2020 All-Ireland: postponed, but not cancelled

The All-Ireland Championships are the latest large pipe band competition to be postponed due to the world COVID-19 crisis, but there’s still hope that the event will occur later in the year.

The Joint Advisory Council of the Irish Pipe Band Association and the Royals Scottish Pipe Band Association’s Northern Ireland Branch, which organize the event together, made the decision to postpone the July 4th contest to be held at Newbridge House in Donabate, County Dublin.

“A decision on whether or not a date can be rescheduled for later in the summer or early autumn will be kept under review,” they said.

The All-Ireland Championship alternates each year between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The contest has been held since 1946, and would celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2020. The event started as a way to bring both sides of Ireland together.

The 2020 All-Ireland had been expecting more than 60 bands, including the Grade 1 St. Laurence O’Toole and the Grade 4B Black Raven, both of Dublin, each marking their 110-year anniversaries.

St. Laurence O’Toole are the reigning champions, and Field Marshal Montgomery has won the event a record 25 times.

Related

All-Ireland having the time of its life at 75
March 6, 2020