Killyleagh to host Inch Flute Band 100th anniversary parade with more than 30 bands taking part

Killyleagh to host Inch Flute Band 100th anniversary parade with more than 30 bands taking part

7 June 2023

INCH Flute Band is holding its 100th anniversary parade in Killyleagh next Friday night.

The June 16 centenary event starts at 7.30pm and to date, over 30 bands have confirmed they will be taking part.

The musical tradition within the Parish of Inch dates as far back as the late 1800s.

Archived material recorded Inch Flute and the Maxwell Conservative Flute bands gracing the King’s highway in the year 1902 when a new flag for Bells Hill LOL No 32 was unfurled at the Perceval Maxwell Estate in Finnebrogue. 

Although always known as Inch Flute band, the original bass drum carries the name Inch Conservative Flute band and the Royal Coat of Arms. The band attended its first Twelfth of July parade in 1924 which was held in Ballygowan. Then, the band’s uniform consisted of a Sunday best suit and obligatory cloth cap. 

Although the band was responsible for running itself and for raising its own funds, the Lodge did provide assistance. The band was paid the princely sum of £1 for its services on the Twelfth of July 1925 in Comber and again in 1931, they gave the band three pounds and five shillings towards the cost of purchasing drums. 

The band was also given permission to write to their local MPs seeking subions. There would not have been as many parades in those days however on June 25, 1931, the band attended a banner unfurling for Killyleagh LOL 1215 and the following year, paraded in Crossgar when a new banner was also unfurled for their own Lodge, Inch LOL No 430.

Most Lodges and bands in rural areas are made up from members of local families and Inch are no different. 

Whilst its perhaps a little unfair to single anyone out, one major family contributor in those early days was the Lennon family. Bro Henry Lennon was a member of the Ulster Volunteers and served with the 13th Royal Irish Rifles during the First World War. 

Luckily, he survived the war, returned to Inch and settled to raise a large family.

Henry was a founder member of the band and if you were a Lennon, it was almost compulsory to join. At one stage there were 17 members of his extended family in the band. 

Locals used to call it the Lennon band and there has never been a period since 1923 that we have not had members of the family within its ranks. We are now into the fifth generation of the Lennon family which is a remarkable achievement.

From the 1970s onwards, weekend band competitions had become a regular thing and the band would travel around the area attending outdoor marching competitions most weekends during the marching season. 

During that era there were plenty of local bands in the Lecale area. However, in recent years sadly, a lot of those bands have ceased to exist resulting in the band having to travel further afield at the weekends to places like Banbridge, Kilkeel and other parts of Co Down. 

The band has also taken pride of place at the Twelfth Demonstration in Renfrew, Scotland, in 1990. Despite the demise of bands within the locality, Inch has seen a growth in membership which has resulted in it being able to increase the number of annual parades and social activities it attends.

Undoubtedly, one of the proudest days for the band was when it participated in the Centenary parade on September 29, 2012. 

Organised to commemorate the signing of the Ulster Covenant, participants walked from Belfast City Hall to the grounds of the Stormont Estate. 

In recent years, band members have on several occasions had the honour of taking part in the Menin Gate Service of Remembrance in Ypres, Belgium, where they paid their respects to the Fallen. 

Band representatives have also toured the Western Front extensively, visiting the graves and memorials of the men from the Parish of Inch who paid the ultimate sacrifice. 

Throughout the Covid pandemic, band members acquainted themselves with the relevant technology which permitted them to meet virtually in order to undertake both band practice and conduct meetings as and when required. 

From a practical perspective,  band members helped raise money for PPE and local food banks in addition to the provision of Christmas hampers for recently bereaved members of the local community. T

But the pandemic failed to prevent the band from celebrating its culture and traditions. Successfully organised events included the ‘Twelfth at Home’ and outdoor services of worship during 2021. Another major event was participation in the Northern Ireland Centennial parade in May last year, delayed by 12 months due to the prevailing Covid regulations at that time.

This year, the band is extremely proud to be celebrating its centenary. 

For any group, never mind a marching band, to exist for 100 years without a hiatus is a fantastic milestone to achieve, especially when you think of the geographical area from which it heralds. This is down to the dedication, commitment, and self-sacrifice of its members and fantastic support base.

During its centennial year, the band will be hosting an anniversary dinner in conjunction with several other proposed events.