Police and Fire Emerald Society Pipe Band of Essex County New Jersey Chapter One
“No Firefighter or Law enforcement officer should be laid to rest without the honor of pipes and drums”
In October of 1980 the Essex County Police/Fire Emerald Society formed it’s Pipe Band after the death of one of it’s own, Firefighter Harry Halpin of the Newark Fire Department. It was agreed upon that no firefighter or law enforcement officer would be laid to rest without the honor of pipes and drums.
The band marched in its first parade in March of 1981 in the Keansburg and the Newark St. Patrick’s Day parades. There were 6 pipers 4 drummers 2 tenors, a bass and a Drum Major, the uniform was a white Irish sweater and blue uniform pants. Today the band has grown to 24 pipers 18 drummers and a color guard, all fully dressed in traditional Gaelic kilts (Kennedy’s) and full green and gold tunics for winter wear, dark blue uniform shirts for indoors and white uniform shirts for summer dress.
The band has participated in many social and civic functions in the tri-state area of NJ, NY and Pa. which include the New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Viet Nam Veterans Parade, the New York city Desert Storm Victory Parade, the March of Dimes and the Special Olympics, along with the local New Jersey parades each year.
In 1988 the band took its first trip to Ireland where we marched in Dublin to celebrate Dublin’s millennium. In 1990 we returned to Ireland to march in the Rose of Tralee Festival and also performed for the Lord Mayor of Dublin at the Mansion House. It was then, a dear friend of the band from Northern Ireland, Mr. Allan McClintock, wrote a special tune called “The Emerald Society March” specifically for the Essex Band. We are still the only pipe band to play that tune. 1994 we returned again, this time to join forces with the Dublin Fire Brigade Pipe Band and appeared throughout Ireland together.
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