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| History Section |
| Welcome to the history section of the site. These pages contain both a concise history of the band in a timeline style plus an extended history of the band |
| You are currently viewing the Historical Timeline, to access the Extended History page click the lick below
Extended History | |
| 1923: |
New Band Room…bought disused army hut for £15 and erected it in the Mill Road |
| 1924: |
Bought instruments from the Wellington Quay Workingmans Club Band |
| 1938: |
Bought Caps & Satchels |
| 1959: |
Bought first uniform (navy blue jacket/trousers, light blue piping/sleeves, navy cap with white cover, white shirt, light blue tie), cost £162 (£9 each) |
| 1963: |
Mr Lynch (Bandmaster) passed away;
Tommy Smith (Army No 1 Band) takes over as Bandmaster |
| 1965 Jan: |
Purchased set of B&H Lafluer instruments for £600 & Paddy Buggy (Trombone) presented with a gold clock for long service |
| 1965 May: |
Paddy Buggy passed away |
| 1966 June: |
Led the Old IRA contingent at the 1916 50th Anniversary national commemoration in O’Connell Street, Dublin |
| 1969 March: |
Purchased 21 new caps, cost £36.00 |
| 1970 Jan: |
Jimmy Lowe (Army No1 Band) takes over instructing beginners class |
| 1971 Jan: |
Band name changed from St. Brigids Brass & Reed Band to Blanchardstown Brass Band to reflect the “all brass” instrumentation and to give identity to the Bands location in Dublin. |
| 1971 May: |
Purchased new uniforms (blue blazer, grey slacks, white shirt, blue tie, white cap), cost £360 |
| 1974 Jan: |
Joe McGregor Sen. presented with gold watch for long service over 50yrs |
| 1975 April: |
Pat O’Brien (ex Army No1 Band) takes over as Bandmaster, Jimmy Lowe continues teaching beginners |
| 1975 Sept: |
Dessie Byrne (Chairman & Euphonium) passed away |
| 1975 Dec: |
Joe Mc Gregor Sen. (Percussion, retired member) passed away |
| 1976 March: |
Held sponsored walk to finance new instruments |
| 1976 April: |
Jimmy Lowe takes over as Musical Director |
| 1976 June: |
Purchased set of B&H Regent (low pitch) instruments, cost £1000 |
| 1977 Jan: |
Appeared in the film “The Purple Taxi” with Peter Ustinoff, Fred Astaire & Charlotte Rampling, shot on location on Dun Laoghaire Pier |
| 1977 March: |
All Members presented with plaques to celebrate 150th anniversary of the band (1826-1976) |
| 1977 April: |
Held sponsored walk to finance new uniform |
| 1977 August: |
Purchased new uniforms (green uniform, gold stripe on trousers & sleeves, gold/red lanyard, cream shirt, green tie, green cap), cost £500 |
| 1979 March: |
Put deposit on new Band Centre in the Priest Field, Blanchardstown & started Buy-A-Brick campaign |
| 1980 Dec: |
New Band Centre opened by Fr Michael Cleary & Michelle Rocca (current Miss Ireland) cost £7500 |
| 1981 April: |
Old Band Hall, Mill Road sold for £200 (had been erected in 1923) |
| 1984 May: |
Final payment towards new Band Centre…its finally ours! |
| 1986 May: |
Purchased music stand covers |
| 1987 Sept: |
Billy Byrne (Garda Band) takes over as Musical Director |
| 1987 Dec: |
Gold Watches presented to Charlie Conlon (Percussion), Mick Harford (Baritone), Dessie Manning (Eb Horn), Eugene Tully (Eb Bass) & Joe McGregor (Baritone) to mark their outstanding service to the Band. They had each given over 40 years service to the Band. |
| 1990 Dec: |
Played at the opening of the Westlink Toll Bridge across the river Liffey |
| 1991 April: |
Johnny Phelem (Eb Horn, retired member) passed away |
| 1994 March: |
Mick Harford (Band Secretary/Baritone) takes over as Musical Director |
| 1994 May: |
Purchased new uniforms (wine blazer, black trousers, white shirt, wine/black stripe tie), cost €2500. |
| 1994 July: |
Ned Meehan (percussion, retired member) passed away |
| 1994 March: |
Purchased new music stand covers |
| 1996 March: |
Band Centre was broken into one instrument badly damaged, some other minor structural damage |
| 1997 April: |
€3000 spent on instruments |
| 1999 May: |
€1300 grant received from Fingal Council towards purchase of instruments |
| 2000 May: |
€2500 spent on new instruments |
| 2001 Sept: |
Played at the opening of Farmleigh House, Knochmaroon (renovated Government residence & formally Lord Iveighs estate) |
| 2003 May: |
Headlined a concert in Draiocht Theatre with special guests the Band of An Garda Siochana and the Dublin Airport Singers |
| 2004 April: |
Performed at the National Concert Hall with other bands and choirs for the 'Emmanuel With Us' concert |
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2004 October: |
Won the 'Unregistered Section' of the 21st South East Region Brass and Reed Bands' competition. |
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2004 October: |
Performed at the PATS Award 2004 to Johnny Logan in the Burlington Hotel. Other performers included Sonny Knowles, Cathy Nugent & George Murphy. | |
