St Roch's Marching Band in Glasgow busy preparing for Croke Park appearance

By Cian O’Connell

It has been a whirlwind 12 months for St Roch’s Marching Band in Glasgow. So, to be part of the musical entertainment for Sunday’s All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Donegal and Meath matters deeply.

The bond between Donegal and Glasgow will always be strong and there is a real sense of pride for those making the journey from Scotland. Band member Danny Boyle is delighted that the band will be involved. “A total of 60 of us will be travelling from Glasgow for the semi-final, filled with excitement and pride,” he says.

“Our group includes the 37 dedicated members of the band, along with some of our beloved band children—whose parents, like the Howards and the McKnights, both play in the band. Many of these children are also proudly involved in the Tír Conaill Harps GAA Club in Glasgow, deepening the connection between music, sport, and community.

“We're honoured to be accompanied by Jenn Treacy of Scotland GAA and Andrea Wickam Moriarty from the Irish Consulate in Edinburgh, who have been incredibly supportive of the band throughout the year and a key role in making our Croke Park performance a reality.”

Boyle highlights the significant GAA connections that exist in the band. “One of the founding figures of both the GAA and Comhaltas in Scotland was the late Eoin Kelly of Ederney, Fermanagh,” Boyle explains.

“His vision and dedication laid the foundation for so much of what we cherish today. Without Eoin, there would be no Irish Minstrels branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann in Glasgow and by extension, no St Roch’s Marching Band. Our band evolved directly from that Comhaltas branch and the St Roch’s Céilí Band, nurtured with care by Frank McArdle and Eoin himself.

“Eoin's foresight extended beyond music and culture. In 1953, he secured a piece of land that would become known as Pearse Park Glasgow’s home for Gaelic Games.

"Today, the redevelopment of Pearse Park is progressing with renewed energy and purpose. The shared hope of the Irish community in Glasgow is to see it grow into a vibrant centre for GAA development and wider community life.

“Within the band itself, our links to the GAA are strong and enduring. At one time or another, nearly every member has pulled on a jersey—whether through formal club involvement or joyful introduction to the game.”

Huge progress has been made by St Roch’s Marching Band recently. “This time last year, the band was still practising at St Mary's Church Hall on the southside of Glasgow,” Boyle says.

“We all have musical backgrounds, many of us are All-Ireland champions individuals or as Ceilí bands or duets, but we'd never done a marching band before. We were novices at that.”

Nonetheless, there has been no shortage of events for St Roch’s throughout the past year. “The band has had a number of successes since winning the All-Ireland in Wexford last August,” Boyle says.

“It is obviously the first time we'd a marching band from Scotland participating in that. So, what we saw after winning the All-Ireland was that we'd a huge opportunity over the next year to maximise that prestigious honour.”

A St Patrick’s Day parade in Glasgow, featuring several GAA clubs. proved to be a hugely encouraging occasion and momentum was being generated. “After winning the All-Ireland, we were starting to rebuild our relationships with the GAA,” Boyle says. “The band were in the London St Patrick's Day parade after an invitation from the Mayor Sadiq Khan.

“Jenn Treacy and the Scotland GAA team held a fundraising dinner for the Pearse Park development at Celtic Football Club in late March. At that, the guests of honour were the Tyrone and Donegal masters’ teams.

“They were then playing a fixture at Clydebank the following day. Jenn had invited the Marching Band to lead the Donegal and Tyrone players out and to play the national anthem, which we were delighted to accept. That was a joyous occasion.”

When the opportunity to perform at GAA headquarters arose, St Roch’s were ready, willing, and able to accept. “After a few conversations internally between Croke Park, the GAA, and myself from the Marching Band, we settled on the fixture for Sunday, July 13 for the second All-Ireland Football Semi-Final,” Boyle says.

“At the time, we'd no idea who was going to be in that Semi-Final. We were just absolutely delighted and honoured to be given the invitation which was formally sent in by Alan Milton to myself and Roisin Anne, who is the band leader. I think we will eventually get that letter printed out and framed. We were all so excited to receive it.

“We appreciate how huge an honour it is to perform at Croke Park on All-Ireland semi-final day. The band were ecstatic, a hugely emotional moment for us.

“Not only as a collective community, but as an individual families and individual people. The GAA has always been a massive part of our lives here, what the GAA represents, and what Croke Park represents, it has a huge emotional pull on all of us.”

Band members have monitored a dramatic All-Ireland SFC unfold in Glasgow. “There has been a lot of processing going on, and that has been heightened as they've all been watching the group stages, preliminary quarter-finals, and quarter-finals to see who they might up having the honour to share a pitch with on July 13,” Boyle says.

“Every county involved has our utmost respect, but given the bands huge links to Donegal, and Glasgow's massive links to Donegal through emigration and everything that entails, there has been an extra level of emotion attached to being on the same pitch. That is the fairytale as it sits for us.”