I found this article on uilleannobsession:
http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart724.htm
PMcN sounds like a very interesting character. The article is 2 1/2 years old. Does anyone know if the book he was writing has been published?
Definitely not published. It is reported that an Egan set the he owned just changed hands and is now in Ireland.
Definitely not published. It is reported that an Egan set the he owned just changed hands and is now in Ireland.
PJ, Is this the SAME McNulty you spoke of in some journal, you told me about.
PM I have details, about this topic.
D
Yes Pat McNulty was the ONLY Irish Piper in Scotland for a long time, back in the 50s, 60s, and up to 1975, when I met him in person (I became irish american piper number one, while I was there in the toon wi’oot a castle). His Mother had an Irish dancing school there, and Pat lived in RutherGlen, a suberb of Glasgow. Pat started out on a Tayloresque (ribbon keys on regs) pipe, made scores of years ago by some man in the Glasgow area, and he had a brand new Kennedy set (in A=440) back in 1975. He and a fellow Air Ministry worker, Peter Hunter, made “Moderne” Uilleann Pipes with brushed aluminium (Brit spelling) keys. I think Pat did the tuning and reeds? He published an Irish tune collection, an LP record, and he played fiddle on the LP as well (I have the tune book and the LP out in Illinois, so I can’t read off the exact dates of publication/titles and etc). I think Dave Bulmer reprinted the tune book, in the 1980s? I remember he had a great trill of gracenotes on the high A, sort of like the beating sound of the blacksmith’s anvil for the Merry Blacksmith’s reel (Paddy on the Railroad in BlueGrass). He showed me several times how he did it, but I was too thick to learn. Oh well, that was donkey’s years ago now. Hee Hee Haw Haw! Sean Folsom an Piobaire
No, that was a Mr. McNally (who lived in Quebec city in 1835). Pat McNulty lives in Glasgow.
It’s a great article. Really sounds like he’s a die-hard piper. Love what he says about bodhrans 
. Thinks LOF has strayed from the tradition and the only piper who currently gets the most from his pipes is Paddy Keenan.
Would any of our Alba friends know him?
Yep know him.He does not suffer fools so I like him for that. Everything he said in his article is troooo!He is married these days and he has taught his wife to play.They quite often play together at various gigs.He also adjudicates with her at the Glaschu Feis.Some o ye have been a wee bit critical of his use of alluminium for pipes in the past..but I tell ye what they are real light and are innovative.He could knock the spots off some o his detractors musically.
Slán Go Foill
Uilliam
Thanks Uilliam.
The article also mentions he was (in 2003) working on a new CD. Any sign of that?
Great piece…I’ve only read a bit of it but it was a late night last night. But alas I’ll have a go at it again.
PJ, the Kiernan C chanter sounds great man…
I don’t have his books or LPs but I have the video of The Singing Chanter and his CD, Autumn Apples. His style is much rougher/harsher than modern players - an acquired taste. I would not ignore anything he has to say on pipes, as he has a lot of experience, but I am leery of anyone who declares things must be their way or no way. The best thing you could do is get a hold of one of his CDs and judge for yourself.
djm
His style is much rougher/harsher than modern players - an acquired taste.
I’d say its more of a case of modern pipers playing in quite bland styles.
t
His tunebook was called Irish Dance Music, I think…like the first Ceol Rince it had the first printing of very common tunes. Pat had a couple of his own compositions in there, his second book A Piper’s Dream, was all his own stuff, tunes and poems, erp.
Nice legs. 
Looks a bit painful though. Willie Hamilton made the pipes, he was supposed to do nice work. Newly posted at the Irish Traditional Music Archive.
And, by the most fantastic of coincidences, my fleaBay copy of Pat’s 1970Silver Hill LP just showed up. I’ve been looking for this record for about 12 years! What are the chances? 
Thanks to Thomas Johnson for his discography, which was how I became aware of recordings like this one.
Here’s the cover:
Looks like a Kennedy set.
And, by the most fantastic of coincidences, my fleaBay copy of Pat’s 1970Silver Hill LP just showed up.
Hm, yes, that went for a ridiculous amount. I didn’t want it that badly.
I do have the other LP. The 1984 McCoochly Street records one. I lifted that one from the stuff Geoff didn’t want to take to France.
He published an article in Ceol in 1972. Trying one reed in different chanter and taking frequency spectrum readings to see which chanter would have the best tone.
Ah yes, McCoochly Street Records, home of “Harry Barry and the Big Elastic Band.” 
And that’s about it according to those nuts at Google. Had no idea Pat cut any more wax.
The ridiculous LP 
is the same type of playing/material as the Ossian, minus the Egan set, which I imagine would make it of scant interest to ya, Peter. 
Sounds like the same set as the Ossian. I remember an An Píobaire mentioning Pat’s interest in examining the pipes in rigorous scientific fashion. Sounds like a plan. One of these days I’m going to make a clear plastic windcap to watch the reed in action, after Hughes & McLeod.
Ossian only ever did re-issues I think so it’s probably the same one:
My copy had been stored ChezWooff without an inner sleeve and the damp of Clare had made the cover stick to the disc. I’ll have to clean off the board fragments now before being able to play it again. Geoff did send me a tape of it in 1985 or so and I have had little urge to revisit it.
He has the Egan on the cover pic and he plays it on some of the tracks.
Were you the one who got the Leo Rowsome EP recently? That went a bit beyond me as well, and I wanted that a lot more than the McNulty one..
The Ossian is “Autumn Apples,” with these titles:
Strike the Gay Harp, Will you Come Home With Me
An Boherin Buide
Alexander's, Lough Muckno
A Magheracloone Girl
The Sligo Maid, Autumn Apples
Spalpeen A Ruin
Ragan's
Music of the Forge, Stoney Steps
Pen Eirinn I
The Lightning Flash
Doohamlet Church
Paddy Fahey's, Cottage by the Road
Slan Le Maighe
The Hedgehog, Wither
It’s Egan half and half. Rather echoey audio. A few more tracks of Pat solo and duo with fiddle showed up at Comhaltasarchive too. Always admired his determination to refuse to play a mile-a-minute, too. Few show such restraint anymore.
Didn’t know the (a?) Rowsome EP was up for sale, this is the Pipers’ Choice EP I assume? Some fan has uploaded the whole record onto YouTube. Years ago a student of Al Purcell’s sent me the dub and scans of front and back so never had a burning desire to have that one at all cost. I don’t rigorously scan eBay anymore for stuff like that, just saved searches for things I’m particularly keen on.
No, McNulty’s is a different one. He does the whole Nora Criona on the Egan with arpeggios on the regs and all that stuff as far as I remember. Here’s some more detail [= later edit]:
Traditional Music of Ireland played on the Irish Union Pipes by Pat McNulty
McCoochly street Records MS001
1984
The Grouse in the Bog
Boulavogue
Gahan’s hrnp
Kiss the Maid behind the Barrel/Touch me if you dare
Citi na gCumann
Thomas Leixlip the Proud
Piper in the Well/Bbeside the Brook
Coolin
Nora Criona
Rebel’s Heart/Brokach Brae
Thanksgiving
Old Bush/Green Groves of Erin
Yes, Piper’s Choice. Claddagh CCE1. Went for just under £40 a week or two ago.
Thanks for the track listing. Maybe I’ll get a chance to pick that one up 12 years from now!