University of Missouri Band wins Limerick International Band Championship

University of Missouri marching Band pictured at the 46th Limerick International Band Championship in Limerick City. Picture: Don Moloney/Press 22

An estimated 40,000 people lined the streets of Limerick City on Sunday 20 March 2016 for the 46th Limerick International Band Championship where the 280 strong University of Missouri Band from the USA were crowned Overall Parade Champions.

The University of Missouri Band was presented with the inaugural Kenneally Jewellers Perpetual Trophy for taking the top prize in Ireland’s only international band competition which was organised by Limerick City and County Council and Limerick 2020 as part of the 2016 Limerick St Patrick’s Festival.

A total of 1,200 musicians took part in the event which saw 18 groups from the USA, Northern Ireland, Kerry, Limerick, Westmeath, Donegal, Dublin, Tipperary and Cork parade from Pery Square and down O'Connell Street to Arthur's Quay in Limerick city centre.

International Band Championship 2016 category winners include the following:

  • Overall Parade Champion: University of Missouri, USA
  • ​​Best International Band: The Old Dominion University  Monarch Marching Band, Virginia, USA
  • ​​Best Youth Band: Maghery Fife and Drum Band, Donegal
  • ​​Best Local Band: St Mary's Prize Band, Limerick
  • ​Best Uniform: Banna Chluain Meala, Co Tipperary
  • Best Musical Performance: Shorecrest High School, Washington
  • Most Entertaining Performance: Smoky Hill High School, Band, USA
  • ​​Special Judges Award: Killorglin and District Pipe Band, Co Kerry
  • Mayors Prize: Clondalkin Youth Band, Dublin
  • Most improved: Redemptorist Centre of Music, Limerick
  • Best Mixed Age: Dr O'Hurley Pipe Band, Cashel, Co Tipperary
  • Most Colourful: Mullingar Town Band, Co Westmeath

Cllr. Liam Galvin, Mayor of the City and County of Limerick congratulated the winners and complimented them for "promoting Limerick's long standing reputation as a centre of music and culture." 

"The International Band Championship continues to grow year on year and is fast becoming one of biggest events on Limerick’s cultural calendar as we bid to become European Capital of Culture 2020. The event also provides a major economic boost for the entire region and generates positive knock-on effects for tourism and Limerick’s reputation overseas," said the Mayor.

Sheila Deegan, Arts and Culture Officer, Limerick 2020 Bid Team, said live music andmarching bands are part of the common heritage of Europe and Limerick will be building capacity around this event as momentum builds towards Limerick 2020.

“The international band championship is unique to Limerick and Ireland, indeed, Limerick has a proud history of marching bands with nine alone in the city,” she said. “The origin of marching bands dates back to travelling musicians performing together at festivals and Limerick continues to honour this tradition of bringing musicians together to celebrate and perform. As we build momentum around our bid to become the European Capital of Culture we welcome the participating bands and plan to make this one of the world's biggest events in 2020.”

Performances at the 2016 event were judged by an international panel including Prof Stanley F. Michalski (Clarion University, Pennsylvania), Dr. Andrea DeRenzis Strauss (Director of Bands / Associate Professor, Shorter University, USA), Dr. Evelyn Grant (Lecturer at Cork School of Music, Cork Pops Orchestra & RTE Lyric FM), Niall Carroll (RTE Lyric FM), Dr. James Standland (University of Southern Mississippi) and Dennis Zeisler (Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia).

Full details on the festival can be found www.limerick.ie/stpatricksfestival

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Treaty Stone Limerick. Photo Piotr Machowczyk