A local band of firefighter bagpipers and drummers will perform at three Lawrence bars on St. Patrick’s Day.
Chris Morrow, a captain at the downtown fire station and bagpipe player with Lawrence Fire Pipes and Drums, said Irish-American history is tied to important firefighter traditions.
He said the group primarily plays at fallen police, military and firefighter funerals as a way to uphold tradition and honor their fellow first responders.
“If there’s any way that we can help somebody be remembered as they’re laid to rest, then that’s why we’re here,” Morrow said. “It’s just one additional thing that we can provide them and the family for their loved one.”
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The tradition of bagpipes being played at firefighter, police and military funerals came from Irish immigrants, who often faced discrimination when looking for work in the U.S. That forced them into work as firefighters and police officers — jobs that had many risks and a high death toll.
“Just celebrating the Irish tradition of the instruments we play. That really is what it comes down to,” Morrow said. “It’s just a way to honor a day that we hold important in our hearts.”
During the 2000s, Morrow, a founding member of the Lawrence band, had been part of the honor guard at the International Association of Fire Fighters Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Colorado Springs, an annual ceremony that honors fallen firefighters from across the country.
Morrow carried out a number of responsibilities during the ceremony, including presenting flags to the families of fallen firefighters. He said he realized during the 2009 memorial that he wanted to carry out a new role and honor his fellow firemen as a bagpipe player.
He began lessons in Kansas City in 2010, and by 2011, he was playing the instrument with fellow firefighters at the same memorial that inspired him to pick it up. Morrow and his friend, a snare drum player now with Olathe Fire Pipes and Drums, then began playing together.
The official Lawrence band was established in 2016, and it now includes Morrow and four other Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Medical firefighters.
Morrow said the band played in the Lawrence St. Patrick’s Day Parade until 2019 but stopped because they wanted to have a better sound from more players. Instead, they began playing in bars such as Red Lyon, Louise’s and Sandbar during the holiday. However, Morrow said that with the bigger group, there is a chance they could return to the parade in the coming years.
This year, band members will start their St. Patrick’s Day journey at 11 a.m. at Red Lyon Tavern, 944 Massachusetts St., before moving on to perform at noon at Dempsey’s Burger Pub, 623 Vermont St., and finally to Johnny’s Tavern, 401 N. Second St. in North Lawrence for the remainder of the day, starting at 1 p.m.
Morrow said the group never charges for their performances, especially at funerals, but will accept donations if contacted via email, at lfdpipesanddrums@gmail.com, or during their bar performances.
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Logan Pierson (he/him), reporting intern with The Lawrence Times since December 2025, is a senior journalism and photography student at the University of Kansas. He previously contributed to the University Daily Kansan as a senior reporter and beat reporter.
Read his work for the Times here.
