Shane, Ross and Glen O'Halloran
Ross O’Halloran feared he would never play the bagpipes again after his wrist was shattered in a car accident.
But eight years later O’Halloran has joined drummers and pipers at the Royal NZ Pipe Band Association Summer School in Wellington as Te Kuiti & District Highland Pipe Band drum major.
O’Halloran, who is also vice president of the pipe band, is supporting his oldest son, Glen, 13, and fellow side drummer Dominic D’ath, 15, tenor drummers Sarah D’ath, 14, and Isabella D’ath, 11.
Their younger brother Arthur is also in the band, but not attending the summer school, which runs for another week.
Asked what they hoped to get out of attending, Dominic said: “People from all over that all speak the language, drumming.”
Sarah added: “Good food, new friends and improved skills.”
Isabella said: “Great opportunity to further my skills, catch up with old friends and socialise.”
Both Dominic and Sarah have attended the school before.
“Summer school is good for them as it gives them more skills they can bring back to the band and pass on,” O’Halloran said.
Dominic is teaching O’Halloran’s son Shane, 11, the side drum while Isabella and Sarah are teaching his daughter Tess, eight, the tenor drum.
O’Halloran is teaching Glen and the D’aths the pipes.
O’Halloran’s family has been involved in the band since it began in 1949. His grandfather Jack O’Halloran helped raise money to start the band and became its patron. His father Jim O’Halloran was drum major until his death in 2017. His sisters Mary and Alison were also pipers.
The D’Aths joined the band after going to drum lessons that were being offered for free.
“They loved it and were soon regulars,” said their father, Andrew.
“They heard about the 2024 Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association Summer School to be held in Christchurch at the camps and last year raised all the money for attending and getting there.
“They attended and Dominic and Sarah won scholarships for the tuition to return in 2025 in Wellington.”
“Piping is a very old thing,” O’Halloran said.
Each highland clan had a hereditary piper (classed as a gentleman in the clan) the great highland war pipes along with tartan feileadh Mhor (great wrap/ kilt) and feileadh beag (little wrap/ kilt) were banned under the 1746-1788 act of proscription at the end of the 4th Jacobite rebellion in 1745 and 46.
“The only place the highlanders could wear tartan and play pipes was in the Highland regiments raised in the British Army,” O’Halloran, education officer at Waitomo Museum, said.
“The belief is the three drone Great Highland war pipe evolved from the two drone Irish war pipes and were taken up by the likes of the Highland (Gaelic) clans after seeing the Irish mercenaries being led in battle against Wallace’s army at the battle of Falkirk 1298.
O’Halloran is North Island President of the House of Gordon of which his mother Glenyss was convenor for about 30 years.
He is also Lance Corporal and Section Commander of the Hamilton Platoon, Hauraki Company, 3/6 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) and vice president of the Te Kuiti and District RSA.
