One musician in particular, Colonel Wilhelm Fritz Brase, who was the "Royal Music Director" of the Emperor Alexander 1st Guards Grenadiers since 1907, was invited to lead the band on March 1, 1923.

In addition to overseeing all purchases of new instruments, music and band equipment, the DFSM has responsibility of recruiting and training new instrumentalists.

[15][16][17] During the Easter Rising centenary parade, the DFSM was represented along with 4 other civilian bands at the from St. Stephen's Green to O'Connell Bridge.

[19] Uilleann piper Colm Ó Lochlainn described this version with the following: "The tune is not Irish; it sounds to me something between a Sousa march and a German regimental song".

[20] Irish Army Bands wear a black ceremonial uniform with red stripes on the trousers and peak cap type headwear.

Lieutenant Colonel Brendan Power of the DFSM criticized the band's uniform, "It was worst when we'd travel abroad" and that they "didn't look the business."

1 Band (Irish: Banna Arm Uimh.1) was formed in 1923 by Colonel Wilhelm Fritz Brase (The former Royal Music Director of the Emperor Alexander 1st Guards Grenadiers) and gave its first public performance under the direction of Colonel Brase at the Theatre Royal in Dublin, on October 14 of that year.

It has had the distinction, unlike other military bands, to have served a six-month tour as part of a United Nations mission in Cyprus in 1965.

Personnel of pipe bands serve in their musical role in addition to their primary military duties as riflemen.

Irish pipe bands served in the Congo, Cyprus, and Lebanon and play an important role in maintaining morale.

Currently each of the nine Permanent Defence Force infantry battalions has a pipe band trained by the School of Music.