Performer Focus – Ballylone Concert Flute Band, Ballynahinch

Ballylone Concert Flute Band

Ballylone Concert Flute Band was formed in 1908 as a part music flute band by the young men of the
townland on the north-eastern outskirts of Ballynahinch. Its sole purpose at that time was to lead the
local lodge Ballylone Purple Guards LOL 1609 and it is a duty which is still carried out with aplomb
117 years later.

Family ties have always been an integral part of the Band from its inception and some of the original
family names such as Burrows, Harrison and Scott are now into their 3 rd and 4 th generations of
players.

Ballylone remained strictly a marching band for the next 4 decades with other engagements including
Sunday School excursions, British Legion parades and also leading the Ballylone Knights of the
Purple Rock RBP 275 from its foundation in 1935.
The Band entered the Contest arena for the first time in 1946 and had its first success a year later in
the North of Ireland Band Association Championship Grade 4 held in the Ulster Hall.
Over the years the Band successfully progressed through each grade until in 1997 it achieved the title
of Grade 1 Flute Band League Champions for the first time.

Ballylone Concert Flute Band became Grade 1 World Champions in the NIBA Contest of 2002 a feat
repeated 8 times since including 4 successes in the past 5 years. The Band has featured regularly over the past 30 years on the Radio Ulster programme “Strike up the Band” and more recently “Bandstand” and is now recognised as one of the top concert bands in
Northern Ireland.

On parade, the Ballylone Band has led the Ballynahinch District LOL No 17 on most of its milestone
occasions over many years such as the Covenant Parades in 1962 and 2012 and Tercentenary
Parades in Belfast, Loughgall and Carrickfergus. The Band have also performed at County Services
and at the Orange “Grands” Ceremony.

Today’s membership is still drawn mainly from Ballynahinch, although the band has members as far
afield as Carrickfergus and the Kingdom of Mourne. At present there are numerous family
connections and the dedication of the majority of the members has ensured that the Band continues
to flourish after 117 years of its existence.

The Band previously have performed in the Belfast Tattoo in 2014 with close neighbours Cahard,
Churchill from Londonderry and Hunter Moore Memorial from Newry forming a massed flute band of
over 100 players playing a varied programme of well-known marches and popular concert pieces.
The band’s activities can be viewed on the band’s Facebook page and numerous YouTube videos
can be found from parading, concerts and competitions.