 Doing things online, you're not alone. Sign up for a digital skills course at your local education and training board. You'll find the support and skills you need to become more independent online. Free text learn to 550 or visit adult literacy for life.ie to find a free course near you supported by the government of Ireland, Sullis and the European Union. Do you suffer from high cholesterol, men of all symptoms, digestive issues, anxiety, aches and pains, or a lack of energy? The highly trained team at the Natural Way LetterCanny can provide advice on natural remedies for a number of individual health issues. The Natural Way also has its own brand of herbal treatments to help fight fatigue, relieve digestive discomfort, maintain a healthy immune system, and alleviate common menopause symptoms. The Natural Way LetterCanny Shop in Centre, your one stop health shop. Visit Century Complex for a perfect family day out. Kids will love exploring Century Play. Lots of tasty options available at backstage bar and grill and at Century Cinemas we're showing kids movies, comedies, action and adventure, dramas and more. Get in touch on 074-91-21976 or visit Century Cinemas.ie for more information. Hi, Theresa Mannion here with the Road Safety Alert for Bad Weather. Your vehicle may be blown off course in strong winds, so slow down. Watch out too for vehicles and cyclists veering across the road and fall in debris like branches. Visit orsa.ie from the Road Safety Authority. This is Highland Radio with Paul McDevitt. Certainly, as you're welcome back, Monday Night Sessions Live and we're studio's here at the mountain top and we're delighted to welcome in the studio tonight the boys and girls from the LetterCanny and District Pipe Band. Take it away! Oh, my God, there's some rattler there, wasn't there? You're very welcome, everybody. Thank you, Paul. Cheers. Great to be here. People listening, I don't think I have a CD or something, but you three at the front were like me when the drums started, then you jumped. And there was cars actually pulling on at the service station across the road because they thought there was a band marching up the road. But only LetterCanny and District Pipe Band, you're very, very welcome, Monday Night Sessions and Conor Malloy is a chosen spokesman tonight. Conor, you're very welcome. Cheers. Thank you for having us here. Delighted to be here. Great. Just before we get on and talk to all our members and get more music, Conor, you have a big event coming up this on Saturday, the 27th of January. January, yeah. That's the annual Burns Night and it's a celebration of Robert Burns, who's a Scottish poet. But a lot of people will be familiar with some of one of his songs and particularly will be O Lang Zine. So he actually, he's the guy that wrote that song. I never knew. So what's happening? You're having an event down in the Conor Hall. Conor Hall at 7.30. So we've got very good lineup this year. We've Tara Howley who's joining us. We have the LetterCanny ukulele orchestra. We have the Donegal Youth Orchestra led by Vincent Kennedy, who is a renowned conductor. He's conducted with the Ortee Symphony Orchestra and the Ortee Concert Orchestra. So we're delighted to have some of that caliber joining us, as well as our local artist Amy Me, and who is part of the Burns Night for many, many years now. And delighted she's back again joining us. So also as part of Burns Night, they'll be the traditional celebration of the address to the Haggis. So for any of your listeners that aren't familiar with what Haggis is, it's, I suppose, a bit like pudding, but it's made in a sheep's stomach. It's nice and appetising for some. Definitely different now. There's no doubt about that. Do anybody ever eat it? Do you ever eat it? Is there? There's a nice eye. You get vegetarian Haggis as well. Yeah, I have it. We'll have it that night as well, so there'll be vegetarian options available. I had it in Scotland one night, along with some guinness, never mind now. It went down well, I can tell you. What do they do there with the Haggis? Does something happen, or is it just a ceremonial thing? Well, I suppose there's a poem that's read out, and then, I suppose, in a nutshell, the Haggis is stabbed, and there's a toast given to the Haggis then. And you perform that there, too? Yeah, part of the night as well. So, where can people get tickets for a corner? You can get tickets through any of the band members, or you can get it on Eventbrite. So it's the Burns night, so this is the 27th of January. Is this coming Saturday? It's coming Saturday, yeah. It's coming, brilliant, Doc. Looking forward to it. Is this your, how many years have you been ruling this event? I was the 12th, right? Probably about 21, 20, since 2000. So that was the formation of the band in 2000, so it's been every year since then. Excellent. So it's one of our main fundraisers for the pipe band. Just on the subject of the funneling corner, does it take a lot of money to keep this going? Yeah, it does, yeah. I mean, to rig out one pipe, per cost in the region of about 2000, between two to two and a half thousands, and as you can see, there's so many younger members here, and they have to be rigged out, and then as they grow older, those uniforms have to be replaced, and it's a bit like how to kind of use the example of when you buy a suit in a shop, you wear it 10 or 15 times a year over space of a couple of years, the sooner you get into deteriorate. When you're saying that to get them out, obviously that doesn't include the price of the instruments. Well, the instruments themselves, I mean, you could buy a decent enough set at about a thousand, but I mean, it goes up, it goes down to the wood of the instrument, it's a black African wood, it's a rare type of wood, so the better the wood, the dearer the instrument. And are the pipes made here in this country, but obviously it's using that African wood, you're saying? Yeah, no, they'll be mainly coming from Scotland, because they are highland bagpipes, so that's where most of the bagpipes. Now, there are other people, I know in North France, there are a couple of companies there that would make it, it's kind of a big tradition around Britain either, but mainly Scotland would be the main source of... What other source of fund raisin do you do? We had a bonus ball draw there a couple of months back, and then we kind of rely on sponsorship, would be a huge, huge thing for us. We're always, I'd say, looking for main sponsors. We travel across Ireland, we go to Scotland every year. Last year we competed in the World Pipeline Championships, where there would be probably in about 80,000 spectators, and we were called out as third place, so it's certainly a great opportunity for anyone. Isn't that amazing, but third place? Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Just delighted with that. Absolutely, yeah. We topped all the Irish and Scottish bands, and we were beaten by a band from Australia. I wonder that one, right? A band from Oman, so... Bands from Oman? Oman, yeah. Oman? Oman. This is Oman. So, there are the two bands that beat us, that were ahead of us, so we're certainly delighted over it. We've been working very, very hard, all the members are working very hard. How often do you meet? We meet twice a week, on Monday and a Friday. And that is supposed to be well, I'd pick something that is more intense, or no? No, no, I wouldn't, I don't, I think we kind of just try and keep it at twice a week. Sometimes, obviously, like with work and commitments and things, it's very hard to get everybody in all the time, like... Of course. Of course. That's a big commitment. So, what's the structure? You have an overall commitment here, what is that? Yeah, we have a committee, a very hard-working committee. So, obviously, they have to figure out the logistics and planning the likes of the event on Saturday is a huge, huge thing, kind of, organizing food and it's mostly from the musical aspect, then we kind of look after that. Well, I think it's going to be a great night, you know. Brilliant, I have to say. I would say for anyone to get to take it sooner, rather than later. Of course, of course. So, Eventbrite or any member? Yeah, Eventbrite or any band member. Excellent. Get us through Facebook also as well. Oh, can you? Oh, brilliant. The Rikini Industry Pipeline. Excellent. Oh, is that your Instagram or anything like that? We are on Instagram, yeah, as well. Great, brilliant. Right, we've got an odd piece of music, if you don't mind, and then we'll talk more there. Next up, what's the next piece? So, the next piece is called Amazing Grace, but I'm going to introduce our three... Yes, we're going to talk to them. Use members who've been working very hard since September. When did you start in September? Did you start in September? Yeah. Yes, right. And I have your names, because it's Dominique, that's you, and Blahin, that's you, and I'm, say, you're Davin. Yeah, that's a lit... What do you think of the band? Do you love it? Yes. It's a good track. Good stuff. We're going to chat more after this piece of music, whenever you're ready. Absolutely brilliant. So, well done, you three, because that's a big thing coming up to the radio and doing something like that. So, tell me, why did you want to... We'll talk to you, Blahin. Why did you want to join the band? Very good. And you enjoy it? Yeah. And what's that? I'm still up there. What is that? Is that just a practice? It's a practice juncture. Not belong to you and the big guns. And, Davin, can we talk to you? Why did you want to join? That is something you're right, and you're enjoying it, that's the main thing. And you'll stay there for a long time, I would say. Yeah. Of course. Dominique? I like to try like an instrument, like something new as well. Ah. And you just decided you'll go for this. So, what instrument would you like to play, the bagpipes? Yeah. What do you do? Yeah. There's some work on that, isn't there? I'm telling you. But you joined when? When did you join September? Just... Yeah. Excellent. And you've come to that standard already? My God, you should bring it. It'll not belong before you're on the pipes. Do you know what it's looking at? It's just looking... Do you see these wee round drums here? Oh, wee round drums, do you hear me? You see the smaller drums, Connor? Are they junior or what's that? Yeah, they'd be the junior size, all right. Obviously, because of the size of the larger drums. Because we have so many younger members. To make it a little bit easier for them to... to match with. Oh, as a sound, it equally as... No, it's... It'd be a little bit different, like, but... Uh-huh. And do you progress them out onto the bigger drum, then? Ah, that would be... That would be us, yeah. Are you enjoying them drums? Yep. How long have you heard it? I've been out of red a year and a half now. Well, I know why. I was watching you when you were on. You were fairly... You were fairly beaten away at that drum. And you enjoying it? Yes. Do you practice at home? Yep. Oh, God, I'd love you in the house, wouldn't I? Well, you asked us, that's... Who's that? Nathan. Nathan. I was telling you outside. So, you want to be a bigger... You only play the bigger drums, is that what you like to do? Yes. And would you encourage any of your friends to join? Any of your friends join? Yes, I would. Some people from my class were going to join, but I haven't seen them yet, so... Well, you tell them to get the... Get the socks on and get... Join them. Who's that, Lisha? Lisha. Lisha? How are you? Good, yeah. Oh, you're in the bigger drum? I know, this is like a half-size drum, so this is like half the big one. Oh, aye! So it's just like, you go from this to that, and from that to this, and then... There was never enough of those, so I always just had to start off with this one. Just threw you under the paint? Yeah. And you enjoy on it? Yeah. And when did you join, Lisha? At the same time as Nathan, like a year and a half, yeah. And have you been marching yet? We went to the Remelton Festival in summer, and then, last St Patrick's Day, we were too young, but... And then we went to the light switch on, and that was kind of it, yeah. And is that your first time marching and playing? Yeah, that was probably in Remelton. That was my first time, yeah. Ah, very good. You enjoy that side of it, too? Brilliant. Well done, and you should encourage all your friends to join it. Just, Conor, if I go back to you again, if people want to join the band, is he open for applicants, sir? Yeah, we are always looking for... Particularly, well, I mean, we teach adults also. Yeah, so if you're interested, you might... Me? There's enough noise in me in the house to be bringing them into the house. So, if anyone does want to learn, they're more than welcome to contact us. We are, we say we're on Facebook, so if you want to contact us directly through Facebook, or just pop in at night, we're in on... Normally, on Mondays and Fridays, from normally around 7. Whereabouts? At the Conwall Parish. That's your hall. And tell me this, do you have to be able to read musically, play that? No, no, that's all part. And we would go through that in the classes as well, learning music and reading from... How long, yourself, how long are you playing the bypass? Good few years now, probably about 26 years, maybe. And... I know I look a lot younger than that. No, you don't, no. LAUGHTER I couldn't resist that, you know what I mean? No, I'm only joking. And do you go from an Orban, just one for us to have? Yeah, I'm originally from Mayo, so I'm originally from a place called Ackle Island and I learned down there. Funny enough, ironically, the pipe started in Ackle through a guy from Arranmore who married in Ackle back in the 1940s. So that's... Comeback circle? Actually, a couple of guys from Arranmore are playing in the band as well, but aren't here tonight. Aye, they were up... Were yous up last year, no? There was somebody up to me, wasn't there, from Arranmore, there were a couple of boys up. A couple of years ago. Aye, they were a couple of years ago. Oh, a big shout-out to all the band, especially Abigail and Gabriel, whose dad has tuned in and watching in Sweden. Your daddy's a busy man, cos he's watching it last week, too, isn't he? Is he painting away, still? Oh, yeah. Very good. What do you call him? Hugh. Hugh. Good man yourself, Hugh. Get the brush out of... Where are we now? I can't see her. Glenna Kisler. Kisler, hello from the USA. John Shartons is a little Paul and Jimmy. SoundGritz, such talented folks, they are very talented. And Lavigne Woodward said fantastic as always, guys. Well done. Well done, indeed. So who's the longest-serving member of the group? I would say Lee. Are you Lee? And how long are you from day one, Lee? Take your time. I started learning in 2002, I think it was. Aye. So here's the bet. Did you just come under the band, Lee, with no experience? I never played it before. I played a bit of guitar and ten-muscle before, but never went near the bag of pipes or anything. And there was a man called Mervyn Elven, the founder of the band. And he got myself and my sister in, and we're here since then. Did you find them hard to get on to, like, learning them or... It takes time and patience, but it's all what you put on to it. That's what you get back out of it. Of course, absolutely. And would you practice yourself now that you're an oil hander? Would you practice every week, Lee? Kind of block his ears first. It's not going to cost you. You can read down the newspaper. Well, it doesn't matter how long you're playing, you're always learning. You're always learning. That's a good way. It's not great to see young boys join us. Yeah, that's brilliant. We had gone through a few years there where numbers were dwindling. And then... Do you think it was at Covid, really, or just hard to get on? It's hard to put a reason on it, but Covid did play a big part in it, like many things. Of course. It did hit the music button itself, too, and you had to build it up again. Well, it's brilliant. Many members have you in total? We have 28. That's fine. And then we have another group, I'd say. Well, I mean, the three is allowed to be 31, and then there's another group of young drummers that are starting as well. So we'll be nearly heading for the 40 mark soon enough. And do you say, as a process you go through, you bring these young people on, right? Is there somebody specifically tasked to them to bring them on? Because you're having your practice night. Obviously, I'd also want to practice with you. How to try and... I would kind of take the beginners, maybe, for the first 40 minutes, and the adults can be practising away, and by the time I reach the adults, then they'll have it. Brilliant, brilliant. Who have we got there? Ann Orr said, well done to your grandson. That's Kylian, playing amazing grace, and the whole band are fantastic. Where's Kylian? There you are, look. Your granny said hello, Ann. And Louise Scott says, hello, Blaine, from your cousin Louise and Edinburgh. Sound of a great-giver wave to... What, a camera, Jimmy? That camera there? Up there, where's Louise? Over here, Louise, give that camera... There we are now. Or did I say... Blaine, sorry, bigger pardon. Hello to Neve. Tell her, willow is listening. Yes, there you are. Is that her, Jimmy? Barry Orr says, great stuff, that's right. Right, we're going to get another tune, but we're going to take a quick commercial break, and we're going to come straight back, and what's the next... Yeah, the next piece of music will be Scotland the Brave. Probably most people would recognise that through the bagpipes, I think. Right, after this break, Highland Radio on a Monday night, don't go away. At Electric Ireland, we're here to make your world brighter. All of our 1.1 million customers will see that come to life this winter, with the second price decrease across all residential electricity, gas and dual-fueled bills. Good news for you, even better news for your bill. Electric Ireland, making your bills smaller, and your world brighter. Second decrease effective from 1st March 2024, applies to standard unit rate and standing charges. Visit electricarland.ie for further details. Well, Grace, how are you today? I'm good. I've just been down to the mid-to-measure fireplaces showroom in Chrysler. They have an incredible selection of over 40 colours for kitchen worktops. And guess what? For a limited time, they're offering a 40% discount on any electric fire when you purchase a worktop there. 40%? That's an amazing deal, Grace. Absolutely, and trust me, if the discount alone doesn't sway you, they're a huge selection of fireplaces, stoves, wood pellet burners, beams and stone cladding certainly well. Contact mate to measure fireplaces, Chrysler, on 074 91 38 365 on Facebook, Instagram and on mtmfireplaces.ie. Being a gardener will change your life. I often hear my friends who have normal jobs complaining about going to work. I love what I do, and I think most gardeners are the same. You're just not allowed to get bored. I've done the job for 30 years and had 20 different roles, each time learning something new. I've been a coaching mentor. I've managed high risk undercover operations. I've walked the beat and developed protocols for dealing with cyberbullying, which is saving lives right across Ireland today. I'm currently involved in extraditing dangerous criminals who pose a risk to our communities. Being a gardener is a really tough job, but it's definitely a job worth doing. You can apply now at publicjobs.ie. The big winter sale is now on at Ben Swinney, Euronix in Letterkenny and in Lowe, with the Samsung Jet 60 cordless vacuum cleaner produced to 219 euros. Cook family meals up to 65% faster with the new Ninja footy flex drawer air fryer for only 259 euros, and the Beco 8KG A rated washing machine with a 10-year parts warranty down to 399. Save big in the Euronix winter sale, now in Ben Swinney, Euronix, Port Road, Letterkenny and the shopping center, Dunlowe. It's absolutely brilliant. I have a question for you, the two drummers there. You see that, what you're doing there with that? What do you call that? I want to work about it in a minute. Abbey knows, it wouldn't be just proper radio questions that I'd be asking if just me knows gets a bit of me. Do you know that way you do that with that? What do you call that? Carry it. Flourishing, yeah. What do you call them? Flourishing. Like tenor drums? Tenor drums. Oh, right. It's hard to do that, isn't it? It looks well. It looks brilliant. Are you the only two that do that in the band? Oh, three of you, so thank you, pardon, my God. Yeah, it takes a bit of practice, just. But it looks great when it's done right, doesn't it? Let me say it right, give it a quick rattle there now, three of you. Just, we do this, like, pretty much for every competition, but... Would you get judged in that? How you doing it? It's more based on the beats, because we have small beats within just to kind of accent the... Excellent, excellent. Learning chord, well done. Thanks for talking to me. Sorry for putting you on the spot, if I did. Those are the three of them are all different tones. And then you've got the bass drum, then, too, which also has a difference. So you have the four drums that have all different sounds. They have different sounds? They have all different sounds, yeah. I would have just said that was... There were just three drums, I see. It just shows you, you know, you think you know bits and pieces, but you don't know none. From Argentina, congratulations to all the members, especially Dominique and her parents. Greetings from Palo. Palo, you know Palo? Wave into the camera, Roberto. I've got a stick here, that's the camera. Yeah! Very good. And Adele Davis, as well, don't do all the band, especially Killian, Ellie, and... Am I saying that, Alicia? Is that right? Yeah. And from Fia, listening on with her mum. You know how to wave to the camera? Yee-hoo! Baba McNulty's watching. Good man, Baba. And LaVenia Woodward. Big shout out... What do you mean? Big shout out to my son, Peter. Where's Peter? Mummy said she loves you. Give Mummy a wave in that camera, Peter. Yee-hoo! Brilliant. And, right, well, listen, once again, it's this coming Saturday night, the 27th, in the Cornwall Hall. And it's the born's night. And it's a great festival, and go-along. Tickets are today, what did you say? So, yeah, tickets are on Eventbrite. Eventbrite. Or if you want to contact any band member, or just get us on directly on Facebook. And how much are tickets again? It's 15 Euro for two. 15. That's a good night. It's a huge line-up with the... Yep, you have Tara Hoile, Amy Meehan, and, of course, the brilliant Yooka Leely Orchestra, with her own Donald Cabinet there as well. And hello, Leigh and Connor. Where's Leigh and Connor? There we are. Oh, come on, Jesus, I'm talking to you all now. You're talking to me all now. This is your only good Italian, you know. You got that door now, I don't remember who you were. Hello, Leigh and Connor, and all the band. Well done, super job. Brings back lovely memories over the years from Tina Moore. Thanks, Tina, not lovely. And George Brennan, Hi, Paul McDillard, and Jimmy and the band. Good man, George. Hope you're well, my friend. Right, will we get one more, Jimmy, do you think? What's the contract, say? Three? Squeeze it, give her money for it, will you? Could we get another tune? He... Right, do you mind? Yeah. Are they right? This one, Connor. Julie Jordan says, Hello, Abigail and Gabriel. Sounding well, a sounding grits, he says. So, well done indeed. Everyone, indeed. So, when he is out as in Parade, and have you any dates yet? Yeah, so St Patrick's Day is our next parade. We're actually at an event for... in the Clannery on the 28th of February, it's a charity event. Oh, very good. TJ's Wish to Walk. Oh, excellent, yes. So, we're performing at that. Oh, very good. That's our next after-burns night, and then St Patrick's Day then, and then we're into probably competition season then. And all this is a competition season last, Connor? Normally from May to August. Wow. So, we are looking at organising a contest in the town here. So, that hopefully will be either May or June time. We just have to wait for the calendars through various association associations. But that will take a bit of money, it will take a lot of people into the town. You're talking maybe about goods of 5,000 people. Well, there you see, it works both ways. We'll be calling out for sponsorship for that. You'll be calling out for sponsorship, of course, and you'd appreciate it very much. Once again, if people want to join the band, what nights do you practice? Mondays and Friday nights. And people can go along. Yeah, they can come along, or they can contact us through Facebook. Excellent. So, more than welcome to come along. Brilliant. Listen, I want to thank you all, genuinely very much, I really appreciate it. You're absolutely brilliant. Well done. And continue your success this Saturday night in the Commonwealth Hall, here in Leonard County, on a celebrated and born's night, and you will be in for a great night of entertainment. Thank you, everybody!