With the arrival of a German immigrant, one Herr Von Rothe in 1890, the demise of the fife and drum combination became inevitable. He widened musical horizons in the area and under his guidance an accomplished orchestra was formed. Woodwirfd and brass was augmented as the occasion demanded and his genius spelt success for the orchestra. As time went on (probably due to a lack of good string players at the time) the emphasis turned more to that of a brass and reed combination. The band as such, with its full compliment of brass and reed instruments was formed in 1904 by Joseph Dolan, a very prominent citizen during those times. These instruments cost £75, quite a large sum of money at the turn of the century. With Herr Von Rothe as musical director, the band gained wide recognition, and travelled throughout counties Louth and Meath by horse drawn brake.

With the departure of Von Rothe in 1910, the band suffered a decline, and it was not until 1923 that a revival took place. The earliest known photographs date back to this time and some of today's members can claim ancestry with those former members.

Lack of interest in the mid 1930's brought about a further decline but music was kept alive in the town by the formation of a boys brass band.

During the Second World War the senior band was revived with every member joining LDF (local .s defence force) and they had the distinction of being the only company in the country to have their own band.