The New Ross and District Pipe Band has recently returned from an exhilarating ten-day experience at the renowned Inter-Celtic Festival held in Lorient, France.
Now in its 52nd year, the Inter-Celtic Festival stands as a joyful assembly of all the Celtic nations of Europe, including Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Asturias and Galicia in Spain, as well as the Isle of Man and Cornwall in England. These regions and countries share a common Celtic heritage and are distinguished by their native Celtic languages.
Basking in favorable weather for the majority of the event, the band took part in five awe-inspiring night-time shows, akin to the renowned Edinburgh Tattoo but with a less martial demeanor. These performances were part of the Irish delegation, which featured the Queensland Irish Pipe Band from Brisbane, Australia, Rinceoirí Cois Laoi from Cork, and the Planxty O’Rourke Dance group from Limerick.
The shows garnered an impressive audience of around 30,000 attendees over the span of five nights. Notably, five young members of the band were making their inaugural visit to Lorient this year and had the honor of being interviewed by French television. Their interviews will be featured in the recorded show set to be released in the coming month.
The band was also showcased live on French TV during the Grand Parade of the Celtic Nations, a grand procession that took place on Sunday, August 6, featuring 140 bands and dance groups representing the various Celtic nations.
Throughout the week, the band engaged in numerous small street parades and delivered a warmly received performance at a local retirement home in Lorient.
In the culminating weekend of the festival, the band clinched a shared third place at the Inter-Celtic Pipe Band Championships in Lorient. Impressively, their accomplished young drum corps secured a fourth prize in the drum corps competition.
Recordings of the Grand Parade and the Celtic Horizon night-time show will soon be available on YouTube, with the band sharing links on both their Facebook Page and official website: www.newrosspb.com.
A particular highlight of the festival was the band’s Celtic Weave concert, which garnered a spirited audience of 600 individuals. The band was praised for the diversity and professionalism of their performance.
Anticipation is building for the band’s upcoming Celtic Weave concert in the Library Park in New Ross on Saturday, August 26, at 7 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the concert will be relocated to St. Michael’s Theatre. Entry to this much-anticipated concert is free.
During their expedition, the band was joined by local traditional musician Theresa Shalloe, who devoted the week to teaching traditional Irish music to festival attendees. Local resident Eamon Gaffney, a member of the Queensland Irish Pipe Band, also accompanied them. His wife, Eileen, has familial ties to the New Ross area, further enriching the band’s cross-cultural journey.
