Limerick City Pipe Band to lead the way in US parade

LIMERICK City Pipe Band will be the first musical act in what’s anticipated to be one of the largest St Patrick’s Day parades in the world.

Nineteen members of the band, which is marking its 75th anniversary this year, jetted off to the Savannah in the US state of Georgia over the weekend.

They have been asked by the grand marshal of that parade John Forbes to be the first band in the parade.

As the spectacle in Savannah is marking its 200th anniversary, its expected to be bigger than ever this year, with coverage of the event being beamed from coast-to-coast in USA.

“We are ecstatic, we are delighted, it’s a massive honour,” said chairman Brian Tute.

Members of the band raised almost €30,000 in order to get across to the USA for the parade.

As well as the city’s main parade - which is being held on Saturday, March 16 - the musicians are taking part in a number of other events and parades.

On Saturday morning, they marched in their first parade, while yesterday, they formed part of a solemn Celtic Cross ceremony.

In the run up to St Patrick’s weekend, the group members will be playing in two primary schools.

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While they will also provide the musical backdrop to a hockey game.

“The nerves are gone now. The hard work is done. Everything is organised. It’s just in the lap of the gods now, that the flights will be on time and everything is up to scratch,” Brian said.

City of Limerick Pipe Band is one of the few groups left of its kind on Shannonside.