Dooagh boys get tuned for school band reunion

REUNION Members of the first Dooagh School Band pose for a photograph with their teachers John (Twin) and Mary McNamara in Newport at the 50 year commemoration of the 1916 Rising on Easter Monday 1966. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the band’s founding and the original band will also be travelling to Newport for this year’s commemorations. Pic: Dooagh NS Archives

Anton McNulty

FIFTY years after they first sat down to learn to play the tin whistle and the accordion, the first musicians of the Dooagh School Band are once again tuning up to for a special celebratory reunion.
The Dooagh School Band on Achill Island were one of the first school bands in Mayo when they were formed in 1966 and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its founding, the original band members are joining with the current generation of the band to march in this Thursday’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations on the island.
Gerry Gielty who was only ten years old when the band was first formed in 1966 told The Mayo News that the majority of the original band will be taking part and they were looking forward to the reunion.
“It is going to be something different for me because I come down every year for St Patrick’s Day but I’m not in a [pipe] band. I go down and go around with the band but it is going to be different to be involved. I’m looking forward to go down and doing something different for the day,” explained Gerry who now resides in Navan.
One of the first performances of the Dooagh School Band in 1966 was to play in the 50th anniversary commemorations of the 1916 Rising in Newport, and this Easter Monday, the band will once again travel to Newport to take part in the 100th anniversary commemorations.

Planning
The planning for the 50th anniversary celebrations began in December 2014 and the past band members have been fundraising and starting to learn a few tunes for the day. Gerry admitting to not having played the tin whistle since leaving school but is confident the tunes will be flowing smoothly on Thursday.
“I’ve not played the tin whistle since I was at school but it has come back gradually. I think the music always stays in your head and once you pick up an instrument and start practising, it soon comes back. I imagine it’s the same with everyone,” he said.
The architect of the school band was John ‘Twin’ McNamara who along with his wife Mary were teachers in the school. Gerry is full of praise for John and Mary and feels without the school band, the success of the pipebands would not be what it is today.
“John Twin got me started on the tin whistle and then on the accordion and after that I taught myself the guitar. The band brought something to everyone but it was not just us. I think the original idea to set up a band was to get a supply of pipers to the Dooagh pipeband.
“At one year there was only three or four pipers and not the way it is now with 20 or 30. At that stage there wasn’t many involved. If you look at what John Twin did, he brought a lot of people into the bands. Pip Vesey went out to Tonragee and set up the Tonragee Pipeband. Would there be a pipeband in Tonragee without the school band,” he asked.

Meeting up
Of the original school band, four members - Linus Fadian, Michael Gerard Lavelle, Johan Ott and Eddie Lavelle - have died but the majority of the 27 originals will be meeting up on St Patrick’s Day.
On Saturday night, March 19, over 200 locals will come together for a Dinner Dance in ÓstΡn OileΡn Acla, where diners will be treated to a pop up historical display including old photographs and memorabilia starting at  6pm and followed by dinner at 7.30pm. This will be followed by dancing with ‘Cheers’ and DJ SeΡn Molloy and it is something Gerry is looking forward it.
“We are looking forward to everything and I think we have done enough to get by on St Patrick’s Day and Easter Monday. It’s going to be good to meet up with everyone again on the Saturday night and I’m sure it’s going to be a good night,” he said.