NPU new building and David Power

Uilleann Pipes
1

Hello gang,
I was invited to attend the grand opening of the NPU headquarters at 15 Henrietta street in Dublin, a week ago. It took them 20 years to renovate this 4 story Georgian home at a cost of over 1 million euros. The facility is fantastic; teaching rooms, archives, offices, retail stores all in one building.

One must realize that this was once a home. I pictured beautiful 19th century ladies descending the stairs to meet and chat in the drawing room…straight out of a Jane Austin novel. What a beautiful place. Surely a 1st class world headquarters for all of us pipers.

There were at least 100 pipers there…so many that I cannot name them.
Most of the biggies like Liam O’Flynn, Midk O’Brian, etc. I was very impressed with the quality and high standard of piping set by the young players. It was enough to make one want to put the pipes away… at least for a day or so; grumble, grumble.

The great Tony McMahon, a few days later, gave a really nice house concert to introduce David Power to some of the who’s who of Ireland. David played beautifully and everyone had a great time. Its hard to believe that David is much better known in th3e states than in Ireland.
I hope that this performance will remedy that.

Just before I left I went to County Clare and had two hours of great tunes with Ronan Browne and Pedar O’Loughlain. I was smiling so hard that my face ached.

I’m exhausted, jet lag got me.


Later,
Pat Sky

2

Sounds like a great trip. Did you get any pics of the new and improved home of piping or the pipers?

3

Great story Pat. Good that they invited you and good that you could make it.

Any chance they took a group photo, much like the famous First Meeting photo from '68 ?

t

4

I know that photos were taken but by whom I do not know. They also had an
RTE TV crew there and interviewed evaryone, including me, for the archives.
They had me talk about Seamus Ennis, Tommy Reck, Willie Clancy,etc.

I think that they will put some photos on their web site in the next few weeks.


Pat

5

Photos are up on the NPU web site:
http://www.pipers.ie/images/opening/opening.htm

No E

6

Gosh, did you get any autographs? :wink: :laughing:

djm

7

Who’s yer man with Robbie Hannan??

http://www.pipers.ie/images/opening/066.JPG

8

Gay’s next door neighbour.

Pat.

9

… he signed an autograph for himself I’ll bet. :stuck_out_tongue: :wink:

What, no pictures of the new decorations? And what about a photo of Mr. Sky?

10

Looks nice! The photographer didn’t want to leave the two ladies at the end it seems.

Impressive that the Taoiseach would be there to say a few words. (Blah blah blah, and a good time was had by all.)

Congratulations to all us members of NPU! :smiley:

11

I wouldn’t leave 'em either
:laughing: Ouch!! Don’t hit dear, it hurts

12

The guest in the later pictures with Harry Hughes is Francie McPeake .

13

Yes and I bet I’m not the only one sick of hearing about all the funding diverted to its renovation over that 20 years. They could have knocked it down and re-built it for that.
Is it still impossible to park anywhere near without getting a ticket or your car broken into or stolen?
Wouldn’t a million euros have funded somewhere outside Dublin a bit more useful?
Just my opinion.
The quarelsome piper.

14

Looks like he is packing heat and about to use it…wonder who the piper was? :boggle:
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam

15

They could have knocked it down and re-built it for that.

Not a chance! You’d pay that for the site alone!
It’d be closer to 4 or 5 million, easy.

Is it still impossible to park anywhere near without getting a ticket or your car broken into or stolen?
Wouldn’t a million euros have funded somewhere outside Dublin a bit more useful?

That is a fair point though. Being from Dublin originally, I’m biased but here’s why I think NPU headquarters should be in Dublin.

It is the capital city and the headquarters of most other cultural organisations are based in capital cities.

I don’t have exact numbers, but there are easily more pipers in Dublin, (per capita) than any other city/town in Ireland so if it went to a vote, Dublin would win.

Dublin has had pipers clubs since 1898 with the exception of a lull from 1916, when a board member was shot by firing squad till it was offically revived in 1936. Mind you, all through the troubled times, regular meetings were held in the Rowsome home in Harolds Cross.

Dublin has been the historical home to most of the more prolific pipes makers.
Since Tim Kenna moved to Essex Quay (later, Billy Andrews and Dan Dowd had a workshop on the same street) uilleann pipes have been associated with names like Coyne, John Egan, Rowsome, Kiernan, McCrone, Dowd, Keegan, Clark, etc.

Every large organisation like this has to have a HQ and in this case Dublin is the place.
Look at the Irish charity ‘Concern’, they have 2 US offices. 1 in Manhattan and 1 on Michigan ave in Chicago. I’d hate to see their rent bill.


Right or wrong, any HQ for any organisation is going to cost a huge amount of money and these days the Irish government, through the Arts Council, can certainly afford it!

Personally, I’m proud to belong to an organisation that has such a fine establishment as it’s headquarters. Now if they just could put a bar in it…


Tommy

16

I don’t have exact numbers, but there are easily more pipers in Dublin, (per capita) than any other city/town in Ireland so if it went to a vote, Dublin would win.

I live in a townland of maybe 20 houses, holding five active pipers in all. :wink:

Try match that

17

… what, you mean a salad bar? :stuck_out_tongue:

I have to agree that Henrietta Street in Dublin is most likely the best place for NPU. The building has been renovated and NPU has been there now how many years?

Though a change of locale may be good in many folk’s eyes, I tend to follow the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” ideology. That old building is history, and NPU is a big part of it.

18

What, did they take out the downstairs tap? :frowning:

Sean Sr. showed me how to pour a proper pint of Guinness on that tap nearly ten years ago, this is a purely sentimental concern of course :wink:

19

Wow! The place looks beautiful. I’ve just looked at the photos online. The front desk looks way corporate! What a change (although I liked the place when it was in its previous ramshackle state as well). I was at Henrietta Street just before Christmas (2006) and things were really shaping up but they were a long way from the finished product shown now on the website. They must have had the workers really knocking themselves out to finish in time. Gay McKeon mentioned to me that the government will be paying to renovate all of Henrietta Street, which I think is wonderful. It is a really fascinating street, especially to people like me (from North America) who don’t take old stuff for granted. Here in Toronto, the reigning mentality has long been, if it is 30 years old or so, time to knock it down.

20

Well, I think it may be the last Georgian street left in Dublin. Don’t get the idea that things are preservation-minded around here!

It was a great night, it’s amazing how many folks turned out for it. Pat, it was nice to see you again after all these years.

The building looks fantastic, all floors renovated in beautiful style. It does look a bit strange with the conference-room-style labels outside each door… but it’s definitely an exciting development.

Bill