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Latest Result

Heart Of Down Pipe Band Championships
Sat 6th August 2022
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Roll of Honour 2022
European Champions
DRUM MAJORS
Junior
Jorja Turkington
UK Champions
BANDS
Grade 2
Ravara
Grade 4A
Kildoag
DRUM MAJORS
Adult
Jason Price
Junior
Jorja Turkington
British Champions
BANDS
DRUM MAJORS
Adult
James Kennedy

Latest News

September Branch Meeting
Posted in Branch News by Danielle McCartney on 16 September 2022 11:01 AM

The September Branch meetomg will take place on Wednesday 28th September at 7.30pm on Zoom

Minutes of the previous meeting, agenda and zoom details will be circulated to band secretaries

All Ireland & JAC solos postponed
Posted in Branch News by Michelle Shilliday on 10 September 2022 12:37 PM
Following the recent death of HM Queen Elizabeth II, a decision has been taken by the Joint Association Council to postpone the upcoming All Ireland Solo Championships and J.A.C. Solo Championships which were due to be held on Saturday 17 September 2022.
 
It was felt important to recognise this significant time and also to observe the period of National Mourning leading up to the State Funeral which we anticipate will take place around or soon after next weekend.
 
The J.A.C. is already in discussions on deciding a new date for the championships to take place and are working with our various stakeholders and partners to finalise this. Further details will follow in due course.
 
We trust that all competitors will understand the necessity for postponement at this time and will be contacted by the contest administrator with further information.
All Ireland & JAC Solos - DRAW
Posted in Branch News by Danielle McCartney on 7 September 2022 3:08 PM

The draw for the All Ireland Solos is available here

The draw for the JAC Solos is available here

Note that times, where specified, are approximate

Soloists are expected to present themselves at the final tuning room
Chanter and drum pad grades should proceed directly to the competition room

Can competitors please double check that their band name is correct, and contact secretary@rspbani.org if it is incorrect

UK Solo Drumming Championships 2022 - RESULTS
Posted in Branch News by Michelle Shilliday on 3 September 2022 3:45 PM

The Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association NI Branch today hosted the UK Adult Solo Snare Drumming Championship 2022 at Greystone Primary School, thanks to principal Ms Arlene Faulkner.


Congratulations to Gareth McLees the UK Solo Snare Drumming Champion 2022 and to everyone who took part.


Results:
1st Place - Gareth McLees

2nd Place - William Glenholmes

3rd Place - Rachel Thom

4th Place - Stephen Creighton


These four competitors have pre-qualified into the 2022 RSPBA World Solo Snare Drumming Championship Semi-Final.

JAC Solos
Posted in Branch News by Danielle McCartney on 30 August 2022 10:31 AM

After receiving feedback from tutors, we have removed the stipulation regarding playing in a band from the unaccompanied snare and pipe chanter grades in the JAC Solos

If your child is affected by this and has entered the U14 section in the All Ireland Solos instead, please contact danielle.mccartney@rspbani.org by Wednesday 31st August

We have extended the entries for the JAC Solos to 10pm tonight (Tuesday 30th August) to allow anyone who did not enter because of this rule to submit an entry

The Crios Gréine Invitational Solo Piping Contest
Posted in Branch News by Danielle McCartney on 26 August 2022 11:55 PM

Great Opportunity for Solo Pipers in Ireland
The Crios Gréine Invitational Solo Piping Competition, Florida,USA.

The Crios Gréine Invitational (The Sun Belt) is a brand new invitational solo competition being launched by Eric Stein in Florida, USA. Eric is a very well-known piper in the USA and has been compere for each of the St. Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band concerts in Glasgow so he will be familiar to many pipers and drummers on this side of the Atlantic.

10 of the World’s top pipers will participate in the new event on November 12th this year. Nine have already been chosen and the great news for Ireland is that the 10th place is being reserved for the highest placed solo piper based on the amalgamated MSR and Piobaireachd competitions in the All Ireland senior grade solo piping on September 17th

Should there be a tie when the piobaireachd and MSR are combined, the Crios Gréine invitation will go on piobaireachd preference.

The invited player must be able to submit 8 piobaireachds as they are using the same requirements that are used for the Gold medal events in Scotland. 

If the winner of the Irish event could not submit 8 piobaireachds the invitation would go to second or third place winners. If no one is in a position to submit 8 piobaireachds, the invitation would, unfortunately, have to be withdrawn.

Providing the Irish winner can submit 8 piobaireachds, he/she will receive airfare and three nights at the Orlando Sheraton North in Florida, USA. 

The American competition consists of a piobaireachd competition and a medley competition. Prize money at the American competition is $1000, $750, $500, $250, $100 for each event plus an additional $1000 to the overall winner. 

UK (Adult) Solo Drumming Championships - Draw
Posted in Branch News by Danielle McCartney on 26 August 2022 11:26 PM

Please see attached for the draw for the upcoming UK Solo Championships which will be updated on the website later today

The contest will begin at 2pm

Can competitors please check that their band name is correct, and if not, contact secretary@rspbani.org to have it changed  

***** CHANGE OF VENUE *****

The venue has been changed to:

Greystone Primary School 
53 Greystone Rd, Antrim, BT41 1JW

CANCELLATION OF FESTIVAL
Posted in Branch News by Michelle Shilliday on 26 August 2022 4:00 PM
CANCELLATION OF 2022 LISBURN & CASTLEREAGH PIPE BAND FESTIVAL
 
It is with deep regret that the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland (RSPBANI) Branch Executive has taken the hard decision to cancel the Lisburn and Castlereagh Pipe Band & Highland Dance Festival, which was due to take place on 3rd September.
 
This festival was originally conceived by the Executive in conjunction with our branch bands during discussions regarding the planning of a 2022 season programme back in early Spring 2022. The consensus at the time was that the Branch would organise and deliver a festival-type event together with our competitive championships during 2022 in order to ensure there was opportunity for non-competitve bands and players to have an oportunity to play together and in front of an audience. The RSPBA United Kingdom Solo Drumming Championship coincided with this time and a decision to hold both on the same day at the same venue was agreed. The funding for running events will always come down to a number of stakeholders working together, but the timing of the events is mostly down to availability in the first instance with our main sponsors within local councils and their own event programmes.
 
Following a very busy and successful 2022 competitive programme culminating in the RSPBA World Championships in Glasgow a fortnight ago, it has very recently become apparent that a lot of branch bands are now taking the opportunity for a well earned break, with many band members taking holidays at this time, now that the competitve season has concluded. The Branch Executive appreciates that this has made it extremely difficult for our branch bands to field enough players to attend and perform on the day. The Executive also realises that as we all continue to adapt to the ongoing and fluid changes with regards to our daily lives whilst continuing to work our way out of pandemic measures, the opportunity for family holidays at shorter notice has become more necessary.
 
As one of the main events of the festival, the lack of bands being able to attend on the day has made it untenable for the Branch to consciously deliver the festival to the public at this time. The RSPBANI continues to have a strong working partnership with all our sponsors, partner organisations, suppliers and of course our performers, who we have worked with previously. The Branch Executive will continue to engage with these stakeholders going forward and welcome working with them all again in 2023.
 
The Branch Executive Committee when coming to this hard decision wish to pass on sincere apologies to everyone including all our branch bands and volunteers who work tirelessly to make the Northern Ireland Branch what it is.
 
The United Kingdom Solo Drumming Championship will proceed on the same date however with a change of venue to Greystone Primary School in Antrim. All competitors have been contacted by the Branch Secretary and further information regarding this event will be made available shortly.