FROM WITHIN THE CIRCLE

DFB Pipe Band Secretary John McNally on a rewarding last few months of the year

Over the past few months, the band have been relatively busy with numerous events for the full band and solo pipers, while we are regularly at practice every week.

On 9 October, we had the pleasure of playing at the DFB GAA V FDNY GAA teams football match held at Whitehall Colmcille’s pitch. e band led the teams out onto the pitch playing ‘Twenty men from Dublin Town’ before we then played ‘Amhrán na bhFiann’ following a minute’s silence for the victims of the recent Creeslough tragedy.

Passout

We had the pleasure, as always, of playing at the recent passout of Recruit

Class 2/2022 on 26 October on what was a great day for the Dublin and Cork Fire Brigades recruits and their families. We wish all of the recruits the very best in their future careers and hope to see some of them join the band.

Annual Mass

Very recently, we provided pipers at the DFB Annual Mass for Deceased Members at Dominic Street church on 20 November, in what is an important service to remember our colleagues who are no longer with us.

As always, we are asked to provide solo pipers for funerals of DFB family members and retired members. We recently provided solo pipers for retired members including Bill Redmond, Kieron Doyle, Pat Dorgan, and Bryan Healy. We also provided a piper and drummer for the funeral of S/O Shane McBride of Drogheda Fire Station, who passed away in service. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a n-anamacha.

We would like to wish our Drum Major Damien Fynes well a er recent surgery, and hope to see him back out in front of the band very soon. Also, the band wish to congratulate piper Mark Shaw on the occasion of his marriage to his wife Ciara.

Display

e Brigade Training O cer, Mr Brendan Carroll, has recently o ered an area of the training centre for a display area for the band. We are currently looking at designs for this and hope that the new display area will be in place early in the new year.

Agm

e band’s AGM took place on 8 December, and we would like to thank the outgoing committee for their hard work over the past 12 months, as well as welcome in the new committee for the forthcoming year.

It has been great to see new students coming down to practice over the past few weeks to both the pipe and drum corps. As always, we are always here to welcome new members, as new blood is vital to ensure that the band survives into the future.

Recruitment

Recently, our Public Relations Officer, Rory Previtt, designed a new recruitment poster that was distributed around all work locations within the DFB, and which you can see in this article. If you would like to give it a try, why not come along to the OBI any Monday night from 7.30pm and learn a new instrument? Beginners are always very welcome and musical ability is not a requirement at all.

We would also like to welcome previous members back, as well as people who may already have piping or drumming experience. You will be given top class instruction by our two world class instructors Dave Rickard (Bagpipes) and Ciaran Mordaunt (Drums).

Finally, we would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year and as always, we are forever grateful for the support of associate members, DFB management and DCC. Without your continuing support the band could not exist.

The band can be reached at any time through any band member, social media or by emailing: dfbpbsec@gmail.com