I’m sure most of us have seen this photo many times, but who is he and what do we know about him and his pipes and how much did he pay for that pint of Guinness ?
RORY
Using the option to let google search for this picture on the internet it gives a few websites where the picture can be found.
Checked those websites and even the National digital archive website from ireland is unable to identify the person playing there. Perhaps somebody on C&F knows it though.
http://www.rte.ie/news/galleries/2010/0316/128846-nationallibraryarchive/ : picture 18.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/443041682064170177/
http://www.uilleannobsession.com/diary_2003.html topic 22; also mentioned as an un-name piper (only the name of the photographer is known).
According to the Follow-up 1 : it is noted that the picture of this un-named piper was used on a fifty quid note. The Photographer was making pictures to use for paper money (is that how you say it?)
The man playing on the 50 quid paper sure does look alot like this unnamed piper: http://www.uilleannobsession.com/photos/50_punt_back.jpg
Source, also found in the same topic from UO : Follow Up 1: Jimmy O’Brien-Moran sent me this… “The lad on the fifty quid note is a piper named George McCartney as far as I know. He piped around Wicklow I think and the pipes look a lot like Egan, but who can be sure.”
according to follow-up 2: Follow Up 2: Kevin Rietmann follows with “A George McCartney or McCarthy is in O’Neill’s book, one of Taylor’s students. He was “lame,” as they used put it. He played a Taylor set with a double chanter, which he later sold to O’Meally; a cylinder recording of him survives, playing an air, The Ancient Hill Of Slane. He is announced on the record as being from Co. Down. The old piper’s smoking a pipe in what is called a “bulldog” shape, with a metal lid on it to keep rain out and wind from blowing the ashes out. They still make these, in Germany they were required on all pipes to prevent fires from starting.”
All the information I could find. Not sure if it’s helpful or not 
I’d prefer to live with the illusion that his Guinness was comp’d. 
Duh! It’s bobkeenan! 
Terry Moylan researched this at length, the article appeared in the Piobaire. He didn’t think it was George McCarthy but the man who played at Poulaphuca, his name escapes me at the minute.
In all fairness the Lawrence piper does look a lot like McCarthy as he appears in other photos.
http://uilleannforum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1743
with information of Peter 3 years ago
the photograph: “Martin Curly, seemingly levitating in the presence of Lady Gregory and W.B.Yeats”, made me laugh
Hm, yes, I had trouble remembering the name at the time as well. I did arrive at this at the time though:
Patrick Toomey (sometimes Twomey) was the piper who played at Poulaphuca. According to Breandán Breathnach (in ‘Piping in Wicklow’) Toomey played a double chanter, which doesn’t fit with the photographs but a firm identification has been made of the ‘Lawrence collection piper’ (by Terry Moylan) as the one who played at Poulaphuca.
Which seems about right.
How many so far have noticed his empty glass on the window sill behind him?
Thanks,I enjoyed the old photos. It turns out that enquires about this photo are a regular tradition on this forum, so here’s to tradition.
God bless your eyesight Ausdag.
RORY
Not yet… But by the time I am fit to play in public there is a good chance of a future resemblance!