Band | Gloria McBreen

Day 84 #100DaysOfOldDays

People would ask, “Are there many going to your 21^st?”

The reply would be, “Only about 300.”

A 21^st birthday party was a big event in the 80’s & 90’s. If you forgot to invite someone known to you, you were off their Christmas card list forever.

A normal pub was no use for a 21^st because it was just too small. It had to be a big venue, like the Bailie Hotel, the White Horse in Cootehill, The Lavey Inn, and maybe The Royal Breffini or The Hideout. The Jolly Old Cross in Cormeen was another good venue for parties—I was at a few good hooleys there.

After sending out invitations to just about everyone you knew (and their cousins), you hired a band for the night. If you had good friends, they helped you with the food for your guests; sandwiches and salads followed by tea and dessert. If you had a healthy budget, you let the venue provide the catering.

My 21^st party was in the Bailie Hotel. It was December 1988. There was quite a big crowd plus a few gate crashers; just people who rambled in after the pubs had closed. The more the merrier was our motto, so the gate crashers were welcome as long as they behaved. Dessie Connors was my video man for the night. (The video still exists but we don’t have a video player!)

With the help of my friends and family, I organised the food and the Bailie provided the tea and coffee. Of course, there was a cake with twenty one candles on it, which was cut on the night and passed around. We didn’t have champagne or anything fancy like that; just normal drinks.

I hired Medicine Jar from Cavan to play; a popular band in their day. They were good at interacting with the crowd and getting people out to dance.

The night really took off when a local band called Absolute Bedlam took to the stage. The crowd went crazy, dancing and cheering up at the lads. The roof nearly lifted off the place! It may as well have been Pink Floyd on the stage; the carry-on of us all!

The band members were Charles Clarke (known as DJ Lawless), Philip Clarke, Dennis Brady, Paul O’Dowd and Enda Halpin. They didn’t make it to the charts but they were a big hit on the night of my 21st and helped to make it a night to remember!

Day 81 #100DaysOfOldDays

In November 1977 the Bailieborough Youth Band was formed. All the young aspiring musicians of Bailieborough turned up at the community centre to join the band. Bridie Farrelly and Mary Clarke were on the band committee and Joey Larkin was the chairperson.

They needed drummers, accordion players and tin whistle players—or flageolet as the band master, John Farnan, called it. Oh…and cymbal players! Was there a triangle too?

We bought our chosen instruments and lessons began immediately. I started with the tin whistle and then moved on to the accordion. John Farnan was a strict but excellent music teacher. He took no messing. You were there to learn music or you stayed at home. He was very dedicated to the marching bands community.

The leader of the band was our majorette. As far as I remember, Loretta Rogers was the first Majorette. Marcella Brady took on the role for a few years in the 80’s. I’m pretty sure Bridgette Murray did it for a while too.

Did I dream this part? The FCA came in to teach us how to march. Did that happen? Left…right! Left, right, left! And they showed us how to do that wee quick skip if you fell out of step with the rest of the band. Left…right! Left, left, right!

Within seven months of learning our new instruments we were ready to shine. Our debut public appearance took place at the opening of the Bailieborough festival in June 1978.

We were in our element in our crisp white shirts, dark blue skirts, and trousers for the boys. We had dickie bows too, and a sash and a beret to complete our uniform.

The roll of the drums and the cue from our majorette as she began to twirl her staff, started us on our first live march. Off we went through the streets of Bailieborough playing the likes of Roddy McCorley and The West’s Awake—feeling quite nervous. Proud mammies and daddies cheered us on from the crowd.

I’d be doing well to remember all the tunes we played on our first outing. But others I remember learning during my years in the band are; Colonel Bogey, Maggie, The Minstrel Boy, Spancil Hill, O’Donnell Abu, and our good ole Amhrán na bhFiann.

The most exciting part of being in the band was the many trips to festivals and competitions. We’d travel on a bus and eat loads of sweets. God help the bus driver’s ears, as we all practiced a different tune on the way there.

We played in hot sun, rain and sometimes snow but won prizes for different categories; best dressed, best musical performance and best marching techniques. And we had a lot of fun along the way.

I came across this photo on Bailieborough History.

The Bailieborough Community Annual Compiled by Capt. James Kelly.

The photo is old and blurry but I can make out a few people starting from the back row, although I may have one or two wrong; Niall Keegan, Rosena Brady, maybe one or two of the Carolans, I think the majorette was Loretta Rogers, Jim Brady, Bridget Murray, Clare Connolly.

Second row; I can only make out a few girls in the center – Sheila Brady, Katriona Larkin, Elizabeth Sheridan, Sharon Connell, Pauline Reilly, Eileen Reilly, Ann Donohoe, Eileen Farrell.

Third row; Martin Smith, and that’s about all I can pick out from that row! I see they’re wearing jackets. I don’t remember us having jackets as part of the uniform.

Front row; I can’t make out too many here either. Is it Lynda Rogers behind the bass drum? That’s me in the front row fifth from the right. I think Linda McCluskey is there too, and Sandra Coleman. I know lots more who were in the band, but I just can’t pick them out in this photo.

The marching bands were the heart and soul of the parades! They’re most definitely not gone but they’re not as plentiful as they once were.

Now, all this makes me want to go out and buy an accordion!