Pipe Major
Ward Conolly

Drum Major
Michael Conolly

Pipe Sergeant
Charlie Damm

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Webmaster
Sean Hughes

Quartermaster
Michael Conolly

Pipe Instructor
Ed McKenna

Drum Instructor
Greg McLaughlin

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Caileen Collins

Caileen has been playing the snare drum in the band since 1998. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting at Marist College, and hopes to go on to law school. Although she goes away to school, she continues to play with the band where ever and when ever she can. She also plays the drums in the school band and finds the challenges of both bands very rewarding. She has been selected to be in the Grade 3 band. She loves the family atmosphere of Inis Fada. Aside from drumming, she also enjoys busting people's chops and singing.

Frank Collins

Frank began playing the bagpipes well after his 40th birthday, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. He is employed as a Compliance Officer for a Wall Street Brokerage Firm. His hobbies include paying for his son Sean's sports injuries, and trying to convince everybody that his daughter Caileen doesn't always have her way. He also enjoys rebuilding cars, and studying American history.

Sean Collins

Sean Collins has been with the band for about two years. He not only plays the bagpipes, but also the trumpet and piano. In his spare time he hangs out, listens to music, acts in school plays, and plays on his school's football team. When not hurt, he is usually reminded about pipe maintenance.

Michael Conolly

Mike is the last of the Band's original charter members still actively playing and competing with Inis Fada. Besides piping, the 'Old Man' of the band manages to fill his days sailing, brewing his own beer, playing golf, skiing, and somehow finding time to play character roles in musicals produced by local community theater groups. Mike pursued an engineering career in aerospace electronics for 38 years before realizing that retirement was the only solution to the problem of finding enough time to play.

Ward Conolly

Ward has been playing the pipes since 1974 and has grown up with the band.  After competing as both an individual (grade 1) and with the band (grade 3 and 2) for over 20 years, Ward became the third Pipe Major of the band in 1998. When not playing Ward runs his own CPA firm on Long Island. In addition to work and dealing with band matters, Ward enjoys skiing, golf, sailing and soccer.

Brigid Damm

Brigid has played the tenor for 2 years.  She enjoys basketball and has been Irish step dancing for 7 years.  She plays the clarinet for Division Avenue.  She hopes to become a bagpiper like her mother.

Charlie Damm

Charlie started playing with the band shortly after Ward. He has been working for the Nassau County Sheriff's Dept. for twenty years where he is currently a Sergeant.  Even though his son and daughter play drums, he finds drummers to be nothing more than a necessary evil. He enjoys playing computer and video games as well as traveling to competitions.  His wife, son and daughter recently joined the band.  Prior to that, he spent a good part of his marriage competing against his wife at competitions as they have been married for 20 years.

Chris Damm

Chris played snare with Saffron United for 3 years and has been playing with Inis Fada for the past year. Chris plays basketball as well as the trumpet for Division Avenue High School competitive marching band.

Margaret Damm

Margaret has been piping for over 20 years and played mostly with Saffron United.  She has been playing in Inis Fada for one year.  She competed in Irish dancing for many years, and teaches dancing at the Mise Eire School in Babylon, NY.
 

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John Graney

John  has been playing the bagpipes for almost two years.  John lives in Floral Park with his wife Laura and works for Country Living Magazine as the advertising manager. Besides piping, he is an avid golfer and fisherman.
 

Mike Gray

Mike is involved in all aspects of pipe band drumming: he plays snare, tenor and bass.  He enjoys spending time with his wife Carmel and his daughter Kathleen.  He is the self-proclaimed biggest NY Giants fan and Glasgow Celtic fan in the band. Oh, Mister Mike...
 

TJ Hagan

TJ was born and raised with Inis Fada.  He is the son of the first pipe major, Jim Hagan.  TJ has studied under the guidance of Greg McLaughlin since 1974.  He also studied under Gordon Bell.  He has been a part of many championship drum corps throughout the years.  TJ has played with not only Inis Fada but Monaghan Pipe Band as well.  TJ took a 4 year leave of absence to serve his country in the US Navy only to come back and continue his winning tradition as a corps drummer.  TJ was drum sergeant for Inis Fada from 1995 to 1998.
 

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Maura Halligan

Maura has been playing the tenor drum since the age of 19.  Her father, Joe Halligan, is an original member of the band.  She grew up with the band; she attended many competitions over the years.  She played with Saffron Kilts for 2 years.  She took a five year leave of absence to pursue a degree in Hotel Management.  She recently has come back to the band she began with.
 

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Sean Lunney

Sean joined the Inis Fada Gaelic Pipe Band in 2001. He is a former Pipe Major for the Archbishop Molloy Pipe Band and also played for Iona College Pipes and Drums. Sean has studied individually under the late Tom Brancella, Pipe Major Ward Conolly, and World Championship Piping Judge Dixie Ingham. Sean challenges his playing by competing in solo competition where he has won numerous medals. Some of Sean's personal highlights include being a part of Inis Fada's Grade IV EUSPBA Championship in 2003, as well as being the bands "Most Improved Piper" for that year. Sean graduated from Iona College in 2007 with a BA in both Criminal Justice and Psychology. He also enjoys watching the NY Rangers, NY Yankees, and the NY Giants.  
 

Buddy McGrath

Buddy has been with the band for about 3 years. He has been competing solo for about 3 years in grade four and grade five (practice chanter). Outside of the band he plays lacrosse. He enjoys surfing and plays hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, and goes to school at St. Isidore in Riverhead.  His Dad plays with Suffolk County Police Pipe Band. And he has more hair than Ward.
 

Greg McLaughlin

Greg joined Inis Fada somewhere around 1970 (give or take a year).  Back then he was taught by Inis Fada lead tip, Hughey Lennon.  He left around 1973 and Greg then took over the corp. In 1974 he was awarded a full scholarship to Iona and ran the drum corp. there for four years. During those college years, and many years after, Greg instructed other bands; Saffron Kilt, FDNY Pipe Band, NYC Transit Police, County Monaghan, Clan Na Vale, Tara.  In the early 80's to mid 80's, Greg was an open solo player who won his share of awards. Greg left Inis Fada and played with County Monaghan from 1996 to 2001.  At that time the band graduated from grade 3 to grade 2.  Greg returned to teaching and returned to Inis Fada last year, and is now a member of the IFGPB again.  Greg would like to say we now have a drum corps of 8 sides, three tenors and a bass.
 

John Metress

John (a product of Inis Fada instruction) has been playing the bagpipes since 1998. Professionally, John is a Natural Gas Trader for KeySpan Energy, a major public utility in the Northeast and is a member of the American Society of mechanical Engineers. His community involvement includes being a member of the Ancient Order of Hibernians and a member of the Knights of Columbus. In his spare time, he enjoys family genealogy, golf, baseball and chess. As a final note, John's bagpipes were a special wedding gift from his wife.

Michael Molloy

Michael started the bagpipes in 1996 and joined Inis Fada in 2000.  As well as the pipes, he also plays the Double Bass and can be seen in various community orchestras such as the South Shore Symphony of Rockville Centre. Michael is also an orchestra teacher in Massapequa, NY. "Bah-da-da-da."
 

Sean O'Donnell

This is Sean's first season with the band and is competing with the Grade V competition band. He has been playing bagpipes for six years. Before coming to Inis Fada, Sean played for Co. Tyrone Pipes and Drums. Sean works as a Structural Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is married with two children.
 

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Mike Simmons

Mike (also a product of Inis Fada instruction) is in his first year playing with the band.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Mary and his daughter Kerry as well as following the NY Jets and Rangers.
 

James Stewart

James began to learn to play pipes at the age of 7 under the instruction of his father.  After several years with the County Tyrone Pipe Band, James came to Inis Fada in 1986 and received individual instruction from former PM Edward McKenna.  James lives with his wife Nancy and children Matthew and Julie in Smithtown, NY.  He is a Supervising Pharmacist with King Kullen Pharmacies Corporation.
 

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Alex Titus

Alex has been a member of the band since 2005. He currently plays in the grade 3 band. He has been piping since 2001. Alex has risen to the top of grade 3 in the EUSPBA Solo circut since joining the band. He also instructs the Clan Gordon Highlanders Pipe Band in Locust Valley when he has time. When not competeing or practicing with the band, Alex is a Meteorology student at Stony Brook University. He enjoys golf, swimming, weather, and having a good time.

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