So, this Grattan Flood fella.. a question for Irish Speakers

Uilleann Pipes
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I was doing my thang at Bethlehem Celtic Marathon this weekend and was saying how the term uilleann comes about because of Grattan Flood ( which I mistakenly said was the 1960’s instead of the oughts, I am so ashamed) Along comes friend Treása Ní Chatháin, who asks me “what would the Irish speakers call union pipes before the term uilleann, since there is no word for union in Irish”. Hmm.. anyone have any ideas? Is it possible that they just used the English word like ‘píob union’? I know the term organ pipes was in use as well so maybe 'píob orgán’? Anyone have any ideas? I must contact Terry and start pulling my 1960’s foot outo fo my mouth!

P.S. A Chippin Piffler stopped by my tent and was chatting, and I didn’t catch a name so hello whoever you wuz!

Robert Mouland
www.wireharp.com

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Interesting question but the Union Pipes were made in the British Isles - England, Ireland and Scotland (don’t know about Wales) as sets in the museums such as the Morpeth Chantry testify. Reid the NSP maker comes to mind

Uilleann (elbow) pipes - name was ‘proposed’ by Professor William Gratton Flood, Professor of Music, National University of Ireland, 1911 in his ‘learned’ tome “The Story of the Bagpipe”

Anyone selling a set of uilleann pipes made prior to this date (eg by Coyne, Taylor, Kenna, Egan etc.) could theoretically be proscuted for mis-selling :wink:

Pastorals seem to have been the original instrument from which they developed and continued to made alongside the Union Pipes into at least the first part of the 19th C.

T. Crowley’s “How to Play the Irish Uillean Pipes”, published in Cork c. 1936 gives the following :

The Irish Uillean (or Union) Bagpipes

It is generally conceded that this instrument is a development of the older Piob Mor, or Warpipes, which were in use in Ireland, in one form or other, as early as the fifth century.

The late Dr. Gratton Flood in his work “The Bagpipe” gives the first mention of Uillean Pipes as about the year 1584. But these Uillean Pipes were still a form of the Piob Mor, or Warpipes, blown with a bellows, instead of from the mouth.

They should not be confused with the new instrument developed early in the 18th century. The first performer of whom we have any record was Lawrence Grogan of Johnstown Castle, Wexford, who became famous as a composer of pipe music in 1725. The origin of these pipes must be placed at least a few years previous.

The new pipe appears to have become immensely popular as we have a plentiful record of notable performers and composers from the latter date onwards. They are said to have been in high favour up to 1860 and the fact that there were twelve bagpipe makers doing business at that time is proof that the instrument was in good demand. Three tutors were published between the years 1800 and 1807 viz: – O’Farrell’s, Fitzmaurice’s, and Geoghan’s. At christenings, weddings, dancing, and in fact all social functions these pipes were indispensable.

This incidently for those who wanted to know is where the date for Fitzmaurice came from in another thread started a few days ago

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So a couple of distinct threads - when and by whom were the ‘union pipes’ invented (and what does that exactly mean), who played them, when did the Irish latch on to them for playing/making, and what were they called along the way.

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Dunno if there’s anything in print in Irish referring to “Pioba Union” or the like. But all of the English references are to Union pipes, nothing about elbows. Read Denis Brook’s articles on Irish bellows pipes, Denis is a very sharp dude. The notes of the original Dublin Pipers’ Club only refer to Union pipes, too. Much of that is in Irish. An Piobarie had an article listing all the Irish terms for pipe parts, forget which issue.