The Clew Bay Pipe Band take centre stage at the Aviva Stadium.?Pic Conor McKeown
Adventures in music
In little over six months since their launch, Westport’s Banna Píobh Chuan Modh have made an indelible mark in the music world in Mayo and beyond
Neill O’Neill
Managing Editor
THEIRS is a story of a meteoric rise like few others you’ll hear in west Mayo this year. Imagine a tale of how a childhood ambition, and a casual chat in a churchyard, set events in motion for a musical adventure that would bring the eyes of the world onto a troupe of kilted musicians from west Mayo, and bring their haunting pipe music and drumming all the way from the shores of Clew Bay, to the hearts and minds of people the world over.
Remarkably, within seven months of their official launch on St Patrick’s Day this year, Banna Píobh Chuan Modh found themselves last week in the centre circle of Ireland’s national football stadium in Dublin, where a capacity crowd of almost 52,000 people awaited their melodies.
On cue, the German national anthem was executed to unique perfection, followed by Amhrán na bhFiann, and as the German and Irish players and fans sang in perfect unison, the dream was finally a reality. On live television, RTE commentator George Hamilton waxed lyrical about hearing the German national anthem on bagpipes for the first time. On the continent, and further afield, similar thoughts from foreign television stations echoed into homes and other establishments, where masses had gathered in anticipation for a great footballing occasion.
The faithful may have been disappointed with the on-field result, but at least the musical performance left them with good memories. According to Saturday’s Irish Times; “good omens were few and far from the start but the performance of the Clew Bay Pipe Band, who played a disturbingly beautiful version of the German anthem, which seemed to unnerve the visitors, was something to behold.”
It was high but warranted praise, which was also replicated by other media outlets, and indeed on the Times’ front page that day. As the focused pipers marched with military precision off the field having performed with aplomb last Friday, German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer had a nod and a wink for Pipe Sergeant Peter Carney as he passed. “Lovely music,” he quipped, in an unmistakable Bavarian drawl - an endorsement for the band from even the VIP’s. Next stop Carnegie Hall? Not quite, not yet anyway, but the way Banna Píobh Chuan Modh have evolved, would anybody be surprised?
BEGINNINGS
The Clew Bay Pipe Band comprises 25 members, an almost equal mix of male and female and children and adults. Reluctant when it comes to the spotlight both may be, but the band owes its origins to two sons of Achill, a place where the tradition of piping makes it almost an innate talent, and practically a birthright.
Des Cafferkey is the Pipe Major of Banna Píobh Chuan Modh, which makes him the musical director, and senior instrumentalist. Peter Carney, a relative newcomer to the difficult instrument, is his deputy, and the band’s de facto manager, in that he coordinates the behind the scenes work and logistics for the group. Neither want the spotlight shining only on them, but it is impossible to explain how the band came to exist, without focusing on the tentative early efforts of these two.
“I met Des outside Pollagh Church on St Patrick’s Day in 2010 and asked him would he have any interest in establishing a pipe band in Westport, as I knew he had moved to the town,” Peter explained. “It seemed like idle talk at first but six months later we said ‘lets go for it’ and Des, who is a very talented piper, made a few calls to Terry Tully, who is Pipe Major of St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band in Dublin, about what we should do next.”
Peter may not have realised it, but Des was consulting with piping royalty, and a progressive chain of events quickly began unfolding.
“Two years ago we had our first chanter lesson (this involves learning the fingering element of the instrument before any wind is introduced) and Des put a ten week module in place for pupils in Carrowholly National School (where Peter is principal) and for keen adults, to see if they had any real interest or aptitude for it,” explains Peter.
Seven of that original class from Carrowholly remain in the band today, but it wasn’t until Easter 2011 that percussion was added to the line-up, and there are now six snare drummers, one bass drummer and four tenor drummers. Owen McNamara from Achill introduced the band to the drums, and began giving lessons, which he still does on a weekly basis, while Erin Fadian and Rachel Knipe, both members of The Achill Pipe Band, helped them with the tenor workshops.
“Des and Owen pulled everything together during weekly lessons, they really knew what they were at,” Peter recalls. “We had targets we had to reach.”
Back in the pipe section, with the basics learnt on the chanter, and some workshops from other Achill natives, Keith O’Malley - a St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band member, and Michael ‘Flix’ Lavelle from The Achill Pipe Band, the first set of pipes arrived in February 2011. These were shared for a while and there was some borrowing, and plenty of encouragement and goodwill from other members of The Achill Pipe Band, to help expedite the learning process. Then, in November 2011, the band secured LEADER funding through South West Mayo Development Company (SWMDC), and the show really got on the road.
Instruments and uniforms for such an outfit are expensive, and it was only through working alongside people like Sabina Trench from SWMDC to obtain LEADER funding, along with other funding secured from Mayo County Council, Westport Town Council, significant private donations, funding from local councillors, and the band’s own fundraising efforts, that they were able to finally achieve a full complement of necessary equipment. Where temporary funding shortfalls occurred, Westport Credit Union willingly provided bridging loans. Next up came the uniforms, which only arrived in February of this year. Each member had to buy part of their own 12 piece uniform - the ‘Killie Tarten’ - whose colours, symbolically, resemble those of the local waters from which the band draw heir name. These came from McCallums in Scotland, who also helped the band financially through the provision of extra credit periods, as they awaited approval of grants.
SHOWTIME
Perhaps the band’s biggest fan, Minister of State Michael Ring, presided over their launch in Carrowholly on St Patrick’s Day, and later that afternoon they officially debuted at the St Patrick’s Day parade in Westport. There followed a slew of local and charity gigs, and a special performance alongside The Chieftains at the highly successful Westport Festival of Music and Performing Arts in June. That memorable invite came from local Chieftain member Matt Molloy, who had earlier heard the band play at a concert in the town. In the meantime, they had welcomed Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Ireland football manager Giovanni Trapattoni and a host of other dignitaries to the foot of Croagh Patrick in May, and piped them to the base of the mountain as they began a charity ascent. It was on this occasion that their fortunes changed and their profiles soared, when Minister Ring informed Football Association of Ireland Chief Executive, John Delaney, that he would personally vouch for Banna Píobh Chuan Modh if the FAI were ever in need of some good music.
In front of several thousand witnesses, Delaney leaned in, grabbed the microphone from Minister Ring, and in an unscripted moment, promptly informed the band that they would be playing in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualifying match against Germany in October. That it was the biggest home game on Ireland’s fixture list for many years seemed lost on the band members, as they high-fived each other in the summer sunshine.
OCCASION TO SAVOUR
AND so the months whiled away and the practice sessions intensified, with Des Cafferkey having to write the score and harmonies for both the German and Irish national anthems for the band, before any thoughts of the Aviva could be entertained.
On Friday, October 12, 2012, two years to the very date after they held their first chanter lessons in Carrowholly NS, a bus load of excited, but not nervous members of Banna Píobh Chuan Modh, left that same venue for the bright lights of the capital. After an unorthodox practice on the rooftop terrace of the Clarion Hotel beside Liffey Valley Shopping Centre (this is where they stayed and nowhere else of a suitable size was available to practice), which is rumoured to have stopped traffic on the adjoining N4, they arrived at The Aviva Stadium at 4.30pm, where they were met by Siobhán Keane, an FAI official with strong Louisburgh connections.
Later, with a full on-field dressed rehearsal complete and instructions from stadium management registered, the band made a presentation of special Banna Píobh Chuan Modh hoodies (sponsored to them by the Hughes family and Portwest) to their host, and to the man who had been the architect of the occasion for them, when John Delaney and Michael Ring dropped by their changing room to wish them luck.
Emotions were high as Minister Ring spoke of his pride that they would play on such a stage. Then, after some last minute tuning in the bowels of the stadium with Pat McNamara from St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band, it was time for them to march to take up their position in the centre circle. As the stadium announcer cued them, and the first drums rolled, it seemed just like any other gig for Banna Píobh Chuan Modh, as their pitch-perfect and brilliantly synchronised melodies got a hugely important national occasion under way.
FUTURE
As for the future, well they aren’t giving much away, but big plans are currently progressing for what should be another special year for Banna Píobh Chuan Modh in 2013. The band continues to thrive and a junior section has been established through lessons in Knockrooskey NS, St Brendan’s NS in Kilmeena, and Gaelscoil na Cruaiche in Westport, some of whom, it is hoped, will join them on St Patrick’s Day next March. The band are also proud to have the support of the communities from which they draw their numbers, and are grateful to the parents of their younger members, whose ages range from eleven up to just 16, for their encouragement and help. Prior to this year’s All-Ireland Final, the parents and pupils of the affiliated schools went on a major fundraising drive to support their efforts.
Of course, the established band continues to work hard, practicing for in excess of five hours a week at Carrowholly NS, where the Board of Management has always been supportive in accommodating them, as they look to bring themselves to the next level. They will make another television appearance next week, on a programme filmed in Westport with Riverdance star Jean Butler about ‘The Gathering’ 2013.
Whatever the future brings, this fledgling musical outfit from just beyond the shadow of Croagh Patrick have a lifetime of special memories to treasure from the last seven months. These should be more than enough to whet their appetites for even greater success in tune.
