Driving home just now I heard on RTE Eithne Vallely died today. The 81 year old was struck by a lorry on the Portadown Road outside Armagh.
Through the Armagh Pipers club and the tutors published by them, she and her husband Brian (also known, when painting, as John B. Vallely) were a guiding light when I took my first uncertain steps into whistling and Irish music during the 1970s.
A tutor book/tape published by them introduced me to the intricacies of ornamentation, rolls etc and the series ‘Learn to play the tin whistle with the Armagh pipers club’ provided tunes. Later, from 1979 onward, the Tutor for the pipes she co-authored with J.B. helped me along the first steps learning the pipes. There wasn’t a lot to be had at the time and these were a great introduction.
To acknowledge the major contribution to Irish music through their musical education TG4 awarded the Vallelys a Gradam award.