One hundred years young, Shannon Rovers are newbies in the venerable story of bagpipes

The Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band are new to the bagpipe scene, being only 100 years old this year.

To put that in perspective, bagpipes are mentioned in the Bible, in Daniel, and were common throughout the ancient world.

"When Rome was burning, Nero was not fiddling," said Noreen Boyle. "He was playing the pipes."

Boyle has a bit of history herself. She played at the 1968 Democratic National Convention, twice, and this past weekend at the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade.

"I've been in the band for 62 years," said Boyle, 74. "I was 12 when I started. That's where I met my husband."

That's Danny Boyle, in the band only 58 years, whose parents hailed from Donegal. "We were born into it," he said.

The Great Highlands pipes they play have four parts: a bag, providing a continual supply of air, a blowpipe, to puff air into the bag, a chanter, with holes to finger the melody, and three drones, providing that distinctive continuous wail, called a "skirl."

"They'd 'send in the Irish,' hoping to scare the enemy, by having the pipes drone," said Rovers manager Marty McAndrew. "It's an unusual sound and carries, in the mist. It was considered an instrument of war by the English — some people today still don't want a bagpipe in a church."

The bagpipes were indeed viewed as weapons of war — an English judge ruled so in 1746, condemning a man to hang for wielding them. They were deployed in battle in World War I, with Scottish pipers leading charges out of the trenches, suffering terrible casualties.

Nor can we overlook Bill Millin who went ashore on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in kilt and bonnet, armed with his pipes and dagger, marching up and down Sword Beach, playing "Highland Laddie." German snipers later reported that they had him in their sights the whole time, but did not fire, out of respect for the courage of the madman.

Boyle's pipes predate that moment.

"My pipes date back to 1943," she said. "I've had them since 1980."

Though refurbished. The bags, for instance, are synthetic now.

"Some people still play sheepskin bags," Boyle said. "When I started, you'd have to season them with honey, to keep it supple. A messy thing. When it came to the Gore-Tex bags, we thought we had died and gone to heaven."

Between the loud skirling and the sticky honey, I imagined that a child taking up the bagpipes might not be the most welcome development in a crowded household. I thought wrong.

"I'm a second generation American," Boyle said who grew up in St. Tarcissus Parish on the Northwest Side. "My grandmother was from Limerick. She used to go down to the Old St. Patrick's corned beef dinner every year. I'm from a family of six kids, and we'd each get a turn to go down there. My turn, the Shannon Rovers were there. And I remember them starting out, and I guess I was fascinated. I don't know how my dad knew Tommie Ryan, but he was friendly with him. He asked if he would teach me the bagpipes."

Tommie Ryan was a heroic figure who fought for the Irish Republican Army and was deported to the United States in 1923, ending up in Chicago, where he started the Rovers in 1926. They quickly became part of the social and political life of the city, playing for Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1939 and most presidents since, changing their tartans from Gordon to Kennedy Modern after performing at the funeral of John F. Kennedy.

The Rovers play about 400 gigs a year — 66 were scheduled Saturday. July 9 there is a centennial celebration at Soldier Field. The full contingent plays only at parades and the annual gala; most feature only a piper or two, maybe a drummer.

The benefits of membership are many. The music, the kinship. Even the pleasure of getting ready.

"You do feel like you're armored up," said McAndrew.

And the places they find themselves — in parades, before presidents, at the House of Blues with Rod Stewart. They participate in events from raucous dinners to solemn funerals.

"The Vietnam Veterans parade" in 1986," said Noreen Boyle. "One of the most emotional things I've ever done."

It's all-volunteer. Fees go to charity and some group expenses, though musicians have to pay for their bagpipes' four reeds and upkeep on those horsehair sporrans.

"All incredibly expensive," said Boyle.

Which makes the Shannon Rovers' services surprisingly reasonable. If you want a bagpiper to show up at your place of employment to pipe you out to "The Parting Glass" after you tell your boss to take this job and shove it, it'll set you back about $250, depending on the location.