Last night I had the honor to play for the Lord Mayor of Listowel, Ireland and Irish Senator, Jimmy Deenihan, from Listowel.
Jimmy mentioned a very famous blind piper from Listowel. He said his name was Carty I believe.
I think he mentioned that he was the blind piper in the famous painting.
Anyone know any information about him?
Many thanks!
Cheers! Richard
Tom Carthy was from Ballybunion, not Listowel although it’s near enough. He was the piper who lived in three centuries (1799-1901). See O’Neill’s.
The famous painting is ‘the Limerick Piper’, an indication a North Kerry man is not a candidate. The piper i nthe painting has a gentlemanly ppearance, which doesn’t rhyme with Carthy’s either.
Typical local politician talk. Clueless.
Thank you Peter. He is the one I was looking for.
Evidently, according to Jimmy, he was very famous in the Ballybunion area and they are wanting to possibly do a celebration of his life in the future.
I just couldn’t remember his full name or Ballybunion.
Thanks again. I can sleep well tonight!
Cheers! Richard
When I visited the Teach Siamsa in Finuge, just outside Listowel, in 1976, Tom Carthy’s pipes were displayed on the wall with a picture of the man himself. Whether they are still there or not I don’t know, but if you’re in that neighborhood, it would be worth checking out. The Teach Siamsa is a centre for traditional arts such as music and dance. That evening the children who were learning there presented an evening of entertainment for tourists. Maybe that still goes on.
Tom Ryan
That’s interesting, they look like a Moloney set, made across the Shannon near Kilrush. Will check that, it’s within easy reach on the ferry to Tarbert.
Are there any photos of Tom Carthy’s pipes taken recently that could be shown here?
It would interesting to see them.
Cheers! Richard
Now, is it really true that this is Tom C’s grandson or great-gs?
Not to throw a spanner in the works I hope ,but Tom Carthy unlike the majority of his class he was neither lame nor blind
RORY
Yes Kevin,
I did hear that Martin Carthy was Piper Carthy’s great grand son,
from the Englishman Mr Giles, that runs the Devonport Folk Club in Auckland,
New Zealand. Martin Carthy noticed the Book “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”
by “The Chief” in this man’s library, and told Giles that his Piper Grandpa
was listed therein. Then I was staying there in Auckland, and playing the Folk Club,
I noticed “The Book” too, and commented on Patrick Galvin “The Piper of the Antipodes”
that’s also in “I.M&M” that I’m related to…that’s when the Carthy story came up
It’s 2 removes from the source, but I just have to “throw” this tidbit in.
Years ago at Rotherham Folk Fest, Mr. Carthy came up
to me and listened to me play the Irish Pipes for a while, but he never
stopped to tell me that he (A) Had Irish “connections”, or (B) any Piping connections.
It was fun to watch him and The Watersons on stage later that day,
with everybody with their "one hand to the ear"to keep in tune while singing
those tight 4 part harmonies,THEN they asked the audience to kick in on the Chorus
AND THEY DID…in a wonderful 6 part Harmony, with no hands needed
(the Welsh Influence there in Yorkshire, just a hop, skip, but no jump, to
the Border with Wales).
To sum up…I’m simply not… going to live in 3 Centuries, that’s CERTAIN !
I’ve already made it to parts of 2 Centuries… AND THAT’S ENOUGH !!!
Your Rapidly Aging Piper, Sean Folsom