Curly the Piper

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Sun May 07, 2006 12:50 pm

Earlier today I went for a walk in the Seven Woods of Coole Park.

In the visitors centre I found this image on display. In an accompanying extract from the childhoodmemories of Lady Augusta Gregory's granddaughters (from their book 'Me and Nu') the piper was named as 'Curly the Piper'. He visited the house in Coole regularly and was made welcome by Lady Gregory and he sometimes entertained the guests. Lady G. also collected stories and folklore from him.

I know, it looks like someone photoshopped a pic of Stephen Ruane into a Gregory family snap to make a nice exhibit. It's a good story though.

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Sun May 07, 2006 2:49 pm

It looks more like he was entertaining himself rather than the guests. Something pipers get used to doing. Yes?

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Sun May 07, 2006 4:46 pm

He was playing for the photographer's enjoyment at the time.

Jim McGuire · Post by **Jim McGuire** » Sun May 07, 2006 5:24 pm

This is certainly a digitally-altered photo. Wonder who Curly the Piper is/was? What years do you think the piper was visiting?

alurker · Post by **alurker** » Sun May 07, 2006 9:06 pm

Oh, you mean Curly the Levitating Piper.

jqpublick · Post by **jqpublick** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:34 pm

I was thinking maybe hemorrhoids?

Mark

I mean the piper, not the photographer/augmenter.

smithand · Post by **smithand** » Mon May 08, 2006 2:18 am

THERE'S many a strong farmer
Whose heart would break in two,
If he could see the townland
That we are riding to;
Boughs have their fruit and blossom
At all times of the year;
Rivers are running over
With red beer and brown beer.
An old man plays the bagpipes
In a golden and silver wood;
Queens, their eyes blue like the ice,
Are dancing in a crowd.

gregorygraham · Post by **gregorygraham** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:11 am

That photo of poor old Curly used to be on the old NPU website photo section. I always thought it looked like the photo was taken just as Curly was about to sit down and was told by some person in authority to get his backside off the park bench! Either that or he's sitting on a biscuit tin placed on the bench. Strange. Seems an uncomfortable way to play the pipes.

The angle of the shadow thrown by Curly's leg seems the same as the shadows thrown by the group of toffs. Perhaps the detatched appearance of the background is some peculirity of tin-type photographs.

Cayden · Post by **Cayden** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:23 am

I was thinking this is the man, Stephen Ruane. He was a Co Galway piper so he could be 'Curly'

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:26 am

He is sitting with one cheek on an iron arm placed midway in the bench. If you look at the arm on the end of the bench, and then look at the piper's feet, you will see the iron leg behind his foot.

djm

Joseph E. Smith · Post by **Joseph E. Smith** » Mon May 08, 2006 8:48 am

I wonder if Curly had a brother who played Bodhran... named Shemp?

PJ · Post by PJ » Mon May 08, 2006 9:08 am

Peter Laban wrote:I was thinking this is the man, Stephen Ruane. He was a Co Galway piper so he could be 'Curly'

The pipers in both photos look alike. Also, in both photos the piper seems to be playing the same 3/4 set.

gregorygraham · Post by **gregorygraham** » Mon May 08, 2006 11:01 am

Well spotted DJM. I think you are right.

Patrick D'Arcy · Post by **Patrick D'Arcy** » Mon May 08, 2006 11:58 am

PJ wrote:The pipers in both photos look alike. Also, in both photos the piper seems to be playing the same 3/4 set.

No they don't. Amazing how people can be foodled by a hat!

Some things to look at. Different face shape. Ruane has perfect posture... the other gent doesn't and is quite hunched... maybe he was just popping a note or something?

Look at the bass drone also. The support strut on the bend is closer to the bend on Curly's pipes by a good few inches.

Where do I know the Curly picture from? Is it in IM&M? ... .just read back... the NPU site, yeah. I read more information on this photo somewhere... anyone had any luck in the NPU archive? I've looked with no success.

PD.

PJ · Post by PJ » Mon May 08, 2006 12:27 pm

Patrick D'Arcy wrote:Some things to look at. Different face shape. Ruane has perfect posture... the other gent doesn't and is quite hunched... maybe he was just popping a note or something?

I wouldn't count the posture. The piper could have been playing when one photo was taken and posing for the other. I know from bitter personal experience that I have the posture and expression of a troll when I'm concentrating on my playing (even worse when I have my teeth out

).

Patrick D'Arcy wrote:Look at the bass drone also. The support strut on the bend is closer to the bend on Curly's pipes by a good few inches.

What you're calling the strut on Curly's pipes is more likely a shadow.