St Joseph’s Pipe Band Longstone Celebrates 125 Years of History

St Joseph’s Pipe Band Longstone celebrated 125 years of history on Sunday with a special anniversary event at Longstone GAC.

The County Down band welcomed six visiting bands to Longstone for the celebrations, with the afternoon featuring a parade to the Longstone Monument in Martin’s Field before the bands returned to the GAC grounds.

Joining the host band were Corduff Pipe Band, Holy Cross Attical Accordion Band, Naomh Pádraig Flute Band, Ballymartin Flute Band, St Joseph’s Pipe Band Glassdrumman and Carlingford Pipe Band. On the return leg of the parade all of the pipe band joined together to form a massed band.

The celebrations provided an opportunity for the band to look back over more than a century of music and marching, from its beginnings as a flute band to its development into the pipe band it is today.

From flute band to pipe band

St Joseph’s Band, Longstone was formed in 1898, initially as a flute band.

The band took to the road for the first time on 15 August 1901, under the leadership of Hugh McDowell of Ballyveaigh. Its early rehearsals were held at Harper’s barn on Oldtown Lane, which remained the band’s meeting place until the committee purchased a site in Longstone in the mid-1920s.

The site was developed into a band and dance hall and was later expanded to become the home of Longstone GAC.

The 15 August tradition continues to this day, with the band taking to the road annually. In its early years, the tradition saw the band travel from Ballymartin to Warrenpoint, establishing a long-standing connection between the band and the local communities along the route.

A significant change came in 1947, when the flutes were replaced by bagpipes and St Joseph’s Pipe Band, Longstone was born.

The connection with the band’s early history remains particularly strong, with the family of Hugh McDowell recently donating the flute and tin whistle he played, along with a framed photograph of the band at Harper’s barn, to St Joseph’s Pipe Band.

All-Ireland success

The band has also enjoyed considerable success at the All-Ireland Fleadh, winning the Pipe Marching Bands title on two occasions.

St Joseph’s Pipe Band Longstone claimed the All-Ireland title in 2011 and again in 2018, placing the Longstone band among the leading pipe bands in the competition’s history.

The 2018 victory came in a particularly strong field, with Longstone finishing ahead of Dublin Fire Brigade Marching Band and St Joseph’s Pipe Band Glassdrumman.

A band at major events

Throughout its history, St Joseph’s has also appeared at significant events away from its home area.

In 2016, the band led the Reclaim 1916 parade in Dublin from Merrion Square to the GPO, with a large contingent travelling from County Down for the centenary event.

The band has also continued to feature at major local and regional events, including St Patrick’s Day celebrations in towns across the north-east.

Those occasions form part of a long history of the band representing Longstone well beyond its home area.

Celebrating 125 years

Sunday’s anniversary gathering brought together current members, former members, families and supporters to celebrate that history.

The parade travelled from Longstone GAC along Longstone Road to the Longstone Monument in Martin’s Field, via the Moneybarragh Hub, before returning to the GAC grounds. The event was followed by refreshments for the participating bands and evening entertainment.

For St Joseph’s Pipe Band Longstone, the celebrations marked 125 years since the organisation was first established — a history which has seen the band evolve from a local flute band in 1898 to an All-Ireland-winning pipe band with generations of Longstone families behind it.

Sunday’s celebrations were a fitting recognition of the people, music and community that have carried St Joseph’s name through 125 years.