Tallaght Youth Band

We would love to hear from all our past members so please contact us with your memories
Also make sure you check out our gallery for a trip down memory lane...


Chris Cruise

I'm not quite sure what year I joined the band. All I remember is I wasn't old enough to have my ears pierced yet and I was, for a good half a year, the only majorette on parade (surrounded by only four other girls with pom poms!) We had no flags, no other props, no choice of uniform, and a grand total of TWO dance routines. They were simpler times!! After a while I decided to learn flute, but since practice for both happened at the same time, I couldn't do both - I'd have loved to have the flexiblity that all the members have now! It was a worthy career change though - I discovered a latent talent for music that carried me the whole way through secondary school and beyond. Without the band, I probably never would have had the chance to explore it. All the while, we travelled the world - we went to the St. Paddy's day parades in America on two different occassions, various events in the UK (including the first Paddy's day parade in London city in over a century which was a HUGE honour), a field competition in Sweden, and of course, all over Ireland.

I think my favourite event was heading to the Rose of Tralee every year. The 6 hour bus journey was always worth it! These days, I'm at home with my baby, and unfortunately don't get to make a lot of music anymore. But I still get so nostalgic if a song we used to do comes on the radio, or even watching all the competitive musical fun on TV shows like Glee, or whenever the letters TYB pop up on TV or the newspapers. From a five-girl dance section to national TV appearances and internatioal preformances, you lot have come a really long way since I started out with you. Thanks so much for letting me be part of that journey!


___________________________________________
    

Jennifer Brazil

Where to even start, my whole life was the Tallaght youth Band.Days off school, Every Paddys Day. The soup and rolls in Tallaght Community School. I suppose one of my first Memories was being taught to march by Paul Begley in St Marys School. The years 1987/1988 was my first band compition, we done the superman routine.I can remember most of the routine, we all started in the corner, and turned. HaHa. My Dad, Mam, Sisters, Cousins, and friends, were in the Tallaght Youth Band. I can remeber my dad, saying "Are we ready to rock and roll". I have so many Memories I could keep going on for ever. Going to Belgium and staying in the Army Barracks, being served Ham and a choclate bar one morning, Going to get my frosties(Thanks Mam) and sharing them with everyone. The committee members, drawing a line down the middle of the sports hall in Arklow, Boys on one side and girls on the other, so everyone slept in the middle of the hall. The Bus crash in Donegal, everyone being so frightened and thankfully nobody was seriously hurt.The times in Royal Albert Hall and the international tournament with all the bands from Ireland in Earls Court. Getting the chips(Best ever) on the way back. I was in the Irish Dancers, I was in the pompoms, The reed section, The drum major. I left around 1999, I was 17/18. For the fact I live in Carlow now, I would be up with my children and they would be in the band. I am sure I can remember more and look back on all my time with the band with great pleasure.

Jennifer Brazil