| 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, Knockmaroon (renovated Government residence & formally Lord Iveaghs 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 |
| 2004 October: | Won the ‘Unregistered Section’ of the 21st South East Region Brass and Reed Bands’ competition. |
| 2004 October: | Performed at the PATS Award 2004 to Johnny Logan in the Burlington Hotel. Other performers included Sonny Knowles, Cathy Nugent & George Murphy. |
| 2004 December: | Charlie Conlon (drums and member for over 60 years) passed away. |
| 2005 February: | Played at Tsunami Benefit Concert in National Basketball Arena, Tallaght with a number of other local bands. |
| 2006 September: | Played with 6 other bands at the Stedfast Shoes Brass Band 50th anniversary festival in Carrickmacross. |
| 2006 December: | Donated €2000 to St. Francis Hospice (proceeds from Christmas concerts). |
| 2007 October: | Some members of the band played at the Dominican Orders 800th anniversary celebrations in the National Concert Hall. |
| 2007 November: | Mick Harford is awarded overall Fingal Person of the Year in recognition of over 60 years commitment to the band and for his work as sacristan in St. Mochtas Church, Porterstown. |
| 2007 December: | Performance at Docklands Christmas Market featured on TG4’s Síle programme. |
| 2008 April: | Played with Newtown Silver Band, Wales and Stedfast Carrickmacross Brass Band in Farmleigh House (Easter Sunday). |
| 2008 July: | Purchased Besson Prestiege Euphonium and 2 Sovereign Cornets |
| 2008 September: | RTÉ’s Capital D TV Programme did a feature on the band. Click here to view video. |
| 2008 December: | Purchased Besson Sovereign Baritone |
| 2008 December: | Featured on TV3’s Ireland AM programme from Mansion House |
| 2010 January: | Mick Harford resigns as Secretary and Bandmaster after nearly 70 years with the band. Zdenek Ondrousek takes over as bandmaster. |
| 2010 March: | Purchased set of Outdoor Jackets and Yamaha Maestro Flugel Horn. |
| 2010 July: | Played for President Mary McAleese and guests with Stedfast Carrickmacross Brass Band at Áras an Uachtarán. |
| 2011 April: | Purchased Courtois Eb Tuba. |
| 2011 June: | Performed with Tutbury Band, England, Stedfast Shoes Brass Band and An Lóchrann Linn Band at Carrickmacross Festival. |
| 2011 August: | Band appeared at Iverk Agricultural Show, Piltown, Kilkenny. Both organisations celebrating 185 years. |
| 2012 January: | Band recorded its first ever CD, “Christmas Favourites”. |
| 2012 February: | Eugene Tully (Eb Tuba and member for over 65 years) passed away. |
| 2012 June: | Took part in Brass the Baton Relay, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, with Stedfast Shoes Brass Band at Carrickmacross Festival and St. Patrick’s Brass and Reed Band at Balbriggan Summerfest. |
| 2012 July: | Former Bandmaster Pat O’Brien passed away. |
| 2012 August: | Performed at the opening ceremony of the FIPPA Pitch & Putt World Cup, held at the Royal Meath Pitch & Putt Course, Clonee. |
| 2012 November: | Live broadcast on 92.5 Phoenix FM from Coláiste Pobail Setanta. |
| 2012 December: | Performed at Peter McVerry Trust Christmas Concert in St. Patricks Cathedral. |
| 2013 January: | Michael Harford (former Bandmaster) passed away. |
| 2013 May: | Performed for President Michael D. Higgins at the Coolmine Therapeutic Community 40th Anniversary. |
| 2013 July: | Band made it’s first appearance at the South of Ireland Band Championships, Clonakilty. |
| 2013 November: | Performed with the Dublin Male Voice Choir at the Coolmine 40th Anniversary Gala Concert in Draíocht. |
| 2014 September: | Established a new training band in Scoil Bhride Boys and Girls School, supported by IPB Insurance through the IPB Youth & Community Fund which forms part of its Corporate Social Engagement Framework. |
| 2014 October: | Band President Joe McGregor (Baritone, formerly Solo Cornet and member for over 70 years) passed away. |
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1 comments
John Hanlon
February 20, 2014 at 10:30 pm (UTC 0) Link to this comment
Hi, I have been looking up brass band music on the internet and was reminded of the time and effort that Jimmy Lowe put into teaching a few new beginners in Castleknock College back in the early 90’s.
I have long since moved on and live abroad now, but just wanted to leave a message for Jimmy to say that he was a true gentleman and left his mark on many of us with his enthuaism and love for the live performance. Many thanks Jimmy and I hope you are alive and well!
John Hanlon (Bass Trombone Castleknock College 1989 – 1990)
Sorry Jimmy I wasnt that good – despite being tall and suited to the trombone!