Northern Ireland Piper of the Year competition continues long-running tradition with Sept. 27th event in Ballymena

First held in 1979 at the Tullymore House Hotel in Broughshane, the Northern Ireland Piper of the Year Solo Piping Competition has been a staple of the vibrant Ulster scene.

This year’s competition will be held on September 27th at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena. The Piobaireachd will begin at 1 p.m., the MSR at 7 p.m., and a Hornpipe and jig will follow.

The overall trophy is determined by the aggregate of the Piobaireachd and MSR, and Kris Coyle is the reigning Northern Ireland Piper of the Year Champion. Norman Dodds was the winner of the first event in 1979.

Admission is £5 for adults, and juveniles and seniors pay only £2.

Here are the orders of play for each event:

Piobaireachd

1. Marc Warnock
2. Andrew Nelson
3. Alastair Donaghy
4. Alan Glenholmes
5. James Frazer
6. Scott MacKay
7. James Stone
8. Ashley McMichael
9. John McElmurray
10. Scott Wallace
11. Kris Coyle

MSR

1. John McElmurray
2. Ashley McMichael
3. Andrew Nelson
4. Scott Wallace
5. Alastair Donaghy
6. Alan Glenholmes
7. Marc Warnock
8. Scott MacKay
9. James Stone
10. Kris Coyle
11. James Frazer

Logan Tannock will judge everything.

Stay tuned to pipes|drums for results from the 2025 Northern Ireland Piper of the Year competition when they are made available.