‘Twas a fine day along the Mississippi River in Dubuque, Iowa, yesterday. After a year’s pandemic hiatus, the Hooley was back. The Dubuque Fire Pipes & Drums were proud to be part of a robust line-up. It was good to “celebrate living,” as MC and musician Ian Gould reminded all of us throughout the day.
We had the pleasure of leading the hosts of the event, local members of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and Auxiliary, together with a color guard representing all service branches of the United States. Our primary set came later in the evening, when we rocked a half-hour of old standards and new tunes. Our drummers provided rat-a-tat-tatted a rock-n-roll-worthy salute mid-set. And to top it all off, not a single train rolled over the bridge while we were playing!
It was a hot, humid day but Mother Nature did provide a wee breeze to help cool folks down and keep the flies away. For all the water consumed throughout the day, it was a darn good thing that the band’s primary hangout was adjacent to one of the banks of porta-John’s. Word on the street was that t-shirt sales were outstanding this year.
We are grateful to all the folks – family, friends, and friends we just haven’t met yet – who support the Dubuque Fire Pipes and Drums! It’s a honor to be included in our hometown Hooley every year. Our gratitude to the Ancient Order of Hibernians for their work in organizing the event! A particular note of gratitude to Pat and Vicki Leonard, Brian and Sarah Fitting, and Rob McCullough.
Looking forward to celebrating living again at the 2022 Irish Hooley!
Dubuque Fire Pipes and Drums 
Made the best of a Hot day!
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