Ken McLeod R.I.P.

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Steampacket
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Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Steampacket »

I wasn't sure, but Ken McLeod has passed away I see now. I met him in Miltown Malbay a few times, in the reed making workshop. What happened to Ken? Was he ill? I see Ken has a son, will he be carrying on Ken's passion for the pipes?
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Seanie »

Hi Steam

Am sorry to hear that. Ken worked at pipe making with Robbie Hughes. He was passionate about pipes and all things piping.

I met him a good few times in Miltown Malbay. Always enjoyable occasions.

Take care

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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by an seanduine »

I 'conversed' by e-mail with Ken several times. Always a fine gentleman, fiercely supportive of the history and traditions of the Uilleann pipes. RIP Ken.

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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by geoff wooff »

Ken was a good friend ... I'll miss him.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Mr.Gumby »

It was a shock when the Piobaire arrived last week, bringing the news. Ken had his health issues at times but no word of his death had filtered through the grapevine. One of piping's characters, and he didn't do things by halves.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by PCL »

I heard about it from Craig Fischer on the day Ken died. I did think it strange that Ken's passing went practically unmentioned on social media or forums such as this. When I told some local pipers, they hadn't heard of him. I suppose Ken's light shone in a different direction. Rest in peace, Ken.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by rorybbellows »

Forgive my ignorance ,but I have heard the name but know nothing about him. In what way was he involved in piping?

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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Pipewort »

Hughes and McLeod
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by geoff wooff »

Ken was the instigator and editor of the "Sean Reid Society Journals". A philathropic helper of pipers. A collector of old sets that he also distributed , in trust, to various musicians in a similar way to Sean Reid. Sean had given classic sets from his collection to several budding pipers in the early days of the revival. Ken was a good friend of Wilbert Garvin, who , like himself, had been the recipient of one of Sean Reid's sets... this bound the two Ulster men in friendship because Sean had given one an Egan set with a Coyne chanter and the other received the Coyne set with the Egan chanter. Whether Sean Reid did this on purpose to cement a piping relationship across the religious divide or by mistake... who knows. Ken was a long time commitee member of NPU.

Prior to his piping career Ken was a member of the Belfast based rock band THEM.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by oleorezinator »

Was Ken part of the company Hughes and McLeod
that makes the oft maligned Clanrye plastic chanter
reed for the scotch pipes?
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by MichaelLoos »

He was indeed part of the Hughes & McLeod company - although I must say that I never met him, despite of the fact that my own pipes are Hughes & McLeod and I've known Robbie Hughes for well over 35 years and visited his workshops many times - I guess he wasn't directly involved with the pipe and reed making.
The Clanrye plastic chanter reed for GHB is fine - if you know how to set it up properly, which admittedly is not too easy. Since it has been available (and Robbie showed me how to handle it) I've never again played cane reeds in my GHB again - but mind you, I'm not a Highland Piper - as long as it sounds alright and is in tune, it's okay with me. A good cane reed will sound better, but the Clanrye is maintenace-free once it's set up, and can live for a good couple of years.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Steampacket »

Geoff I didn't know Ken used to rock in the 60's, a drummer indeed! I still have the early Them with Van Morrison, on my iPod. The last time I met Ken was in Miltown, 2002, I think, at the reed workshop. Ken was very interested in Malcolm Sim's dad's C chanter I bought. You had just made a reed for it. Ken said it was Coyne inspired. Ken was a big man, physically imposing, and seemed to be a larger than life person. We had words, crossed swords, on the old uilleann-l list during the 1990's. I had no idea who he was then, but we sorted it out, and corresponded amiably after. I remember walking with him to his Range Rover another year, on Ballard Road, and buying the SRJ CD-ROMs. Sad that Ken has gone, he was an important member of the uilleann piping community.

Ken with his Batman jumper.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by oleorezinator »

MichaelLoos wrote:.The Clanrye plastic chanter reed for GHB is fine - if you know how to set it up properly, which admittedly is not too easy.
I think they're fine too. It's the pipe band
types that I've heard complaining about them.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Steampacket »

Does anyone know the circumstances of Ken's demise? I assume Ken has left behind an archive of piping related material and, possibly, instruments? Finbar Boyle, Garech de Brún, Liam O'Flynn, and now Ken McLeod, all four influential figures in Irish traditional music have passed away this year.
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Re: Ken McLeod R.I.P.

Post by Steampacket »

Here is an interesting article about some old flat sets of pipes on display in the National museum, Dublin/An Píobaire Piping Exhibition, 2006. Written, and with photographs, by Ken McLeod and published in An Píobaire vol. 4 nr. 55, May, 2006. Pages 10 to 15.

http://162.13.136.126/data/PIOBAIRE/PIOB0435.PDF
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