THERE has been music in the air around Whitecross for over a century, while Irish dancers have been strutting their stuff in style for many generations.

Ranging from the Ballymoyer Flute Band in the early 1900’s, succeeded by the Cu Culainn and later St Teresa’s Pipe Bands, to the popular Whitecross Youth Accordion Band, parades and sports meetings have been enlivened by their martial music, colour and pageantry.

And more modern music was supplied by the Clippertones Showband, in which Seamus McParland and Joe Deane entertained.

The Malone family were prominent in every aspect of national life in South Armagh, Frank being a member of the Irish Volunteers, while his sister, Lily served in the Cumann na mBan. All six brothers, Frank, Phonsie, Packie, Tommy, Gerard and Eugene were players with the St Killian GFC squad, as well as members of the Cu Culainn Pipe Band.

Frank, who had been in the Irish Army School of Music, was the Instructor with the Whitecross Pipe Band, as well as the Tullyvallen and Whitewater Pipe Band, based at their local Orange Halls.

Packie Joe McKeown was a celebrated traditional fiddler with a vast repertoire. He played at Ceilidhte in Camlough INF Hall, and later accompanied Irish dancers in Scor competitions. Employed to look after horses at McPolin’s farm at Hilltown, he would walk home to visit his mother his mother at Whitecross on Friday nights. After playing at a Ceili in Camlough INF Hall on Sunday nights, he would walk back to Hilltown.

John Roe McParland’s style of music gave new life to tunes such as “Father O’Flynn,” “The Derry Hornpipe,” reels and dance music. Hugh Cooney and Pat Toner were also highly-rated traditional fiddlers, while the Malones and Savages from Belleeks mixed pop with traditional Irish music.

The legendary Louis Murphy (RIP) recalled how, as a boy, his home was alive with the sound of music, with piano, Jew’s harp and mouth-organ, as well as three sets of bagpipes in full flow! He could also listen to the pipers from St Teresa’s Band, practicing in the barn, - such tunes as “O’Neill’s War March,” and “Scotland the Brave,”

And he described how he had “listened entranced to the spine-tingling, defiant music of that gifted trio, Joe Lavelle, Frank and Tommy Malone, that seemed to call to something deep in the primitive Celtic soul.

“Clear and astringent came that music, backed by the staccato of simple side-drums, bringing people to their doors in the valley below. It set the countryside astir, till night began to fall, and a small boy went reluctantly home, bemused by that music, with little bare that were blue with the cold,” was the recollection of that future historian, top civil servant and author.

And in praising the work of the regional branch, Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, including Sean O’Driscoll from Newry, Ownie O’Neill, Tommy McKeown, P.J. McKeown, Eugene and Gerry Malone from the area, Louis Murphy also saluted “the immense contribution to Irish dancing” by Nan Quinn from Bessbrook.

“The Comhaltas can claim to have re-established Irish music, and to have given it new prestige in the eyes of the world, making its acceptance again by our people an essential part of the national tradition. We should honour all those musicians and dancers, who have gone before us,” added the late Louis Murphy.

Back in 1908, the Cu Cuchalainn Pipe Band was formed with Fr P. O’Connor as chairman, Charles Cowan, secretary, and Eoghan O Fagain as treasurer, with Eddie Harte as Instructor. It was attached to the local branch of the Irish National Foresters, while many of its members also belonged to St Killian’s GFC.

Borne at its head was a famous standard, depicting the Red Hand of Ulster and the rampant Hound of Ulster. The pipers and drummers were in great demand for sporting events and public occasions, including Home Rule demonstrations, - one of the pipers, Edward Cowan having a gold medal at a National Pipe Band Contest.

Band members included Raymond and Eddie Cowan, Bob Lindsay, Frank and Phonsie Malone, Joe Lavelle, Pat Joe McParland, Mark Carlisle, Barney 0’Rourke, James McKeown and Paul Murphy. However, the band ceased to exist in the late 2O’s, due to expense.

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