Connect with us
​University of Missouri Band ​University of Missouri Band

art

​University of Missouri Band wins Limerick International Band Championship 2016

Published

on

University of Missouri Band wins this years 46th International Band Championship in Limerick City. Picture: Don Moloney/Press 22.

​University of Missouri Band

Pictured at the 46th International Band Championship parade in Limerick City.
Picture: Don Moloney/Press 22

Limerick International Band Championship 2016.
An estimated 40,000 people lined the streets of Limerick city for the 46th International Band Championship in Ireland’s only international band competition. A total of 1200 musicians will take part in the event which begins in Limerick’s Pery Square at 12 noon and parades down O’Connell Street ending in Arthur’s Quay park with a free public performance.

An estimated 40,000 people lined the streets of Limerick City today (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. ​University of Missouri Band
​​
​​International Band Championship 2016 category winners include the following:
​​


advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement




advertisement



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
​​Most Entertaining Performance: Shorecrest High School Highlander Marching 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. ​University of Missouri Band

​​Sheila Deegan, Arts and Culture Officer, Limerick 2020 Bid Team, said live music and marching 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.”​​ ​University of Missouri Band

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). ​University of Missouri Band
Follow the University of Missouri on Twitter for more information
For more related stories by I Love Limerick, click here

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.