Holy Cross Accordion Band Atticall County Down

Holy Cross Accordion Band Atticall County Down

Holy Cross Accordion Band Atticall is an Irish accordion band from County Down in Ireland formed in 1974. They are a non-profit accordion band that performs in competitions and parades all over Ireland. The band participates in Marching band and Fleadh competitions in Ireland and they have been very successful recently. The band has members aged six to over forty and is going from strength to strength. Recently in 2014 they celebrated 40 years of existence. ^{[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]}

UMBA competitions

The band entered competitions under the umbrella of the Ulster Marching Bands Association until 2013 when the competitions ended.The band have been very successful in these competitions. They have won best band on parade on many occasions and won Ulster Marching Champions 2010–2012, and won the now-defunct All Ireland Marching Champions in 2012.^[8][9]

Senior Accordion All Ireland Fleadh

The band enter the All Ireland Fleadh competitions annually with their Senior Accordion band. Holy Cross Accordion band has won the County Down Fleadh many times in the past and the Ulster Fleadh five times recently in 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016 in the Senior Accordion competition.

In 2010 they won their first ever All Ireland title winning the Senior Accordion competition at the Fleadh in Cavan. This was achieved after several years of trying and was seen as a major achievement. In 2011 they retained their title and they won it again in 2014, 2016 and 2017. They were the only participants in 2017, however many other years they had competed against excellent bands such as St Brigids Accordion Band and St Muigels Downpatrick. In 2016 they made history by winning the Senior and Junior Accordion competitions; this was only the second time any band had one the two Senior and Junior Accordion titles in the same year. In 2018 the Atticall Band made history by winning the Senior Accordion title again. This was for the third consecutive year and it was the first they had ever won they had ever achieved three in a row. ^{[10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Junior Accordion band

The Atticall Junior Band was created in 2014. They won First in the County Down Fleadh the same year. They went on to win it for three consecutive years. In 2015 they competed at the Ulster Fleadh, winning the Junior Accordion title. In 2016 they retained this title.^[17]

The Holy Cross Junior Accordion Band then competed at their first All Ireland Fleadh competition ever in 2016, this was the first time Atticall band was represented in the Junior Accordion section at the All Ireland Fleadh and they won the competition but were the only participant.^{[12][18][19][20][21]}

Senior Miscellaneous Band

The band decided to enter Miscellaneous competitions in 2018. They won the County Down Fleadh for the first time and then beat Ramelton Town Band to win the Ulster for the first time ever. They then competed at the All Ireland Fleadh in Drogheda but only came third place being beaten controversially in a close competition by Cloich Cheann Fhaola and Ramelton Town Band.

Performances

The band has paraded at events annually on St. Patrick's day in cities across Ireland including Newry, Ardee and Drogheda and they also had the privilege to take part in the National Parade in Dublin 2002.^[22][23]

They also perform on the 15th of August annually in Atticall, Kilkeel and Warenpoint, as well as other festivals such as the Fiddlers Green International Festival Rostrevor and the Maiden of Mournes Festival Warenpoint.^[24][25]

They have performed at:

• The Rose of Tralee Parade in Tralee Kerry in 2003
• The 1916 Easter Rising Centenary Parade in Dublin 2016
• The Band led the Lord Mayors Parade in Belfast 2011. This was the first time that a marching band had been asked to participate.^[26][27]

Local Community

The band offers members the opportunity to be part of a team and to represent the local community. This can be done through playing one of a wide variety of instruments or training to be a majorette orflag carrier in the colour guard.^[28]

The band receives a large number of invites every year to events across Ireland. They play at various functions, charity fundraisers, football matches for Atticall GAA, council events throughout the year and cross community concerts organised by the Kilkeel Presbyterian church. They also help raise money for local hospice services, Chest, Heart and Stroke and sending local volunteers to Zambia.^[29]

See also

• List of venues for All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann
• All Ireland Fleadh venues
• List of All-Ireland Fleadh champions
• All Ireland Fleadh - Marching Band Competition
• Atticall

References