Pipers decided for 2026 Ardmore Cup in Ireland

The 10 pipers for the fourth annual Ardmore Cup on Saturday, February 21, at St Declan’s Village Hall, Ardmore, County Waterford, Ireland, have been decided:

• Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland
• Reece Doherty, Donegal, Ireland
• James Frazer, Rathfriland, Northern Ireland
• Finlay Johnston, Glasgow
• Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany
• Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland
• Willie McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland
• Connor Sinclair, Crieff, Scotland
• James Stone, Dublin
• Alen Tully, Dublin

Johnston was the winner of the 2025 Ardmore Cup, and Sinclair won in 2023 and 2024.

There are two events: an MSR (13:00 GMT start) and a Medley (18:00 start), which can be anything the piper chooses, provided one tune was made in Ireland.

There are practice chanter contests for young learners as well as events on pipes, also for those 14 and younger. On the evening of February 16th, there’s a Medley competition for pipers 50 and older at the Round Tower Hotel, beginning at 19:30.

Leonard Browne, Dr. Angus MacDonald and Ronan Maguire will judge the adult competitions, and Liz Tubbs will assess the other events.

The idea for the Ardmore Cup came from the annual Sun Belt Invitational Solo Piping Competition in Florida. Neither event is sanctioned by a piping association and is organized by a team of volunteers managed by Eric Stein.

Pipers 14 and younger or 50 and older can enter by February 7th.