Contact P/M Rob Clower
(641) 990-6820
contact@turlachur.org

 
 

Turlach Ur is sad ... very sad ... to announce that it will not perform this weekend at either the Newton or Pella location of the Cellar Peanut Pub. The band was scheduled to play on March 14. Safety guidance concerning the coronavirus becomes more serious every day. As a formal organization with a prominent public presence, we feel obligated to do what we can to keep our players, our fans, and our community healthy. We love this gig and hope to be back playing up a storm at the Cellar Peanut Pub next St. Paddy's Day ... maybe even sooner!

 
Once a year, the best beer and the best pipe band in Iowa cross paths on a chilly March night. On Saturday March 14th, Turlach Ur will pipe in St. Patrick's Day at the Newton and Pella locations of the one and only ... wait, that's two and only ... Cellar Peanut Pub. This incredible craft-beer tap room just won Best Craft Beer Bar in Iowa from CraftBeer.com and the National Brewers Association. This will be our fifth annual SPD performance for owners Marty and Betsy Duffy and all their loyal patrons.
 
Festivities start early in the day. Turlach Ur plays in Newton at 5:00 and 6:00, and then in Pella at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30. Iowa's Best Piping Iowa in Iowa's Best Pub. Enough said. 
 
 

Turlach Ur performed last night with the mighty Chieftains ... essentially the Rolling Stones of traditional Irish music.  Great to share the stage with this band during their year 58th year of world touring.  The backstage chillin' was fun too!

The Turlach Ur Pipe Band will perform with The Chieftains on March 4 at Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City. The Chieftains, a traditional Irish folk group, tour world-wide and have won six Grammys. They last invited Turlach Ur to perform with them in 2012. Since its inception in 2007, Turlach Ur has won numerous prizes and titles, and now fields two competition bands. Its Grade 5 band comprises student players (shown here practicing late into a summer evening), and its Grade 3 band is one of the top competition bands in the Midwest. The Chieftains concert is nearly sold-out, but Turlach Ur fans can celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the band at the Newton and Pella locations of the Cellar Peanut Pub on Saturday March 14. For more information, contact the Grinnell Area Arts Council at 641-236-3203 or Rob Clower at 641-990-6820.

The August 31 games in Waukesha, Wisconsin completed Turlach Ur’s 2019 season.  The Grade 3 band took its first contested victory, a nice finish for the first year in the new grade.  Our Grade 5 pipe corps took two 5th places in a field of seven, along with 6th places in drumming and ensemble, finishing 6th overall. 

 

August 3 saw Turlach Ur back in Dows, Iowa for it’s 40th annual Corn Days celebration! This was the third time we’ve entertained in Dows, and it was a great day, as always.  Thanks to Larry Klatt for bringing us back! 

                                       

At the June 15 Chicago Games, TU’s Grade 5 inched ahead in the placings.  In a field of six bands, our Grade 3 took three 4th places and a 3rd place from the judges, narrowly missing a 4th place aggregate finish.  Take a listen to our Medley https://youtu.be/z5Ze66gK1sg and our MSR https://youtu.be/Grp-bAecXTQ

Turlach Ur’s inaugural Grade 3 contest was at the Milwaukee Highland Games on June 1, 2019.  It was a win, but yes, we were unopposed. Still, the band sounded very good despite playing in a steady rain. The Grade 5 band was huge … nearly 20 players!

            

It's been a long, busy winter for Turlach Ur, all about preparing for a big 2019 competition and performance schedule. The band gave some of the new competition music a test run at the Cellar Peanut Pub's big St. Patrick's Day celebration. 

On Saturday June 1, Turlach Ur will play its new sets in earnest at its first competition as a Grade 3 band when we take the field at the Milwaukee Highland Games. A bigger and better TU Grade 5 band will be there too, setting out on its first full season! Many of our players are entered in the solo competitions too. Come up for the day and cheer!

Next up after Milwaukee will be the big Midwest Championships in Chicago on June 15. Turlach Ur won the Grade 4 contest there last year (see video), and we hope to hold our own in the much tougher Grade 3 category. We'll face bands from Chicago, Denver, Cleveland, and the Twin Cities. Our Grade 5 band will compete in a field of 11 bands, also mostly big city organizations. All together, 35 bands will take part, making this the largest pipe band competition in the country.

Turlach Ur's competition season will conclude with the Minnesota Highland Games on Saturday July 20 in Egan, Minnesota. Plenty of time to plan ahead for this one. so we'll see you there!

Closer to home, don't miss Turlach Ur at its Thursday Music in the Park concert right here in Grinnell on July 11. Spend the evening relaxing in Central Park listening to one of the top pipe bands in the Midwest. We'll play you our competition sets and lots more, including fun music you might not expect from a bagpipe band!

  1. Turlach Ur Wins 2018 Champion Supreme Title; Band and Soloists Upgraded
  2. 10th Annual Fall Concert Features Two Bands
  3. Turlach Ur Grade 5 Debuts at Waukesha
  4. Turlach Ur Sweeps at Minnesota