Béal Átha band pipes up to recruit new members
AFTER celebrating the 90th anniversary of its foundation last year, the Ballingeary Pipe Band has now issued an appeal to recruit more members as it wants to still be on the road when the band marks its centenary.
At a special Culture Night event in the Gaeltacht village, Buíon Phiobairí Bhéal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh came together to perform some tunes and make the appeal for new recruits.
According to band member Denis O’Leary, the group is losing members as they go off to take up jobs and offers of third level courses.
“It’s what you expect in a small community, in a way – members come and go and some do come back,” he said.
“We’d regard ourselves as being at full strength if we had 20 members – but there have been times we were down to six or seven,” said Denis, who has been a piper with the band since the early 1970s.
Fellow piper Dónal Ó Cróinín joined in 1962 - well over half a century ago.
The precarious existence of pipe bands is underlined by the fact that Buíon Phiobairí Bhéal Átha’n Ghaorthaidh has acquired a new set of drums from St Finbarr’s Pipe Band after it folded a few years ago.
However the Béal Atha’n Ghaorthaidh outfit are determined to stay the course and are looking forward to hitting its centenary in 2028 at full strength, all pipes and drums at full volume!