From the Memoirs of John Meighan, Kilkenny
John Meighan, Kells, Co. Kilkenny, was a member of the Kells Pipe Band in his youth. He was born there on the 29th December 1898. He joined the new Garda Force on the 20th March 1922 and he retired with the rank of Sergeant on the 20th December 1961, having served at Kilworth, Co. Cork for many years. He died in 1979 and his son Justin also became a member of the Gardai . In the following extract from his memoirs John Meighan describes his early years in his native place, joining the Garda Force and his involvement with the formation of the first Garda Band in 1922 which was in fact a Pipe Band.
Mr Archie McKay, a native of Scotland, who was in employment in the area. I played with the band in several band competitions ,notably at Waterford 1917 when it won the All-Ireland Championship competition. (Editor’s Note: possibly refers to a Fleadh Cheoil type event?)
I was in charge of the band at Fitzgerald Park, Cork, on the 3rd or 4th August, 1919 when the All-Ireland Championship Competition was won again from over 30 bands taking part some of them from outside the country. Several other first prizes were won at Kilkenny , Thurles and other centres at the time.
I last played with the Kells band at Kilkenny Feis, May1922, when granted leave from Kildare Garda Depot. On this occasion the band was awarded another first prize. I played with the Kells band in the Queen’s Hall in London on the 17th March 1919, and at the Albert Hall the previous night. This event took place on the invitation from the London Gaelic League on the occasion of a Concert in the Queens Hall which was filled to capacity with London Irish who had come to see and hear the band play, as many of the band members were well known to some of the audience.
On arrival at London the band played at Paddington Railway Station and also played there on leaving for home.
I left Kilkenny on 20th. March 1922 to join the Garda Siochana at R.D.S., Ballsbridge, Dublin, which was our first training centre. I was accompanied by thirty two other recruits, being the first batch from the county Kilkenny. We went under further examination at Ballsbridge and I was given my registered number as the 387th member of the new force.
After the course of a few days there was a member who had a set of bagpipes and being a bit lonely after leaving home I started to play them during recreational hours, with the result that in a very short time I was summoned to report at the office of the Commandant for an interview regarding my experiences of pipe bands. At the conclusion of the interview, I was then informed that a pipe band would be formed in the training of the recruits to march to music and that I could be the member in charge and likewise the founder member.
Nothing much further was done about the formation of the band until we came down to the Artillery Barracks at Kildare, I would say in the month of April, 1922, having spent about a month at Ballsbridge. Band instruments were then purchased and we had accommodation there. I got the band going in a short space of time and was lucky to have six other members of the Kells band recruited into the Force. This number with
many other tip top pipers located from other bands in the country formed up a very nice Garda Pipe Band .
While at Kildare we were constantly on route marches to Monasterevan, Newbridge and other centres in the area with at least a thousand men marching to the music . While at Kildare I played the reveille on the pipes each morning at 6.30 a.m.
The band returned from Kildare to Ship Street, Dublin, around the 20th August, 1922. I was in charge of the band at the funeral of the late General Collins when he was laid to rest at Glasnevin Cemetery in August 1922.
I was also in charge of the band when we travelled from Dublin to Westport, Co. Mayo, in the month of September, 1922, on the occasion of the funeral of the late General Joe Ring who was previously a Chief Superintendent in the Garda Force in the early months of 1922, and later joined the National Army. While we were in Westport we were accommodated at the Railway Hotel. The funeral was on a Sunday and the band led the funeral cortege on a winding road from Clew Bay to the cemetery, the dead march being played en route.
On the return journey from Westport we had a stop at the Railway Station at Roscommon where we witnessed some young people leaving for the U.S.A. amidst sad scenes.The Commissioner, Mr. Staines, came along the corridor of the train and requested myself and another piper to get on to the platform to play a few lively airs to brighten up matters which we did pacing up and down.When we got to Athlone there was some delay there at the Railway Station and the Commissioner decided we would play through the town which was the occasion of the local fair and considered most suitable for recruiting purposes. No Garda Station had been opened in Athlone up to that time.
I was also in charge of the band at the taking over of the R.l.C. Depot at the Phoenix Park in the month of November, 1922. In so far as I can remember it was November.Back in Dublin again we had many big route marches through the city , also church parades on each Sunday and the holidays of obligation. I was on bank duty in the City during times when the band was not required otherwise.
At the end of the year 1922, the brass band was nearing perfection under the late Supt. Delaney and early in 1923, it was decided not to maintain two bands so the pipe band having done its good job for which it was intended, bowed out and I was transferred to the country in charge of a station and remained a member in charge of a station until the date of my retirement on the 28th December, 1961.
