Northern Ireland's pipers make World title

NORTHERN Ireland’s Field Marshal Montgomery Pipe Band emerged victorious at the weekend at a record-breaking World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.

The city reverberated to the sound of the pipes as about 8,000 musicians tuned up for the main event in front of a 45,000-strong crowd on a sunny Glasgow Green.

The results were: Grade 1: 1 Field Marshal Montgomery (Nthn Ireland); 2 Simon Fraser University (Canada); 3 House of Edgar-Shotts & Dykehead (Scotland); 4 Strathclyde Police (Scotland); 5 ScottishPower (Scotland); 6 St Laurence O’Toole (Ireland). Drumming: 1 Simon Fraser University (Canada); 2 Field Marshal Montgomery. MSR: Strathclyde Police; Medley: Field Marshal Montgomery. Bass section: Field Marshal Montgomery.

Grade 2: 1 Ballinderry Bridge (Nthn Ireland); 2 Robert-Malcolm Memorial (Canada); 3 Bagad Cap Caval (France); 4 Windsor Police (Canada); 5 Drambuie-Kirkliston (Scotland); 6 Glengarry (Canada). Drumming: Ballinderry Bridge.

Grade 3A: 1 Finvoy (Nthn Ireland); 2 Black Raven (Nthn Ireland); 3 Kevin Blandford Memorial (US); 4 Bready (Nthn Ireland); 5 North Belfast (Nthn Ireland); 6 Strathclyde Fire Brigade. Drumming: Black Raven.

Grade 3B:1 Seven Towers (Nthn Ireland); 2 Marlycoo (Nthn Ireland); 3 Fintan Lalor (Ireland); 4 Altnaveigh (Nthn Ireland); 5 Prince George; 6 Williamwood (Scotland). Drumming: Seven Towers.

Juvenile: 1 St Thomas Episcopal School (US); 2 George Watson’s College (Scotland); 3 Kintyre Schools (Scotland); 4 Dunoon Grammar Schools (Scotland); 5 Stewart’s Melville College (Scotland); 6 Bucksburn (Scotland). Drumming: St Thomas Episcopal School.

Grade 4A: 1 Annsborough (Nthn Ireland); 2 Gortaclare (Nthn Ireland); 3 Castle Rock (Nthn Ireland); 4 Corpus Christi (Ireland); 5 Cumnock (Scotland); 6 Sgt Walker Memorial. Drumming: Gortaclare.

Grade 4B: 1 McNeilstown (Nthn Ireland); 2 Thiepval Memorial (Nthn Ireland); 3 Kirkwall City (Scotland); 4 Misty Isle (US); 5 Kirkcudbright (Scotland); 6 Keith Highlanders (US). Drumming: Kirkcudbright.

Novice Juvenile: 1 Inverclyde Juveniles (Scotland); 2 George Watson’s College; 3 Monkstown Mossley (Nthn Ireland); 4 Milngavie (Scotland); 5 Vale of Atholl (Scotland); 6 Paisley (Scotland). Drumming: George Watson’s.