AFTER scooping the title of Grade 4B All Ireland Pipe Band Champions at New Ross, Co. Wexford in July, the Irvine Memorial Pipe Band from Clabby competed at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow last weekend, making the finals in their grade – another prestigious achievement for the acclaimed band.
Following their return home, Pipe Major Neil Stronge talked to The Impartial Reporter about the band’s experience.
“We achieved what we set out to do. We wanted to qualify for the final and we achieved that, so we were all happy,” he said.
“We played in the qualifier on the Saturday morning at 10.10am. We played twice. Basically, the way it works, they put you into a qualifying heat and then they take the best six bands out of that, and they put them into a final of 12, of two groups.
“So we did well to qualify from where we’ve come from. It’s the first year that we’ve competed since 2008,” added Neil.
Talking about the band’s success earlier in the summer, Neil said: “We won the All Ireland Championships. Really, from that, that gave the guys a lot of confidence to go to the Worlds, to be competitive.
“It felt really good, competing with our own band again. Even the fact that we’re the only competitive band in Fermanagh at the minute, there’s something special about that alone.

‘A challenge’
“Especially after the pandemic, it really was a challenge to get a competitive band back competing. 
“With all the things that have happened in the course of the past three years, it’s a testament to the whole group.
“It’s [down] to everyone, not just me. The leading drummer, Nicky Armstrong, he’s done a tremendous job,” he commented, adding: “It’s been a good year all round for the band.”
The band will now take a well-deserved break before starting up again in September.
“We’ll regroup probably around the end of September and we’ll try and find a way forward to be more successful,” said Neil, adding: “Anybody that understands this game [will know] it’s not a quick fix where you do so much things in a year – it’s a three- or five-year, and we want to build and grow on what we've already achieved."