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Pat Ryan started his
bagpiping career in 1984 at the age of 11. The youngest of four brothers,
Pat has has been involved with the American Celtic Pipe
Band since the day he was born. Two brothers, Tom and
Jim, are accomplished bagpipers, and the other, Chris,
is a former snare drummer with the band.
Pat became Pipe Sergeant
under his brother, Jim, in 1992. Though efforts to usurp Jim’s
authority and power were remarkably unsuccessful, he eventually rose
to Pipe Major in May of 2002 when Jim moved to Arizona. Pat,
naturally, moved soon after to New Jersey, surrendering his short but
abusive hold on the Pipe Major-ship to past P/M Marty Rowe in December
of that same year. Pat returned to Long Island in 2005 and once again
became Pipe Major, with Marty Rowe returning to his role as Pipe
Sergeant.
His primary tutelage has come from
his brother Jim, with initial instruction from Donal Morrissey, Sr.
and Neil McPherson. In the summer of 2003, Pat played with the
Mesa Caledonia Pipe Band of Mesa,
Arizona at the World Championships in Grade 3.
Pat has moved back to New Jersey, but still maintains his role as
Pipe Major. He lives in Washington Township with his wife Michele, son Jake and daughter
Emily.
Pat plays a set of 1978 Kintail bagpipes (stolen from his brother
Jim).
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