(Yes, I’m a little behind).
Amazing. Very traditional, yet with a fluidity that is wonderfully listenable.
It’s a terrible shame his Gael Linn lp was never re-released as CD.
Traditional YET listenable.. hmm. 
Hey, that sounds like a good new governmental program: No Whistler Left Behind…
Seriously, where did you find a recording of Donncha? I’ve heard about him for years and can’t find a recording.
Paul listen to this](http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/clips/goldeneagleblackbirddob.mp3%22%3Ethis) clip and click on the tunes here : The](http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/goldeneagle.html%22%3EThe) Golden Eagle and The](http://www.rogermillington.com/tunetoc/blackbird.html%22%3EThe) Blackbird for comment and transcriptions.
Lovely, simply lovely. If anyone knows of any full length recordings by O’Brian, please let me know. If you have a recording and can burn a CD or make a cassette, that would be great too.
Yes, I have no idea what I meant by that.
My teacher let me borrow it. I think someone took it off an LP.
Hi,
I may be telling something that everyone already knows, but maybe not.
Denis O’Brien was the brother of Mick O’Brien one of the very finest Uilleann Pipers in the World. Mick is a close friend and he actually has Denis’s Nickel Generation whistle and let me try it once. It was the sweetest Generation whistle I ever played. I looked at it carefully and noticed that the voicing parts were actually distorted on this whistle and that was what made it so incredibly sweet.
Denis, you may not know, had Muscular Dystrophy and yet became one of the finest players of the whistle in the World. The fact is that the Trad is as much a part of the O’Briens as the air they breath. The whole family are wonderful musicians and they learned their music from their Father, who was an accordian player, I believe. To allow something even as terrible as Muscular Dystrophy to keep the expression of that wonderful love for the music was not possible. What you hear came from Denis’ soul, which was full and healthy and complete. We are all poorer for his passing. Sometimes when we feel sorry for ourselves, we can look to men like him and see that we often limit ourselves more than life does. I do wish I could have known him. Hopefully, his music will be put on CD at some point for more to enjoy as well.
In 1993, the Clontarf Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann published a tune collection compiled by Donncha, and a very fine collection it is too. I don’t know if it’s still available, but it includes transcriptions of all of the tunes on his record, and many more besides, as well as many photos and articles about Donncha, and the branch of Comhaltas to which he and his family contributed so much. Well worth looking out for.
Incidentally, I’ve just seen that this is sub-titled “The Second Edition”. Does anyone have any information on the first ?
okay, i’ll ask this here, though i’ve been wondering for a while…
can someone here give an approximate pronunciation for “Donncha”?
and if you tell me it’s pronounced the same as “Denis” then i’ll give up hope of ever making sense of written Irish 
The Irish speakers I know pronounce it “dun-na-hah” with the stress on the first syllable. The Irish for his surname would be pronounced “O’Bree-an” rather than O’Brien. Mick used to use the Irish spelling too (Micheal O’Briain) but now seems to go by Mick O’Brien.
Charlie Lennon composed a tune in Donncha’s honor called The Flying Wheelchair.
To follow up in a way on rh’s comment, does anyone know the historical significance of the name “Donncha O’Brian”? If Denis chose to use the name “Donncha”, he chose a good one.
Another name choice might have been Murrough, if that gives anyone a clue…
You mean that it’s the name of one of Brian Boru’s sons? And so is Murrough.
Excellent, Blackhawk! Yup, Donncha was the youngest son of Brian Boru.
Murrough was the oldest son.
Wow,
Cool name that!
I bet you just entered that definition!
Ha ha, you’d actually think that wouldn’t you as it’s not a very common name… or so I thought.
Not guilty, but it was hilarious when I got sent it… Check the date, it was created or whatever in February 2004 or something.
Although a name that I really like ironically is Setanta (Cu Chulainn’s name before he was called the name Cu Chulainn “the hound of Ulster” of the old mythical tales of the Red Branch). Apparently he was great at hurling, but was usless on the flute! 