There are only three people who can tell this story as that was the beginnings of the band, so I know the fact are correct, esp. in the early years. As you can see they were humble beginnings indeed.
We used to stay in from schoolyard break to leard tin whistle with our teacher Mrs Deirdre McLoughlin for 20 mins. We didn't read music just notes and she would give us the tune or play a tape, great for the ear. To our group we added a guitar (Louise Fitzpatrick and then Leigh Carroll) and two accordians ( Louise and then me). We had a repertoire of a few trad tunes played quite badly but enjoyed it .The only public performance was at a joint concert with other schools in the priory one dark summers night. It was our last. Classes continued and our ears developed quickly, by fifth class we could pick up any tune.
It was in 1984 that Leigh and Louise approached me to ask me to play for the priest at the beginning of mass. Every Sunday we would dress up in a Brown Blaser and Trousers with an orange stripe down the side and walk in front of the priest playing church songs. This was our first regular gig. We also began to play with the choir at the 11 o'clock mass. In return the local priest Father Pat Littleton organised a tin whistle instructor Mr. Des Carthy ( we didn't know he was a vey famous traditional musician) for us. Every Thursday we would meet in a house opposite the school and church in Fettercairn and he would teach us traditional Irish tunes by ear. The “band” had six in it at the time Me. Louise, Leigh, Michael Murray, Patrick Barry an Philip Lee.All the time we used to look out the window at the mobile Library hoping that the best books would still be there!!!
January The scene in Fettercairn was as bleak as ever and in an interest to get something going for the children,Fr. Pat invited the parents of the children ( James Dempsey, Tom and Betty Fitzpatrick, Marian Carroll) in his group to a meeting with a view to setting up a local band. Help was on hand from the Tallaght Youth Service, Foroige and the Tallaght Youth Band. Shortly after the Fettercairn Youth Band was born, formed around the members of the tiny church group . All the members were recruited from the school and soon numbered 16, 12 tinwhistles and 4 drums . Money was scarce and to train us the committee bought 12 Bb bugles to train us. Mr. John Burns the MD of TYB was brought in to train us. And so every Thursday, in the kitchen of the house, we would learn bugle and continue to play tin whistle. On Sunday we would learn drill from a Jimmy Dempsey and Pat Morley , strict military drill and tough going it was too. We sent our drummers down to TYB every Monday night to train.The summer of that year saw us travel to Tallaght Community School every day for a week to take part in the Irish youth Concet Marching Band, a collection of all the bands in Tallaght ( Tallaght Youth, Festival, Jobstown and later Lancers) joined in a single unit with the purpose of performing. Mr Paddy Wade (RIP)taught us bugle, but the brass and reed, piped and dancers were the main focus. The end of the week saw a joint concert and parade followed by a disco for the members, the highlight of the week!! These classes continued on the first Saturday of the month for many years to come.
It wasn't long before we had a repertoire and a few gigs too usually local. As St Patricks Day approached a uniorm was needed it ended up as our school uniforms with a black stripe down the side ( it had to be removed after every gig for school), a black tunic and Yellow cravat with yellow beret. Its easy to see why we called it the bumblebee uniform, still we were proud as punch in it and the talk of Tallaght with our crisp drill on St. Patricks Day. All the commands were given in irish and our repertoire was mainly old marching tunes and nationalist songs, but the changing from tinwhistle to bugle was new and seemed to work well. It was shortly after this that the switch to brass and reed was to be made.
May 1986 The best of the bugle players were moved onto brass instruments ( trumpets, trombones, euphonium) with Mr Burns and the rest moved onto woodwind ( flutes, clarinets and one alto sax) with Paul Fitzsimons ( Army). Derek Duff taught bugles and Liam O'Driscall taught percussion, and Sherri Brennan taught mace. The uniform was also changed to a wine jacket and trousers with gold stripe, white leather belt and cream shirt with wine tie . We stuck to marching tunes but dropped the nationalist songs, replacing them instead with concert tunes eg hootenanny, let it be, in the mood etc. We also moved into St Annes school and the Fettercairn Community Centre as the band was over 40 in number now. To these ranks was added a colour guard and a troop of Majorettes ( who are still going today in Fettercairn, with great national and international success).
Our main work was in gigs sometimes playing three or four in a weekend, mainly community days, parades. We didn't compete, our only competition was the Patricks Day parade every year, (we won best band on our first year on brass and reed) and a concert in the Priory on Patricks night involving all the bands that were in the parade, something which doesn't happen anymore, but was a great experience. Our other highlight was the bands trips to Coolure House in Westmeath, an adventure centre where we could all relax for a week . We had adventure activities during the day and at night would have a disco or sit around a camp fire playing music and singing. Something else which doesn't happen anymore is the notion of a massed band. Bands have always fought , but twice or three times a year all the Tallaght bands would play in one massed band, usually at a family day, the biggest was when Charlie Haughey opened the Square!! It was a great experience to all play together in one band of over 100 at some stages, brass, reed, percussion, pipes, accordians and dancers,.
We also began to play a fuller role in the IYCMB and before long had three members Lee De Rosa on snare , a Clarinet ( me) and a trombone ( Louise) in the IYCMB senior band. One Saturday per month we would all gather in Tallaght Community School for a morning of lessons and an evening of ensemble. That night we would have a disco as usual. We were still the little band from Fettercairn, but players were improving, and beginning to take the first stand in certain sections, much to the surprise of others, Under the guiding hand of Mr. Michael Murtagh(RIP), we played a range of tunes from marching tunes to classical pieces and Irish dance tunes. One of the greatest achievements was to unite us once per year in a joint concert with a band from the North of Ireland ( at a time when the troubles were in full swing), they played with us in the Royal Hospital and we then travelled up to Newry to play with them. This continued up until 1990 with various groups North of the border.
1990-1991 After a certain time, numbers fell. As they will always do eventually and FYB ran into financial difficulty. We used to do pub crawls ( about ten of us in a van ) to raise the money to keep the band afloat., and even ran a cash appeal in the Herald, but to no avail.The committee fell to a few members notably Carmel De Rosa and Eileen Farrell, who kept the band running virtually on her own for over a year. Eventually it was wound up, we were heartbroken to see our instruments sold, luckily, they allowed me to hang on to my Yamaha clarinet until the last moment. At this time Phoenix was formed and provided an outlet for all those in Fettercairn, except me. I stayed with the non existent FYB until everything was sold and wound up. Phoenix bought the Yamaha clarinet and I followed it. The rest everyone knows…
The Phoenix Youth Band was formed in 1992 in response to a keen interest in music, and demand for musical education in the Tallaght area of Dublin. Since its foundations the band has grown from strength to strength with membership increasing on an annual basis and invitations for performance coming from a local, national and international level.
Locally the band has been taking part in parish events in St Mark's Springfield since its formation as well as community events such as summer fetes all over Dublin. Invited by Dublin Corporation, the band has been taking part in 'Music in the Park' events during the summer months in recent years.
On St Patrick's Day each year since 1992 the band has been taking part in two parades, in different combinations of Dublin City, Tallaght, Wexford, Enniscorthy, Wicklow and Lucan parades. The band has performed annually at the Wexford Viking Festival which takes place over the May bank holiday weekend, and at the Tallaght Sports Personality of the Year Awards.
1996 Participation in the Youth Bands/Irish Dance Spectacular, which took place in the National Basketball Arena, presented by then 2FM DJ Ian Dempsey.
1997 A week-long engagement at the International Rose of Tralee Festival including entertainment spots around the area, hotel events, and several parades, including the famous night-parade of the Roses. The appearance of sixteen senior band members in several scenes of the Jim Sheridan film 'The Boxer'. These included night scenes as well as the fight scene at which the band performed 'Danny Boy'. Performing at the European Premiere of the film 'Brassed Off' starring Ewan McGregor, Tara Fitzgerald and Stephen Tompkinson among others. The band had the role of emulating the colliery brass band on which the film is based.
Internationally the Phoenix Youth Marching Band have performed at the 50th Anniversary celebration of VJ Day at the Wintergarden Ballroom in Blackpool, England.This tour also included performances throughout the seaside towns of Blackpool, Southport and Morecambe.
1996 The band represented Ireland as part of the Emerald Isle Act in the Royal Tournament in Earls Court, London. This was the first time an act from the Republic of Ireland performed at this prestigious event. Members of the band performed in front of Royal family representatives as well as international dignitaries including Nelson Mandela. There was a live audience of 15,000 people daily as well as a TV audience of some 20 million.
July 2000 Phoenix took part in the Calgary Stampede, deemed to be the 'Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth'. During the two-week stay in Canada the band performed throughout the city at a variety of events as well as taking part in the World Showband Championships.
July 2001 Phoenix traveled to Southern France and took part in the Bastile day commemorative celebrations. 2001 also saw Phoenix take part in the first ever Tallaght Youth Tattoo, a unique event celebrating the talents of young people through music, theatre and dance.
Phoenix in CompetitionThe Phoenix Youth Marching Band began competing on the Irish Marching Band Association (IMBA) circuit in 1994, and has continued to compete annually since then. The band entered the Traditional Class in 1994 and since the addition of a Colourguard section has progressed through each class- Novice (1995), Contest (1996), Championship (1997), and Premiership (1998, 1999 & 2000). Throughout the years the band has had great success, winning both the league and All Ireland Final for three consecutive years. Phoenix were also League Champions for 1999 a title the retained in 2000.
Phoenix entered their first international competition in 1998, when they competed alongside bands from Europe, Asia, the USA and Canada at the WAMSB World Championships in London, England. After a difficult and strict year of rehearsal the band was delighted to return home with a silver award for second place.
July 2000 After two years of rehearsal and fund raising Phoenix once again challenged the world travelling this time to Calgary Canada for the WAMSB World Championships. The band were delighted to win a gold award for first prize having competed against fifty-two bands from seventeen countries.
2002/3 Season Phoenix competed alongside the Tallaght Festival Band and performed as Allianz. Allianz had a very successful two years competing in the World Championships in Italy in 2003.
Phoenix returned in 2004 with a new generation of students and have had a very successful few years. Winning the IMBA DIV championships in 2005 and 2006 and in 2006 placed 2nd in Division One. In July 2006 we traveled to Belgium to compete in the WAMSB European Championships and followed this with a three day stay in Disney land Paris.