The Black Raven Pipe Band from Lusk travelled to Glasgow in Scotland to compete in the World Pipe Band Championship in mid-August.
The Ravens competition season started in May of this year and competed and won the Leinster Championships, United Kingdom Championships, East of Ireland Championships, All Ireland Championships, Ulster Championships, Heart O’ Down Championships Newcastle Co. Down, leaving the band travelling to Glasgow full of confidence.
With an early start on the Saturday morning the Band were in the competition park at 8.0Oam to prepare for their heat at 10.00am. At 1.00pm it was announced that the band had qualified for the final which was around 3.00pm. The band played their best performance of the year and then the agonising wait for the results. It is worthwhile to mention that in the qualifying round there are four adjudicators and all gave the band first place. Furthermore, in the final al four adjudicators gave the band fist place. That’s eight different adjudicators giving the band first place, such was the quality of their performance.
At approximately 7.00pm it announced that Black Raven Pipe Band were World Champions overall as band and World Drumming Champions and so the celebrations began late into the night.
The band’s home coming parade took place on Monday 19th August through the streets of Lusk in front of hundreds of people and that gave them a tremendous reception. The band treated the crowd to selections of their music including their competition selection.
The band was founded 1910 by late Thomas Ashe and local man John Rooney and has been active ever since. They have competed in sixteen World Pipe Championships and this is the first time they won the World Championships.
Black Raven welcome new members and in particular young people who wish to learn the art of piping and drumming and can be contacted at blackravepipeband@gmail.com