Pride of Ballinran 2003

Just like to take this opportunity to thank all the bands who turned out in Kilkeel for our annual parade. We paraded first ourselves through the town at around half 7, just when the crowds were starting to arrive and the first band, Orangefield, began parading just after 8. Because of a parade in Portadown the same night there were alot of gaps between bands until about 10pm when busloads of bands arrived and really got the parade going. Special thank you to those bands who made the effort to come down from Portadown, I know it can't have been easy with buses etc. Also a really big thank you to Castlederg who travelled from the other side of the country to attend, it must have been a late night and I think James Pue is trying to get a bus organised for your own parade. An excellent standard of bands as always with a good mix of Melody bands such as Mourne, Ballycoan, Lisburn Young Defenders, Newtownards Melody and Sir George White Memorial who travelled down from Broughshane to name a few. The rain managed to stay off and a good street collection was made with a percentage going to the Malcomn Sargent Appeal for Sick Children. I have posted the results below. The judges were completely independant from the band and judge a number of other parades throughout the marching season. They were scattered around the town this year (I'm not sure where)so you could have been judged anywhere. In the end it was very close with half a point separating 1st an 2nd in some categories.

Senior Drum Major

1 Brunswick Accordian
2 Mourne Young Defenders
3 Ballycoan

Junior Drum Major

1 Drumderg
2 Pride of the Hill
3 South Down Defenders, Newry

Style and Apperance

1 Drumderg
2 Mourne Youg Defenders
3 Sir George White Memorial

Marching and Discipline

1 Drumderg
2 Mourne Young Defenders
3 Sir George White Memorial

Colour Party

1 Annalong Single Star
2 Pride of the Hill
3 Drumderg

Blood and Thunder Drum Corps

1 Pride of the Hill
2 Drumderg
3 Donaghadee Fusillers

Blood and Thunder Bass Drummer

1 Pride of the Hill
2 Donaghadee Fusillers
3 Pride of Knockmore

Melody Drum Corps

1 Newtownards Melody
2 Lisburn Young Defenders
3 Ballycoan

Melody Bass Drummer

1 Newtownards Melody
2 Lisburn Young Defenders
3 Ballycoan

Blood and Thunder

1 Pride of the Hill
2 Drumderg
3 Pride fo Knockmore

Melody Flute

1 Newtownards Melody
2 Lisburn Young Defenders
3 Sir George White Memorial

Accordion

1 Brunswick
2 Pride of the Birches

Blood and Thunder Flute (Under 16 Fluters)

1 Bessbrook True Blues
2 Castlederg Young Loyalists
3 Ballinhinch P.B

Part Flute

1 Orangefield

Best Overall

1 Newtownards Melody
2 Drumderg Loyalists
3 Pride of the Hill

Newtownards Melody won Ł100 Voucher for Victor Stewart Enterprises for band with most points in their musical category.