I’m curious how many people here were self-taught (using books, videos etc) and how many studied with a teacher and if so - for how long?
Mostly self taught. I have beem playing the GHBs for roughly 20 or so years and then made the switch over to UPs about a year and a half ago. I have spent this time un-learning the GHB ‘grip’ and focusing on Uilleann rolls, crans, popping, nipping, bending and bellows/bag control. Thanks to tapes of Ennis, Clancy, O’Flynn, Maloney I have been able to progress quite nicely. But what has been of greatest value to me was Attending a Tionol and listening/watching/paying attention to Kieran O’Hare and Cillian Vallely. John Maio of Tampa, Florida has also played a small but educational role. I am really a fiddler, have been since age 11, but the UPs have always been what my heart truly wanted to ‘sound’ like…and after a long wait, and I am finally able to begin making it sing as I have always wished I could.
Self-taught, but I’ve been to workshops at North Hero where I’ve demonstrated that my playing was wholly beyond redemption despite the best efforts of the instructors. For the record, it’s not their fault. 
I had a teacher in the early going… for one week - at Willie Clancy Week.
After that, it’s been a matter of attending tionols in San Francisco in 2001, and listening to guys like Eric Olson and Bill Tiernan when they attend sessions at my house.
For me, it’s all about listening - to anyone and everyone that has something to share.
I wasted a year trying to teach myself, only to get in front of Martin Nolan for an hour, be shown how to do it right, and then told to go back and start over again. Even only one or two lessons from someone who knows what to teach, how to teach, and why is priceless when you’re starting out IMHO.
djm
I had a lesson with Mick O’Brien every saturday for 5 years.
Tommy
That is about the most useful thing can ever happen to a self taught piper. I had a similar experience with John Murphy.
I had a lesson with Tommy Martin once. 
Alan
I’ve been having lessons with Ben Walker for over a year now and you can’t beat it. There is so much more you can learn by watching and listening and asking that you can’t from a video, dvd or cd etc. Oh and by the way I’m not new to music and the rudiments of music having played and taught a number of brass and woodwind instruments for around 20 years.
I became friends with Bill Ochs at the start of my piping (and whistling) career, and he introduced me to some of the finer points of technique, particularly rolls, and how you sometimes have to modify your techniques according to the idiosyncracies of a reed or chanter.
I’ve attended Willie Week and a number of piping events on the East Coast, where there have been instructors.
Benedict Kohler once remarked that he felt that listening was just about as important as practicing. I agree with this. You absorb the sounds that way, and then you know if something is right or not by how it sounds compared to what’s in your head.
Aside from having the appropriate sounds catalogued in your head, the other thing a budding piper needs is dexterity and muscle-memory. The way to get this is through sheer, mind-numbing repetition.
Eric
I took classes at Willie weeks from 1980-1985. That’s it.
Have only had 5 weeks of piping lessons, 1996-1999. Two weeks of classes with Al Purcell, Two weeks of classes with Pat Mitchell and one week with Tom Clarke, also 6 hours with Mick Coyne 2000-2001. Great teachers and pipers every one, taught me a lot. Before that I struggled, squeaked and squarked, in splendid isolation on and off, more off than on, for many years.
Tuesday night classes at NPU since March 2001,
regards,
Mark.
Was this with or without the reed in?? 
Alan
The NPU videos were a great help to me in the beginning. Helped me to realise what Flynner was doing on those Planxty records Then attending the West Coast Tionol for several years running. Made it out to the East Coast one year and to the Chicago Tionol one year too. Also attended Willie Week a handful of times… all absolutely priceless experiences.
Patrick.
I had a little over 2 years of face-to-face instruction with Al Purcell on a weekly basis…Some useful workshops with Benedict Koehler and Kevin Rowsome at Augusta in 1997…an inspiring lesson with Jimmy O’Brien-Moran that same year…signed up for chanter boot camp at my first and so far only Willie Week by taking Pat Mitchell’s class…picked up tunes and tips here and there from John O’Brien, Pat Hutchinson, Debbie Quigley, Paddy Keenan, and Jerry O’Sullivan. Lately I’ve learned a bucketful of tunes from Kevin Henry and his many friends on the south side of Chicago.
Blue Island perchance?
Next time I’m there we’ll have to get together. Should be around Easter possibly???
Patrick.
Yeah, definitely, Pat, sounds like a hoot.
Easter? Yeah, sure let me know your plans ahead of time. Kevin would be delighted if you came by for a visit.
In April 1994 Crescent Arts Centre in Belfast with Tom Clarke for one hour on a Thursday until I stopped going in 1999 or 2000.
Day lessons workshops
Mick Coyne in 1995, Belfast
Mick O’ Brien in 1996, Belfast
Nollaig Mac Carthaigh at the Belfast Tionól 1996,
Ciarán Ó Máille Brian O’ Gallachoir at Willie Clancy week 1996
Tiarnán Ó Duinnchinn in 1997,
Denis Brooks at Belfast Tionól 1997 and
Seán Potts at Cultra Tionól 1997 (got my C snakewood that year from Andreas Rogge)
Seán Potts at Cultra Tionól 2001.
Have used NPU video volumes 2 and 3
Bye for now or Slan go foill
Ok,lets see how good my memory is…
Both me Grandfathers were pipers so they would be the earliest reference point.
Willie"Pepper" Adamson founder of the famous Moate Ceilidhe Band Westmeath and..
Alfie Hackett piper with the Tir Eoghain Pipe Band and piper with the Enniskilling Fusiliers.
On a bit and Willie Reynolds,Westmeath was a regular visitor to my house in Moate.
There now follows a long gap whilst I grew up and became a firefighter in London Town (The Old Smoke)
Still in London ,this time Camden Town with the London Uilleann Pipers Club for 4 years.Teachers there were …
Paul Garton ,
Tim Dowd,
Tommy Keane (whenever he was over)
Alan Burton for a while and a host of visiting pipers.
Great times eh Alan! 
5 years at Willie Clancy Summer School with
Joe Doyle
Ciárán O’Máille
Leo Rickard
Pat Mitchell
Martin Nolan
Then one on one lessons with
Robbie Hannan
Gay McKeown
Brian McNamara
Mick Coyne
Alan Burton (when he ran a class in Islington)
Overall I would say I have been blessed with opportunity and would like to say thankyou to everyone mentioned above… 
Thanks guys ye all made it possible…
Slan Go Foill
Uilliam
Speaking of Willie Week, I STILL haven’t been through all the 120-minute tapes (6 of them) from 1997.
Other things (learning new tunes, life, baby, wife, car, work) keep getting in the way.
Now there’s a new year’s resolution waiting to happen…