Piping hot: Kiwis players bag overseas success

Liam Kernaghan and Brendon Eade Photo: pipesdrums.com

Brendon Eade Photo: Supplied / Brendon Eade

It's one of the biggest annual Celtic festivals in Europe, attracting close to a million people, and until now no New Zealander has ever won its premier bagpiping trophy.

Not any more. Hamilton piper, Brendan Eade, and Auckland based Liam Kernaghan have come first and second respectively in the coveted MacCrimmon Trophy at the annual Lorient Interceltique Festival.

Here's a bit of Eade's winning performance.

It was Eade's second time in the invite-only competition. In 2023 he won the Piobaireachd (said Pee-Brock, which is the award for the more traditional, slower style of bagpiping) but came ninth overall.

This year "he did his homework" and got the top result.

It was Kernaghan's fifth MacCrimmon, and best placing so far.

Here's a bit of his performance from 2022.

"Second is my highest result, and I'm just delighted that another Kiwi could pip me at the post."

RNZ Concert host Bryan Crump spoke with the dynamic duo shortly after their return to New Zealand.

Although rivals on stage, Eade and Kernaghan are friends off it - they flew to and from Europe together.

Eade took to piping after hearing the music his sister Kirstin (who is now a flute player with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) did Highland dancing to.

Kernaghan was inspired to squeeze the bagpipes both by the processions of bands he saw marching past during parades in his home town of Dunedin, and the fact that he wasn't "that good" at other instruments.

The pair told Crump there's a strong sense of camaraderie among bagpipers around the world, although Crump was pleased to note that in becoming the first Australasians to go one and two in the MacCrimmon Trophy, the New Zealanders had edged out their trans-Tasman rivals.

And the MacCrimmon was not the only trophy Eade and Kernaghan did well in. Below you'll find a list of some of their other successes from their 2024 European tour.

Brendan

Liam