The recent passing and state funeral of former US President Jimmy Carter evokes memories of a link to Drogheda Brass Band via an organisation he launched and promoted called the Friendship Force.
The band travelled to the USA twice in the 1970s as culture/music ambassadors on Friendship Force trips: to Des Moines, Iowa, in 1977, and Oklahoma City in 1979.
Organising and promoting exchange trips for large groups of people between various countries globally and the USA (and vice-versa), staying with host families in each location, the Friendship Force was founded by Wayne Smith and introduced by President Carter at an official White House reception and gathering of state governors on 1st March 1977. He viewed the fostering of such global friendships as playing an important part in working towards the ideal of achieving world peace and harmony.
The first Irish exchange trip involved a full chartered plane of excited Irish people travelling from Dublin to Des Moines, Iowa, in late 1977. Each travelling group included a culture/music ensemble representing their country (at their own expense, no junket involved!).
The music group originally booked to travel withdrew at short notice and a series of enquiries led the Friendship Force to contact our national band association, who pointed them towards Drogheda Brass Band. The band committee and members rose to the challenge of raising the required funds in just a few weeks, via a house-to-house collection across the whole town, advance grants from Drogheda Corporation, commercial support and personal contributions from band members, ensuring the band, along with Mayor Peter Moore, were on board to represent Drogheda.
Host families
The Iowa trip saw the band, like their fellow travellers, stay with host families around the Des Moines area, as per the Friendship Force arrangements. The band played a number of concerts and recitals at various venues under the baton of conductor Christy Smith, including Drake University and the Iowa State Fairgrounds.
There was also a visit to the governor’s office under the golden dome of the Iowa State Capitol, which included a close encounter with samples of moon rock brought back to earth by the Apollo missions. Some members saw the recently-released original Star Wars movie several months before it came to Irish cinemas!
The following year saw a return trip to Ireland and a number of Iowan visitors were in turn hosted by band members and others in Drogheda.
In 1979, the band accepted an invitation to go on a second Friendship Force trip, this time to Oklahoma City, with the same format of host families, concerts and recitals, etc.
Culturally different from Iowa, Oklahoma was an oil-rich state closely aligned to its larger neighbour Texas, with real live cowboys, oil businessmen and guns all in plain view, just like the 'Dallas' TV series from that era. There was a visit to an Osage Indian reservation and some members made a trip to the city of Dallas.
Only three members from those days are still actively involved in the band today: Tony Collins, Martin Cassidy and Michael Plunkett. A few now play in other bands, most have retired from playing, while sadly some have passed on. The American trips, from an era before the internet, mobile phones and cheap air travel, were made possible by local support in Drogheda, and due to a peanut farmer from Georgia being the incumbent in the White House.
Farewell and RIP President Jimmy Carter.
