McCausland hails Northern Ireland's success at the World Pipe Band Championships

Culture Minister Nelson McCausland has congratulated the Northern Ireland Bands on their success at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

The Minister said: “Northern Ireland Pipe Bands have once again achieved enormous success at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. They have out-performed every other country in the world by winning six out of 16 world titles and producing 30 out of 66 prize winners. This is further confirmation of the exceptionally high standard of pipe band music in Northern Ireland.

“This success is a credit to the Northern Ireland Branch of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association and the results in Glasgow demonstrate that we have a large number of bands which are truly world-class. For a country the size of Northern Ireland this is a remarkable achievement.”

The Minister also congratulated the Field Marshall Montgomery Band, who have been Grade One champions six times in the past and won second place this year.

The Minister continued: “This high degree of success is a reflection of the enthusiastic support for piping around Northern Ireland and we can all be justly proud of each band’s achievement. With approximately 100 registered Pipe Bands in Northern Ireland and a large number of world champions, it is clear that the quality of musicianship is second to none. These results are a testament to the time and effort which the players devote to their music.”

In conclusion he said: “Pipe Bands continue to be an important part of culture in Northern Ireland, with thousands of people learning and making pipe band music across the country. We are privileged to be hosting the European championships for three years and I thank the Northern Ireland Branch for hosting the championship two weeks ago at Stormont. It is also my hope that we will have the opportunity to host the World Championships in the future and to show the international audience what we have to offer in terms of location, hospitality and of course world class Pipe Bands.”

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