Dungarvan Brass Band was formed 1875 by members
of the Teetotal Society of St. Nicholas of Tolentine. At that
time, not surprisingly, the band was often referred to as "St.
Nick's". In 1882, the band shot to relative fame, when it gained
third place at the Dublin Exhibition, the highest placed of any
"provincial" band. Despite some interruptions, the band
continued to flourish.
Dungarvan
Brass & Reed Band
In 1900, a clarinet was purchased from M/s. J.
R. Lafleur and Son of London, and soon after the band became the
Dungarvan Brass and Reed Band. In 1909, the band won the
much-celebrated Gisboune Challenge Cup. Interestingly, they also
entered a brass band that was placed second in the open brass
band section. However in the years to come, the 1914-1918 war,
the War of Independence, and particularly the Civil War and the
politics that surrounded it, saw the band in strife and defunct.
The Band Reformed.
In 1923, efforts were made to reform the
Dungarvan Brass & Reed Band, mainly by Fr. Ahearne P.P. This was
perhaps to have a band available for religious ceremonies, but
his efforts were successful and the band made its first
appearance since 1914, on St. Patrick's Day 1924. The band
continued an unbroken service to the community in the following
decades. The band played in the park most weeks, and in the days
before television, always drew a great crowd. It played for
countless religious ceremonies and occasionally civic
receptions, including one for Mayor Richard Daly of Chicago in
1957. The band mainly played in Dungarvan, the transport
infrastructure being not as good as it is today, and money
always in short supply. The Cork Exhibition of 1932 and several
small festivals in towns like Killeagh and Youghal were the
exceptions, until the 1960's.
End of the Reeds
In 1965, the Irish Association of Brass and
Military Bands was formed, and the band competed for the first
time in 1968, with little success, mainly due to the lack of
reeds. Work commitments and other interests saw the last of the
reed players leave and so in late 1968, the band decided to
press on as a brass band. The decision was taken with great
regret and even until the early 1990's many older players still
referred to the band as the "Brass and Reed". But rather
poignantly, in 1969 the band won the All-Ireland Championships,
Intermediate Section...as a brass band.
The 1970's and 1980's
However, success was followed by misfortune.
Conductor Michael Hennebry was forced to retire due to ill
health. Long term member, Liam O'Mahony took up the baton, and
remained in that position for the next 17 years. In 1970, the
band moved to its present day location on Davitt's Quay and the
1970's also saw the introduction of girls into the band. In
1982, the band changed to its now familiar navy blue uniform.
Competition success followed in 1987 when the band was placed
third in the South of Ireland band championships. In 1988,
Francis Keneally, a member of the band since 1947, became the
conductor, and was to lead the band until 1995, when the band
won the All Ireland Band Championships, junior section.
End of an Era
The 1990's were to see the most radical
transformation in the band since it's foundation. While it
continued to play loyally for the community, the band hadn't
changed much over the generations, and was badly out of date.
Some of the instruments in use were from the late 1800's. The
band was still very much the old "Brass and Reed" in spirit, if
not in instrumentation, and was slowly ebbing away. Change
started with the new Bandroom project and a music-purchasing
program. When the capable Francis Keneally retired in 1995, it
was decided to look for future musical directors outside the
band, to generate new ideas and bring professional experience to
the band. In 1997, the band again won the Nationals, the
Intermediate Section of the South of Ireland Band Championships,
and the Intermediate section of the D�ise Festival of Bands.
ABRSM grades were introduced to the band, and regular concerts
became a feature. 1998 saw the completion of the main-structure
of our new Bandroom. However, the ageing and small instrument
set continued to be a problem. The band started a massive
instrument program, which aided by the National Lottery, had
bought 32 instruments by December 1999, and still continues.
These instruments allowed for a large recruitment drive, and for
the last few years of the decade, membership did not drop below
30 members. The Bandroom official opening took place on
September 12th 1999, and the band played a very large part in
the Dungarvan Millennium Celebrations. The 90's saw the last of
the old guard retire after years of dedicated service, and hand
the future of the band to a new generation of members.
Towards the 21st Century
The band performed for the first time in the
year 2000, on January 1st, at 12 noon outside the New Council
offices, for an official tree planting ceremony. The band put in
a very commendable performance at the Nationals, but it would be
July 1st, at a spectacular win at the South of Ireland Band
Championships, before the band would take it's first competition
victory of the new millennium.The New Millennium
Coming soon... |
