From a related thread, who were the active pipemakers in the 1970s and where were they based?
These are the ones I can think of:
Leo Rowsome was making pipes in Dublin until his death in 1970
Dan Dowd in Dublin
Matt Kiernan in Dublin
Alf Kennedy in Cork
Patrick Hennelly in Chicago
Anyone else? Anyone else making pipes in the US? What about in the UK?
Maybe a smaller list would be generated by asking about makers in the late 60’s early 70’s
by the end of the 1970’s
Pat Sky
David Quinn
Tim Britton
USA
Johnny Bourke
Bruce DeVue
Joe McKenna
Eugene Lambe
Ireland
Alan Ginsburg
UK
When was Ned White active? Seems he was in there somewhere.
In any case I think it was virtually down to Matt and Dan for awhile - both amateur makers - anyone know when Alf Kennedy stopped making altogether? I suspect there was a period when there were no fulltime professional makers at all.
Also, there seems to have been a similar period earlier in the 20th century when there were few if any active makers, and no “professional” makers, so the craft was in a very tenuous position for a good while.
Mid 70’s UK plus locations of where they were and where they are
Douglas Wilkinson and Glen McCarthy - East London. Ceased making early 80’s
Alan Ginsberg - East London now North Wales
Christopher Bayley - West London, Teddington now Redhill, Surrey
Colin Ross of NSP fame made a few chanters - Newcastle
John Addison - Peckham, 1975 Lincolnshire - now deceased (early 90’s ?)
Brian Howard - Sheffield
Dave Williams - Newark - late 70’s now deceased
Ireland/Eire
Leon Rowsome (Son of Leo) Deceased
What about Charles Roberts when did he start ? was Sligo Now in Spain
Any more accurate dates for their start up
John
I got a chanter top made by Alf Kennedy in 1996 or '97. I believe in the 70s his father Maurice was still active.
In Northern Ireland, there were Seán McAloon and Finbarr McLoughlin, Robbie Hughes started in the late 70s.
Chris Langan, Tom White made sets for people and people like Peadar McGuire learned a few bits from Matt K and turned out a few chanters. Ted Colgan made bits and pieces.
Matt was a policeman. What was Dan?
As waymer suggests, the list gets crowded (though mostly with newcomers) in the late '70’s.
It’s perhaps more interesting to consider the mid-60’s to early '70’s, i.e. around the 1968 Bettystown gathering when a (successful!) last-ditch effort at a revival was launched.
Many of the folks in the mid-70’s list were just stopping a gap; because someone made 2 chanters in 1971, should they be counted? Yes and no…
What was Dan?
A fireman.
because someone made 2 chanters in 1971, should they be counted? Yes and no…
A few of the people I mentioned had limited output but they did provide instruments to get people started, people otherwise unable to acquire pipes because of price or availability. They contributed in that way and are worthy of recognition.
Well all I know is that when I got interested in the pipes around 1976 that there didn’t seem to be many options, at least over here in the US.
My first practice set was by McCarthy. Anyone have any more info on who this was and when he began making and ceased making pipes? It was an odd chanter, turned down very thin, almost like a Scottish chanter.
You can perhaps add to the list a maker in Los Angeles at that time, Richard Maheu, who made a bewildering variety of pipes. I still have his catalogue from that time, appropriately called “Bagpipes of All Kinds by Richard Maheu”. He made Northumbrian pipes, Serbian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Macedonian, Lowland Scots, several French types, etc etc.
I bought a set of concert D uilleann drones from him around 1977, and a full set of Lowland pipes. All of his pipes, no matter what type, had a funky Danish Modern look to them, and I’ve seen his pipes crop up in collections all over.
That was it until I bought a Quinn chanter in 1978 which I still play.
Joe McKenna was still making pipes in the late 1970s: I bought a practice set from him in 78 or 79. His younger brother was working with him on pipes as well.
[quote=“billh”]
In any case I think it was virtually down to Matt and Dan for awhile - both amateur makers - anyone know when Alf Kennedy stopped making altogether? I suspect there was a period when there were no fulltime professional makers at all.
quote]
Well yes, amateur makers, but both fine makers who made some fantastic instruments, though I’m not sure if there are many Dowd sets still being played?? Perhaps someone could clarify.
Not too sure bout Alf Kennedy, but he made great instruments. Played a full set of his a while back, and even though the set was leaking like a sieve you could still hear the lovely tone from the instrument.
Really interesting stuff. I love hearing about the various periods in the history of our instrument. I first got interested in the uilleann pipes back in the early 80’s when I was living in Austria. An interest was about all one could have as the chances of getting my hands on a set back then was next to nothing.
So what led to the current renaissance that we are experiencing? Can anyone write more about the “dark years”?
I first got interested in the uilleann pipes back in the early 80’s when I was living in Austria. An interest was about all one could have as the chances of getting my hands on a set back then was next to nothing.
I don’t know, there was at least one guy from Austria (and others from all over) coming to WCSS during the early to mid 80s. Not a bad player either. I forget his name but must have some pics somewhere.
I don’t know if this counts, but when I met Michael Vignoles in the late 1990s, I remember him saying his family had been making pipes – in Galway, IIRC? – for a long time.
Also, John Pedersen in California (sp?) who I’m beginning to suspect made my chanter, has been making pipes for 25 years (at least that’s what his web page says).
Seems like it was a bit of a black art for a while, there? 
Tom White from Co Wexford made pipes in the 70´s.
Ballygo
Ned White was born in 1810 and sailed to boston in 1850
carel
Ned, Tom,
the martinis are going to my head…
Glen McCarthy and Doug Wilkinson began making pipes in the mid 1970s in east London (Ilford). They met on an instrument making course at the London College of Furniture (where Jon Swayne also trained). There is a long historical connection between instrument makers and furniture makers going back to the middle ages as both required wood turning skills.
I had a full set with real ivory from them in 1978 for 400 pounds. Within a year they had dissolved the partnership with McCarthy continuing alone (and Wilkinson feeling he’d been shafted…). I’m not certain when McCarthy ceased making. They also made flutes and some Northumbrian pipes I think.
Ian
Pat McNulty was also active in Glasgow during th e1970s. My current set is one of his from 1974.
Ian