Saint Columcille United Gaelic of Kearny, NJ, draws its name from an Irish prince, warrior and scholar who became a priest to bring early Christianity to the Western Isles of Ireland and Scotland. From the Isle of Iona, Columcille (521-597) helped spread faith, knowledge and culture throughout Europe. It’s an ideal that drove the band’s founder, Sean McGonigal, to form a band dedicated to “unity of the Gael.” Sean expressed his goal in the band’s motto, “Ar aghaidh le ceol na n’Gael," “Onward with the music of the Gael.”
The band continues to live by this motto today. The bands sponsored by Saint Columcille United Gaelic have competed at numerous Irish Feis and Scottish Games since the 1950s, culminating in numerous national and international championship honors. Members of our band have further distinguished themselves as top soloists, teachers, and as leaders of the Eastern U.S. Pipe Band Association. While the band routinely performs at parades, dances, benefits, concerts. and other public events, we continually improve and test ourselves through the “competition circle.” The bands’ ideals, set forward by Sean in 1949, remain the mantra of the Saint Columcille United Gaelic organization today.
The St. Columcille organization consists of a diverse group of pipers and drummers. All of them are committed to quality music and performance be it in pipe band competition, parades, special events, solo performance, or on stage. We are always inviting new members of all levels to join and offer free piping and drumming tuition from expert musicians, some of whom have played at the highest levels of international competition.
St. Columcille United Gaelic currently fields three distinct competition groups in three competition grades:
The Grade 5 Columcille School of Piping & Drumming is our “beginner” band in the beginning level of competition. It was formed in 1998 and is designed to get new, learning players pushing their musical potential. Columcille School has had a very successful few seasons, being at the top of EUSPBA standings for the 2017 competition season. The band had the distinction of being awarded “Top Overseas Band” at the 2018 All-Ireland Pipe Band Championships in New Ross, Ireland and finishing 10th in the grade 4B against of field of 28 bands.
Learn Bagpipes and Drums with Columcille School of Piping & Drumming
Saint Columcille United Gaelic is dedicated to furthering Gaelic music and culture. The organization has historically focused on teaching the art of Highland bagpipes and drums.
From its earliest days teaching children in the Kearny school district, our organization recognizes the value of instilling a lifelong love and passion for playing bagpipes and drums in young practitioners.
That effort continues to this day as the “Columcille School of Piping and Drumming,” a weekly program that furthers the art with a healthy number of school-aged students.
We are actively welcoming enthusiastic young students ages 6 to 16 (younger and older learners also welcome) to learn Highland bagpipes and drums with us.
New students and their families are encouraged to complete our Registration form and come to the Scots-American Athletic Club in Kearny, New Jersey on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
