Irish Traditional Music Performance and Traineeship in Instrument Making, Repair and Maintenance & Production Development and Entrepreneurship in Traditional Arts (PTH)

Students featured on this page include Billy Breen, Robert Dingle, Kurt Dinneen Carroll, Eilis Fisher, Shannon Gunning, Desmond Kavanagh, Paul Keegan, Tom Mc Donagh, Kay McNamara, Josephine Mew, Oliver Murphy, Uinsean Ocoileain, Ciaran Quigley, Simon Schaetti, Mark Blackwell, John Bohan, Joe Brennan, Uinseain DeBurca, Darren Faulkner, Paul Fox, Grace Lambert, Pat O’Connell, Gerard Quinlan, Liam Stapleton, Anthony Walker, Tommy Martin, Fergus Cahillane, O K Madden

Date

May 18, 2024

Find Out More on PTH

PTH course details

Coordinator

Paul McGrattan

The Process of Making an Uilleann Pipes Chanter by Desmond Kavanagh

In this document Desmond Kavanagh demonstrates through word and pictures the many processes involved in making an uilleann pipes chanter. 

Fan Tamall | Slip Jigs – A fig for a Kiss and The Humours of Whiskey

Fan Tamall are Grace Lambert (Fiddle /vocals), Paul Fox (Guitar /Vocals) and Joe Brennan (Accordion/Vocals).

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Fan Tamall On You Tube

Instrument making in BCFE

Instrument making on the Ceoltóir course is done in partnership with Na Piobairí Uilleann and takes place in NPU’s Pipecraft Training Centre with training provided by NPU tutors.

Fan Tamall | Slip Jigs – A fig for a Kiss and The Humours of Whiskey

Pat O’Connell | Singer and Instrument maker

Performance on harp made by Pat O’Connell. In Year 2, Pat put the final touches to the harp which he began in Year 1 of the course. The harp was made in Na Piobairí Uilleann’s Pipecraft training centre, under the expert tutelage of master harp maker Jan Muyllaert. In this video, renowned harpist, Noreen O’Donoghue ,who teaches harp on the course performs the beautiful air Slán le Maigh and the hornpipe,’The rights of Man’

Pat also completed a mandolin, as  part of his studies in year 2 , again in  NPU’S Pipecraft  training centre and again with expert guidance by Jan Muyllaert.

Performance on harp made by Pat O Connell

Tony Walker | An Uilleann Pipe Chanter in Ebonite

Traditionally Uilleann Pipes have been made from African blackwood and ebony, woods which have become increasingly rare. In the past, flutes and clarinets had been made form ebonits , a form of vulcanised rubber. Tony Walker, after a lot of experimentation has succeeded in making what is believed to be the World’s first Uilleann Pipe chanter from ebonite. The chanter has made a huge impression on any piper who has tried it, with players commenting on how easy the chanter is to play, the accuracy of tuning across a wide range and the beautiful tone of the chanter. In this video, BCFE member of staff, Brian O’hUigínn  plays a beautiful slow air on the chanter.

Tony Walker’s Ebonite Chanter

Liam Stapleton : The Traveller Reel on newly completed flute 

Liam Stapleton plays the well known reel The Traveller on his newly completed flute. The flute is based on a design by the renowned flutemaker Hammy Hamilton who teaches weekly flute repair and maintenance classes in the college. Liam learned his flutemaking skills from NPU  tutor Ultan Mac Gabhann.

Liam Stapleton Reel on new flute

Mark Blackwell tries out his newly made half set of Uilleann Pipes

Flute player and piper Mark Blackwell tries out his newly made half set of uilleann pipes. Mark also made a number of flutes and has established a flute repair and maintenance service working from his own workshop. 

Mark Blackwell testing his new half set of Uileann Pipes

Fergus Cahillane

Working with renowned producer and performer Alan Doherty (ALDOC) Fergus recorded an EP during his time on the above traineeship using college facilities. The following tracks are samples from Fergus’s EP which is due for release in Autumn 2024.

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Fergus Cahillane | West Master

Fergus Cahillane | An Rabh

Fergus Cahillane | Newry Mountain

O.K. Madden | Set of Uilleann Pipes with regulators

This beautiful set of uilleann pipes were made by O.K. Madden  in NPU’s PIpecraft Training Centre under the expert tutelage of master craftsman Tommy Martin. The pipes not only look beautiful, but they sound beautiful too.

Set of Uilleann Pipes with Regulators by O K Madden

Here is a sound file of the pipes being played for the first time in the workshop…. Art in realtime!

Tommy Martin | Uilleann Pipes