Hail Soldier! Looks like one of Blackthorn's very own is in the reserves!! We think he's bucking for for a promotion and has his sights set on getting one of those very fine Centurion's crests ......

This past Saturday, our very own Dave McDermott (AKA Roadie #2) participated in the Polar Bear Plunge to help raise money for Cystic Fibrosis.

Dave made the newspapers as Lady Liberty, completing the plunge into the sub freezing Atlantic Ocean.

Our 17th annual party was held on September 15. We had another good weather day and a great time as usual. For the first time in many years, we didn’t have a parade, so the band members had a fairly-leisurely setup time earlier in the day.

We had our usual good food from the hot-dog cart and pretzel machine to the hot food buffet donated by Fogarty’s Restaurant in Bronxville. Thank you, John! Great music was provided again by Morning Star (Mary Courtney, Bernadette Fee, and John Whelan), and Jerry O'Sullivan accompanied them for a couple of sets on the Uillean Pipes.

We had a smaller crowd this year, but certainly no less fun. Thanks to all our band members, family, friends, and supporters. The basket raffle was a success again, with the band members making a competition of it to see who could come up with the best one. The jury is still out on the winner. They were all great!

Special thanks to Briann Dillon, daughter of piper Barney, who comes every year and handles our merchandise and 50/50 raffle sales and Chris Delaney who prepared the special Blackthorn Candy Bar raffle.

Click on the Photo Album link to see pictures of the event. Hope to see all the regulars again next year and, hopefully, some new faces.

Despite the summer being a time to relax and rest, The Blackthorn Pipe Band was still busy. Blackthorn participated in several parades this summer season including memorial parades in Yonkers and Pelham and Fireman parades in Mamaroneck, and Pleasantville winning the best of show award. (what did we win again???)

Marching wasn’t all Blackthorn was doing this summer. As always there was plenty of good times and craic to be had! There was the usual trip to Hunter Mountain Celtic Festival where some of our members competed in the piping competition, while others competed in the drinking competition All made Blackthorn proud! Mother Blackthorn was unable to join the Hunter Mountain Pilgrimage this summer as she was in Ireland returning to her roots and smuggling back bottles of Sheridan for the Halfway Party.

It was a bittersweet summer as news that Jon O’Donnell, snare drummer was moving out of state for a few years. We wish him all the best .

We are happy to announce the newest member of Blackthorn, Eamonn Thomas O’Donnell. Born on September 3rd, he's 7lbs & 20.5in and is reported to be the cutest thing his father has ever seen!

As the summer comes to the end Blackthorn is gearing up for the fall and winter, and most importantly getting ready for Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day!

The band is currently practicing hard, adding new tunes to our repertoire. Piping student Peter Watson is taking lessons at Tara Circle, and progressing nicely.

Our uniforms won’t spend too much time in the closet; we are already looking forward to our Memorial Day parades in Yonkers and Pelham, and many more parades and events this summer.

As always, Blackthorn Pipe Band is open to accepting new pipers and drummers. Regardless of your level of experience, we encourage anyone interested in joining the band and playing Celtic music to contact Rita Orlando at midgethorn@verizon.net for more details.