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Irish pipes, union pipes, uilleann pipes

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 10:31 am
by PCL
On a another post I wrote the following, which was tangential to the topic there.
PCL wrote:Prior to use of the term, 'union pipes,' our instrument was referred to as the Irish bagpipes.
Here is Nicholas Carolan's excellent paper about the origin of the term union pipes:
https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/tex ... bagpipes-b

Re: Irish pipes, union pipes, uilleann pipes

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 7:56 pm
by m4malious
Hi PCL,
That SMH ad was quite a find - the result of lots of manual trawling, or, just a lucky search result?

Interesting to note that they probably meant the Cork exhibition of 1852 (1853 was in Dublin). And, that the set (assuming it is the exact same one) was
in Australia only 3 years after that. Who was Mrs Walker of Market St., I wonder?
I was also interested to see that a "Denis Harrington, musical instrument maker" was still listed in 1856 at Hanover St. so one presumes it wasn't him who
transported that set down under.

M

Re: Irish pipes, union pipes, uilleann pipes

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:45 pm
by PCL
Hi M,

The SMH find was both lucky and the result of lots of searching -- if that makes sense. It was part of a trawl in trying to find out how Geoff's Harrington set got to Australia. I haven't delved into the identity of Mrs Walker. One thing at a time. Her stall would have been at the north end of the what is now the Queen Victoria Building.

I realise the year in the ad is wrong but the pipes fit the description, given in The Cork Examiner, of Harrington's set displayed at the Cork exhibition of 1852. I doubt that Denis Harrington ever came to Australia. I do wonder who brought the set out, who bought the set from Mrs Walker, and how they survived complete and in good condition for another century and a quarter. Miracles happen.

Cheers!

Re: Irish pipes, union pipes, uilleann pipes

Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2017 11:55 pm
by geoff wooff
Miracles indeed P !

The set does show signs of repairs having been made to keywork and blocks, chanter holes etc., many years earlier than my time so I assume the set was played quite a lot.

Geoff.