A paper on Ulster Scots music maintained that "During the same period (towards the end of the 19th century), pipe bands started to increase in popularity. Pipers drew on the types of tune listed above, and developed more complex variants upon them, which were suitable for playing as marches:
However, according to another - "Pipe bands have long been enormously strong in Ulster, in fact the Northern Ireland branch of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association is larger than any of the branches within Scotland itself."
This quote comes from the ‘Queens University – Dept of School of Anthropological Studies’: 
They also maintain that - "The distinctive repertoire of piping tunes has also influenced fiddle and accordion styles within Ulster."
I'm sure both views are correct & that tunes have always been shared, back & forth. However, if only more Pipers here would go back to the Smallpipes, which are often in friendlier keys, which means they can be played along with other traditional instruments, then there would be greater opportunities for the tune repertoires of both the pipers & the musicians they would play with, to be shared, so strengthening the Ulster-Scots body of music.
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