The story of John’s pipes would make a great song .I might even write it myself if I knew the full story .Does anyone know how he got them back.
RORY
Did he really get them back? I heard they (a Williams set?) were lost for good. Hence why he was playing a Marcus Coulter set.
What happened to them in the first place, can anyone tell me? Were they lost in a fire, or at sea or something?
is there some confusion here? mcgoldrick had a Williams half-set nicked from a car boot after a gig and it required a little negotiation to get them back I understand
I wasn’t aware that mcsherry’s were Williams, I thought they were by sean mcaloon (or at least the chanter) but were also stolen at one stage
OK , maybe I’ve jumped the gun. I was looking at the William Kennedy piping festival clip on youtube and it looked to me that John was playing his Williams set and the Mcaloon chanter, As far as I know they were stolen when John was in Spain ,it was maybe three years ago.
RORY
didn’t realise his set was Williams as well as mcgoldricks - interesting that the two of being so closely associated with each other should both have Williams sets stolen
June 2007. It was the inaugural post in our Lost/Stolen/Missing Instruments forum.
Heres the Thread, I cant believe its was 2007, jeez tempus fugit.
https://forums.chiffandfipple.com/t/pipes-missing/48428/1
RORY
Speaking of “Vivat diabolus in musica!” and this topic, I sure wish that John Kelly would write a book on the subject (using lots of poetic license throughout 
)…
Description of the pipes by John posted in June, 2007:
“A full set of African blackwood concert D uilleann pipes made by Dave Williams with a keyless boxwood chanter made by Sean McAloon. The words “Made for John McSherry by Dave Williams, 2000” are engraved on the brass around the stock and one of the tenor regulator keys and mount is broken off.”
John got his chanter back somehow judging by this current information on his web site:
http://www.johnmcsherry.com/piping/
"I’m still playing the boxwood McAloon chanter I got all those years ago (it was stolen a few years back but is now safely back in my posession, thank god) as well as another great boxwood chanter made by Benedict Koehler – I have a fondness for the sweetness that boxwood provides. The body of my current pipes were made by an exceptional, up and coming, young pipe maker from England called Marcus Coulter who came to my aid just after my pipes were stolen.
Seems like he is using a boxwood MacAloon chanter, or one by Ben Koehler, together with stock, drones & regs made by Marcus Coulter who was mentored by Dave Williams.
I think I’ve seen him performing more with the Koehler&Williams combination recently. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STDIOTnPWZ0
It certainly looks like the Williams set, so glad he got them back.
RORY