Chair hosts a reception to mark the centenary of Derryclavin Pipe Band

Recently the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Errol Thompson, hosted a reception for Derryclavin Pipe Band to mark the Band’s centenary.

Below is the text of the speech delivered by Councillor Thompson at the reception:

Distinguished guests, fellow Councillors, ladies and gentlemen

As Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I am delighted to welcome you all here to Enniskillen Castle this evening for this reception to celebrate the centenary of Derryclavin Pipe Band.

The band was formed in 1922 and takes its name from the townland of Derryclavin just outside Lisbellaw.  I understand the band are proud wearers of the Royal Stewart Tartan and wear the Stewart Create as a cap badge.

Under Pipe Major Gordon McKeown, who is following in his father Cecil’s footsteps, the band has competed in numerous Pipe Band Contests over the years and I am told you won numerous titles including being crowned Ulster Champions at Grade 4b in 2014.  In addition, Drum Major David Brownlee also won various titles including the honour of being awarded Senior Champion of Champions.

I understand the band produced a CD, ‘The Clavin’ to mark its 90^th Anniversary which was very successful and will be an important memoir for the band in years to come.

A key component of the band’s success and longevity is the invaluable support from the local community which is vital, particularly in rural communities, and this is testament to the strength of the community in the local area.

Fermanagh has a rich history of marching bands and music with an Ulster Scots connection. Derryclavin can be proud of the role it has played in the preservation and promotion of pipe band music and the Ulster Scots heritage in the district over the  last 100 years and I believe that you will ensure that band continues to play its part in preserving this culture and heritage.

Learning to play a musical instrument and playing in a band opens many doors, not only for our young people, but for people of all ages as it encourages skills for life, learning and work including teamwork, perseverance, confidence and fun as well as a sense of discipline and dress.  Through competitions and band parades, you also have the opportunity to make lifelong friends and memories.

On behalf of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and on my own behalf, I would like to congratulate Derryclavin Pipe Band on its 100^th anniversary and commend all the members, past and present, for their commitment, dedication and hard work to ensure that Derrycalvin Pipe Band remains at the forefront of piping and drumming, not just in the County but across the province.

Each and every member can be proud every time you parade and perform in the Royal Stewart Tartan of Derryclavin Pipe Band for the part you have played in the success of the band.  I am confident that you and your talents will inspire younger members to join to ensure that the band continues into the next century.

Once again, congratulations and I wish you every success for the future.

Thank you.