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03 Mar 2026

A treasure trove of musical memories goes on show at Limerick's Mary Immaculate College

Photographs, instruments, and batons on display as part of St Mary's Fife and Drum band exhibition

A treasure trove of musical memories goes on show at Limerick's Mary Immaculate College

Members of the St Mary's Fife and Drum Band, photographed this Monday, as an exhibition of their memorabilia kicked off in Mary Immaculate College | PICTURE: Adrian Butler

A TREASURE trove of memorabilia from more than 140 years of music-making in Limerick is on display in Mary Immaculate College this week.

Ahead of St Patrick’s Day later this month, there will be a chance to get up close to some of the instruments which will be played during Limerick’s parade, thanks to the exhibition.

Codenamed Sound, Image, Memory, it focuses on the musical heritage of the St Mary’s Fife and Drum Band.

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Established in 1885, it is now one of only three fife and drum bands left in the country.

Among the artefacts on display are old band instruments including fifes dating back from the band’s foundation.

Drums dating from between the 1880s to the 1970s will also be available for viewing, as will the oldest existing picture of the band, taken in 1894.

It was the following year that St Mary’s became a prize band, after landing an All-Ireland championship at Dublin’s Rotunda.

The baton their conductor used on that day will also be on display at Mary Immaculate College.

The exhibition has been organised by Dr Derek Mulcahy, bandmaster with St Mary’s alongside Dr Paul O’Brien and Elaine Dold. It will remain in place in the foyer of Mary Immaculate College until Friday evening.

All are welcome.

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