Hi all,
My apologies if there’s an existing thread on this topic, but I’m curious to know what whistles are played by the musicians we know and love. If there is an existing thread, please direct me to it. Otherwise, let the replies begin… 
These a few of the players I’ve seen on UTube and what they commonly play:
Brian Finnegan - Goldie/Overton
Kevin Crawford - Susato
Mary Bergin - Generation, Freeman Tweaked whistles
Andrea Corr - Waltons Little Black D
Ryan Duns - O’Riordan
Joanie Madden - O’Riordan
Many of the young winning players from Comhaltas - Sindt
Here’s a previous thread related to your question. The search facility here works quite well.
The prior thread is really interesting!
I took a class with David Cantieni, of Wild Asparagus, and he played a Mellow Dog the whole week. You could tell by looking at it that he’s played it a ton. IIRC, he said he also liked to play a Bb Generation for inspiration.
He doesn’t play Irish, per se, but he’s a great whistle player, for those looking to expand their horizons.
http://www.wildasparagus.com/about.html
One thing to keep in mind if you listen to recordings (or concerts) of pros of any sort is that the recording engineer (or soundman) has a hand in the sound too. He might roll off the top end, add a little presence, compression, or any variety of other things, to get the right sound. Especially when the whistle is part of a mix (not solo).
Thanks, Feadoggie.
Mary Bergin has also played John Sindt whistles.
Josie McDermott, and Jim Donoghue used “C” Clarke whistles.
Paddy Moloney and Sean Potts can be seen playing “Generation” whistles on the cover of the “Tin Whistles” recording, same applies for Donncha O’Brien.
[ Donncha’s solo recording has recently been released on CD - if you don’t have it, I recommend it ].
Darach de Brun was playing a Burke whistle at the Willie Clancy week last year.
The last times I have seen Joanie Madden or Kevin Crawford play, they both have been playing aluminum Burkes as their main whistle.
I’ll play the game, here are a few, randon selection, my copyright:
Cathal McConnell:
Seán Ryan:
Bríd O Donohue:
Mary Bergin:
Peter Phelan:
Geraldine Cotter:
Gavin Whelan:
Angela Crotty:
Patsy Hanly:
Adrian McCarron:
Joannie Madden:
Róisín nic Donncha:
Sean McKiernan:
Francie McPeake:
Kevin Crawford:
Carmel Gunning:
I’ll leave it at that for now, have to run.
Great pictures!
EDIT: It’s easy to recognize the Generation, Susato, Sindt and Burke whistles, and what may be an O’Riordan, and a Feadog with a label I don’t recognize. There is what I initially thought was a Sindt-Generation hybrid, but it must be an older Sindt because it doesn’t look the same as the others.
I don’t know, I am sort of fond of the older ones:
Gussie Russell:
and the streetshots:
Yes, Mr Gumby, beautiful portraits!
(just for fun) Going on the pictures alone, if they were all conducting whistle workshops at a music festival, I’d book in first choice with Cathal OConnell or Mary Bergin. Just a face thing.
I get the sense with Cathal that he is so absorbed with the music that he virtually guides the learner through that immersion primarily, rather than zoning in on particular technique.
With Mary I get the impression that she is quite sharp about how things need to be done and masks her occasional impatience with recalcitrant learners with playful wit.
Never met them.
Hmm it just looks like a Generation with a collar.
Mr. Gumby, I think it safe to say you are also an accomplished photographer.
Hmm it just looks like a Generation with a collar.
Patsy Hanly was playing a Generation C. he was playing Easter Snow and his wife, Pauline, sang the song. Lovely job by both of them, never heard Easter Snow sung before that, not many people sing that song.
Very nice - thanks, Mr. Gumby.
Ok I see now that it is a Generation, but the barrel end of the mouthpiece has tape around it. Possibly to fix a potential split.
EDIT: I’m going to blame this slowness on it being early morning here 
Just don’t draw any conclusions from what whistles you see. And I could have clouded the sample by including this Fermanagh man if I hadn’t been embarrassed about his name refusing to come to me:
or the late Michael Mahoney, playing a whistle made by his son Dónal :
Michael Falsey:
Marion McCarthy:
That whistle Michael Mahoney is playing looks just like a Jon Swayne. Exactly as I remember Jem’s.
Mr.Gumby
I love that shot of the girls busking. Here girls that age don’t know what a whistle is let alone be able to play it. However some are well on there way on fiddle.
Gosh, so many Generations and Susatos. They must all be daft. 
Daft? Who?
