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Please click here to view photos from today's Ulster Solo Championships.

Photos by Brian Hasson.

Please see attached results of the 2018 Ulster Solo Championships.

The launch of RSPBANI President’s Charity 2018

‘Air Ambulance Northern Ireland’

Thursday 19^th April

Winston Pinkerton, President of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association, Northern Ireland Branch (RSPBANI) launched his new chosen charity ‘Air Ambulance Northern Ireland’ (AANI) at its operational base in Lisburn on Thursday 19th April. In choosing this local charity for the 2018 Pipe Band Championships Season, Mr Pinkerton said, “The reason I chose ‘Air Ambulance Northern Ireland’ as this year’s ‘President’s Charity’ is because I personally witnessed the importance of the presence of the air ambulance at my nephew’s very serious motorcycle accident and was very impressed; the fact that the helicopter can arrive at the scene in a very short time, accompanied by a medical team including doctor and paramedic, without doubt, will save lives.” 

Over £11,000 was raised from collections at Pipe Band and Drum Major Championships during the 2016 & 2017 Pipe Band Championships season.  The first Pipe Band and Drum Major Championship of the 2018 season will be held in Bangor on Saturday 12^th May followed by Enniskillen (26^th May), Cookstown (Saturday 2^nd June), Lurgan (Saturday 9^th June), Stormont (Saturday 16^th June), Antrim (Saturday 23^rd June), Glenarm (Saturday 14^th July), Newcastle (Saturday 21^st July), Moira (Saturday 4^th August) and Portrush (Saturday 11^th August).

Gary Wilson, Area Fundraising Manager with Air Ambulance NI added, “We are delighted that Winston has decided to support Air Ambulance NI charity this year and look forward to fundraising at the contests throughout the season.  To ensure the service is sustained, we need to raise £2 million each year so public support is crucial.  I appeal to local people to get involved in helping with these collections or in whatever way you can such as organising events, volunteering or joining our Club AANI.  We would love to hear from you if you can help; please contact us on 028 9262 2677.”

AANI, in partnership with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), provides a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and responds to severely ill or injured patients, seven days a week, for twelve hours a day.  From its base in Lisburn, it can reach any part of Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes. The service’s primary role is to deliver advanced critical care, benefitting those whose lives are at serious risk following significant injury or trauma by bringing urgent medical assistance directly to the patient at the scene.  Most of the responses to incidents are by air in the helicopter HeliMed23, but the HEMS team also has a rapid response car, Delta 7, for times when the helicopter isn’t able to fly or the incident is in close proximity.

Caption for photo:  1

Winston Pinkerton.

RSPBANI President.

Caption for photo:  2

Ian Burrows, RSPBANI Project Manager & Winston Pinkerton, RSPBANI President (left) and Glenn O’Rorke, AANI Operational Lead & Gary Wilson, AANI Regional Fundraising Manager (right) pictured at the launch of the RSPBANI ‘President’s Charity’ for 2018  ‘Air Ambulance Northern Ireland’ at the AANI operational base in Lisburn on Thursday 19^th April.

Article and photos by John Kelly

Great coverage in this week’s Ulster Gazette on the Drum Major’s ‘Bring It On’ concert at the Market Place Theatre, Armagh on Saturday 7^th April

Find find attached the draw for the World Solo Drumming Qualifier 2018 

Please find attached the draw for the Ulster Solos 2018,
Times are approximate and are subject to change - soloists will be notified should there be any significant changes prior to the event

Please see attached Syllabus for the Leinster Pipe Band Championships to be held on Saturday 5th May 2018.

Lorraine Ronaldson was appointed a Director of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) representing the Northern Ireland Branch (RSPBANI) at the branch meeting on Saturday 31^st March.  This appointment of a third Northern Ireland Branch Director is a new position - the other two directors are Kenny Crothers and Arlene Faulkner.  In March 2014 Lorraine was installed as President of the County Down Section of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association Northern Ireland in succession to the late Wilfred McFadden MBE who served the section and the community for many years.  Speaking of her new appointment Lorraine said: ‘My grateful thanks go to the NI Branch Executive and the NI bands for their support.  I consider it an honour to represent the Northern Ireland Branch.  This is a new challenge for me in the pipe band world; I am looking forward to it and shall carry out my duties to the best of my ability.

Brief profile:

My grandfather, the late Edward McVeigh JP MBE, was President of the Co Down Section many years ago in addition to being Honorary President of the NI Branch.  He was the first and one of only two in NI to hold the Chairmanship in Scotland (that was before I was born).  He with many others was instrumental in the process of being adopted in NI as a branch in their own right.  I began my time in the pipe band world as a piper with the Leapoughs Pipe Band.  An enjoyable time with many happy memories and a very good basis with solid grounding within the grassroots of the organisation for what lay ahead for me in the future.  During this time I also was asked to join the compiling team under the watchful eye of the late Ernie Clarke compiling officer.  There were four of us in the team Ernie, Quintin my late cousin Edith McVeigh and myself we had great fun.  After the compiling team, I was elected as Secretary of the NI Branch to follow on from Fred Walker.  This was after Fred had retired from the post of Executive Officer after completing 38 years.  I loved this office as I met and was involved with so many people from all walks of life.  Due to time constraints with my daily workload, I was forced to relinquish this position.  I was then elected as Promotions Officer for the Branch, a post I held for two years.   Through the RSPBA I met my husband Alan Ronaldson from Edinburgh, an Ensemble and Piping Adjudicator.  Alan in his younger years was very much involved competitively in solo piping and was a member of the Woolmet Pipe Band.  He then joined the Lothian and Borders Police and was for many years playing at the top level with their band until retiring from competitive playing and becoming a full member of the RSPBA Adjudicators Panel.

Article and photo: John Kelly