Pipers Profiles

Pipers

Pipe Major David Reid

Pipe Sergeant Amos Gilmore
Amos started piping at the age of 10, taught by his father Billy. He joined Cullybackey Junior Band, where he won the World Nov-Juv grade in 1980 and Juvenile grade in 1981. He moved to the Senior Band in the Winter of 1981 and the band won the All-Irelands and Champion of Champions in 1983. Amos quit piping in the winter of 1991 to May of 1995, something he has always regretted. He bacame the Pipe Major of Cullybackey from 1998 to 2005, where he started the grade 4 band and brought alot of young players through at that time. His then joined the FMMPB in 2006, where he won the World's and Champion of Champions at grade 1. The next season (2007) he took over as Pipe Sergeant of Seven Towers. A side from the band, Amos has been a prolific prize winner in solos in Ireland. With the highlight being Under 16 Ulster and All-Ireland Champion at the age of 13. He was the 1st winner of the Portrush Invitional Solos in 2003 and winner of Piper of the Year in 2004. Big influences on his piping career are his dad, Graham Lamont, David McLean, Norman Dodds and Richard Parkes.

Neil Badger
Neil started piping in 2002 at the age of 9. Taught by Tommy Lennox, then P/S of the Quinn Memorial Pipe Band. Neils first year competing was 2005 and it wasn't with the Quinn, they had failed to get out that season so Neil joined Tamlaght O'Crilly where he played for 2 seasons. The September of 2006 Neil won the All-Ireland solos. He was then given the chance of joining a grade 1 band, Bleary and District. After an enjoyable year the band lost its drum core and Neil joined "The Towers" at the end of the 2007 season. He is very much enjoying playing with the band and is looking forward to the competitions ahead.

Michael Booth

Eamon Downey

Mark Ferguson
Mark started piping at the age of 10, taught by Chris and Tommy Getty with the Finvoy Pipe Band. He is currently studying at the University of Dundee.

Gary Louden
Gary started piping at the age of 13 as was taught by Eddie Armstrong in the Topp Star of the North Pipe Band. He joined the Seven Towers in 1998 under Pipe Major Bertie Todd. Since joining the band, Gary has won many competitions and titles including Ulster Champion (3 times), All-Ireland Champion (2 times), European Champion (4 times in a row) and World Champion (2 times). He says his most memorable year with the band so far was 2004 as the band won almost every title.

Jeffrey Magee
Jeff lives in Raphoe, Co. Donegal and is a student studying Mechanical Engineering in Edinburgh. He started piping when he was 10 years old with his local band, Raphoe. Jeff has also played in Monkstown Mossley and Tamlaght O'Crilly before he joined the Seven Towers. He says that major influences on his piping are William Walker, Winston Pollock, Tom Buchanan, Amos Gilmore and David Reid. His hobbies outside piping are playing badminton and socialising with friends.

Maurice Montgomery

Adrian Steele

Colin Torrington
Colin started piping at the age of 10 under the instruction of Pipe Major Bertie Todd in the Seven Towers Pipe Band and the Towers is the only band he has played in. Colin is an engineer with Michelin Tyre Plc. He enjoys listening to Pipe Band music.

Alan Young
Alan started piping in 1977 in Cullybackey Juniors, he was taught by Graham Lamont and Davy McClean. Over the years, Alan has won many titles both as a player and Pipe Major. These include:- All-Ireland and World Champion Novice Juvenile 1980, All-Ireland and World Champion Juvenile/ Grade 4 1981. He joined Cullybackey senior band in 1982 and won the All-Irelands in Grade 1 1983. Alan also played in McNeillstown for the 1992 + 1993 seasons and the band where placed 5th at Cowal in Grade 1 1992. Alan was appointed Pipe Major of Cullybackey Grade 4 band in 2003, a role which he held until 2006. In this time the band where placed 6th G4B 2003 and 3rd G4B 2005 at the Worlds. Winning the Worlds with Cullybackey in Grade 2 2007 was also another highlight of his time with Cullybackey. Alan has been Pipe Major of Major Sinclair Memorial since 2008 and he joined the Seven Towers for the 2009 season. 

Drone Assistant

John Torrington

The remaining profiles will be added shortly!!