Youngsville High School from Pennsylvania in the United States have been named as the overall winners of the 48th Limerick International Band Championship – Ireland’s only marching band championship.
Driving snow failed to dampen the spirits of the thousands of people who lined the streets of Limerick as they cheered and supported the 1,300 musicians from 20 bands takes part in the championship.
Bands from the United States, Germany, England, Northern Ireland, and across Ireland marched down O’Connell Street in Limerick as part of the Limerick St Patrick’s Festival 2018.
The 70-strong Youngsville musicians were presented with the Kenneally Jewellers Perpetual Trophy as overall winners of the championship organised by Grooveyard on behalf of Limerick City and County Council.
The winners in the other categories were:
Best International Band – Vestavia Hills High School Band, Alabama, USA
Best Youth Band – Clondalkin Youth Band, Dublin, Ireland
Best Local Band – Newcastle West and District Pipe Band, Limerick, Ireland
Best Musical Performance – Trommlerzug und Musikkapelle Uffing, Germany
Best Uniform – Stony Creek Fife and Drum Corps, Connecticut, USA
Most Entertaining Performance – The Friendship Band, Belfast, Northern Ireland
Special Judges Award – City of Limerick Pipe Band, Limerick, Ireland
Special Judges Award – St Mary’s Prize Band, Limerick, Ireland
Special Judges Award – Banna Chluain Meala, Tipperary, Ireland
Mayor of the Metropolitan District of Limerick Cllr Marian Hurley congratulated the winners: “The Limerick International Band Championship is such a unique event and I’m delighted that it is continuing to be as popular as ever, drawing high quality bands to Limerick.”
Bands performed at the reviewing stand for three minutes as part of the judging process with the winners announced at Arthur’s Quay following the march.
Performances at the 48th Limerick International Band Championship were judged by an international panel consisting of Dr Stan Michalski, Norman Rogerson, Dr Andrea Strauss, Evelyn Grant and Niall Carroll.
The head judge, Dr Stan Michalski said: “I want to congratulate all the bands for taking the opportunity to walk through the entire parade, because it was very difficult on the instrumentalists with the weather being so cold and the snow falling.”
The Limerick International Band Championship is part of the Limerick St Patrick’s Festival 2018.
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