Apart from the Childress set there are these items currently on Ebay
Battered old practice set - does anybody have an idea as to the maker???
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Uilleann-bagpipes-leather-bag-and-bellows-bone_W0QQitemZ170231488322QQihZ007QQcategoryZ16226QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
David
From the seller’s description, and from what I can tell from the photos, there are only 6 holes on the front of the chanter of the practice set. Hmmm.
Is it me or is the chanter set up incorrectly? Looks like the bell of the chanter has been fitted into the chanter top. 
This seller joins the lady with the drones over her shoulder.
My name is Enigo Montoya… I am looking for the six fingered man…
Denis Brooks talked about something like that at the Seattle tionol a few years ago. You add a foot to the bell and lower the chanter down to C. I think the fingering becomes simpler, no two fingers off for E… Closer to a pastoral pipe.
OOPS-my bad- I didn’t see the chanter top -forget what I wrote
Also note the old practice set is listed as a multi item auction, something I have came across for the first time earlier this week when at auction’s end I was listed as winner, at the starting bid rather than my maximum, and still didn’t get the item I wanted (I got a refund by the seller who didn’t understand it either).
Are the mounts ivory?
Hard to say. On the few close-up shots I don´t recognise the ivory-typical grain, though. I guess they ARE bone. Their size would support this, too (esp. see chanter-top)
“There are six finger holes on one side and one thumb hole on the back.”
I emailed the seller who confirmed the 6 plus 1. I also pointed out that the set was incorrectly assembled. He replied that this is how he received it. He acknowledges that the multi-item auction was an error.
The auction has been ended in any case.
Relisted to correct the multi item auction error. The other errors are still there 
:
I particularly like the way that the chanter is resting in its reed. If a reed can’t put up with this sort of treatment, it’s not worth having.
The poor reed’s all chipped and broken 
Plus there’s a huge gouge below the reed seat (let’s hope the chanter wasn’t broken at that point!). Does the reed look a little thick? Or like it has a funny ridge down the centerline? Maybe my computer’s off.
Oh yeah, it’s bone. If you look at the bellows intake you can see where the blood vessels used to be.
Multi-item auctions are for multiple units of identical things, as in someone with 10 identical cameras to dispose of. They’re not for a single unique item. I’d suggest sending the vendor a note explaning, and suggesting that he cancel this auction and start again.
The original auction was ended and the item relisted exactly because of this. The new auction is for a single item. I still wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole, regardless of how many holes it has on the front or behind.
Apparently some people would touch it as there are a few bids. Don’t people know to get the best bargan you wait until the end of the auction before bidding? Silly people.
After 9 bids by 4 bidders, it’s up to $51.
Just you watch. It’ll be up to 500 by the day of the auction and then someone will bid it up another few hundred in the last minutes because they’re bid-crazy. Instead of waiting until the last few minutes and someone picking it up for 200.
But the burning question is: What is it?
What is it?
It’s a monkey!
I’ve seen these chanters with 6 holes on the front before. Usually they are made as a result of some kind of experimentation. I saw one in the past which was made for someone who was missing a little finger due to an accident.
I remember seeing one in An Piobaire made by Charles Roberts. The chanter had 6 holes at the front but it also a key for E flat so the player still had the option to use the note.
I haven’t seen this practice set up close but I’d say it’s the work of Pat Hennelly or maybe Patsy Browne.
I wouldn’t write it off just because it doesn’t have an E flat hole. How many pipers out there even use that note? The ‘Ghost D’ is a nice effect but Patsy Touhey managed fine without it!
Tommy
Oooh, poor thing. I want to take it home and feed it.