Published: Friday, 30th July, 2010 2:00pm

Website collapse sparks Pipe Band fundraising scramble

Financial problems at an online hotel booking company has caused St Colmcille's Pipe Band of Tullamore a last-minute funding headache before they head off to the World Pipeband Championships in Scotland.

The band, made up of about 25 members, are heading to Glasgow to take part in the top competition from August 13 to 15, and, as a group, had booked their hotel accommodation well in advance of the trip. However, when the online reservations company www.1800hotels.com filed for bankruptcy recently, the band discovered their reservations didn't exist.

Martin Donnellan, Drum Major with the pipe band said: "All the hotels were booked and when we rang the hotels in Scotland, they hadn't got our reservations. It happened out of the blue," he said. "We lost a nice sum of money."

He explained that they only realised what had happened when one of the band members heard people complaining on Joe Duffy's Liveline.

Luckily, after a few panicked phonecalls, the band members managed to make new reservations around the city. However, a refund from the company looks unlikely and the cost of booking hotel rooms for the second time has left the band's finances in an unhealthy state.

To help raise funds for the trip, a fundraising night in Joe Lee's Bar, Church Street is being held on Saturday August 7. There will be a BBQ and a bucking bronco, as well as live music and a DJ.

"We hope to recoup some of the hotel costs on the night," added Martin, appealing for people to come out and support the local band, which has been so successful since it reformed in 2008, after more than a decade. The band will celebrate its centenary year in 2011.

The band consists of a group of talented pipers, drummers, and a drum major. The musicians are supported by a pipe Major and Sergeant and a Drum Major and Sergeant and new members are always welcome.

The band will compete at the World Championships in two grades, 4 and 4a. Last year, the band raised close to €18,000 through various fundraising events. New uniforms cost €16,000 and the other funds were used for insurance and various costs associated with competitions.

Earlier this month, many Irish people were arriving at hotels worldwide to discover that their reservation was never made by 1800hotels.com, and were left without a hotel room and out of pocket.

The company then announced it was filing for bankruptcy and advised customers to contact their hotel directly to make sure that their reservation is not affected.