir.
(Macroom was the venure and the 18th of January the date
for the 1941 County Football Final. The Ballingeary Pipe Band let the teams on parade
before the game)
*If you were a former member of the pipe band,and you have any stories ,anecdotes or photographs you can e mail me at [email protected] *
FOR BAND RELATED BOOKINGS AND ENQUIRIES CONTACT ANN :086-4018992