The St Mary’s Brass and Reed Band members pictured during rehearsal last Saturday evening conducted by Gavin Warren. PHOTOS: ALEX COLEMAN

Kingscourt Brass & Reed band flying the flag for Cavan in NYC

The Kingscourt Bass & Reed Band will put on a performance to remember when members march down Fifth Avenue as part of New York’s St Patrick’s Day Celebrations this year.

Michael O’Reilly, chairperson of the group, spoke of how the band got involved in one of the biggest St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the world.

“The Cavan Association invited us over to lead them on the parade in 2020. They’re the oldest Irish Association in New York and they were celebrating their 175th anniversary so they were leading the Irish associations in the parade. So we were in a prominent position. We were up at the front, behind the dignitaries and the grand marshal.

“We had been there twice previously in 1997 and 2004 so they knew us. We had a meeting with Michael O’Reilly from Mullahoran.”

Michael is also president of the United Irish Counties Association (UICA) in New York.

However, the Covid pandemic hit and derailed the trip.

“When restrictions were lifted, we polled our members to see if they wanted to go ahead and they said ‘yes’. We’ve been actively fundraising for the trip to New York because we’ve got a lot of members. We have 105 people travelling to New York. We have 57 band-playing members. Our members are from all around Cavan and surrounding counties and we even have a member from Switzerland, who was here last year learning English. She will be traveling to join us to be part of the occasion.”

The parade is a serious affair, according to Michael, with proper dress and high standards of performance expected.

“It’s not like a St Patrick’s Day parade at home, you have to be dressed properly, have proper flags. There’s no such thing as leprechauns or the drunken, silly Irish. It’s meticulous.”

The trip required a lot of fundraising, according to Michael, as it was in addition to the regular running costs of the St Mary’s band.

“A lot of them are underage. It’s quite a big financial implication because anybody who is under 18 has to be accompanied by a parent or guardian,” he explains, expressing his thanks to all those who supported them and also local businesses who provided sponsorship.

Events included a virtual cycle, where members took turns cycling the distance from Kingscourt to New York on stationary bikes, as well as a sponsored walk, a country and western night and a big Christmas raffle involving the businesses in the town.

The club also enjoys the benefit of weekly bingo and lotto, which helps to cover its running costs and secure the band’s future.

“The band has been going on for the last 117 years. There are some fourth-generation members in the band, so we hope we can keep it going as long as possible.

“We’re proud to be representing the town and the county!” declares Michael.