Take a look at this item:
The seven keys appear to me to be upper C, Bb, G#, long and short F, C# and lower C. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a keyed flute like this that lacked an Eb key. Anyone seen its like before? What could possibly be the rationale for leaving off the Eb key?
That is a unusual flute! The only thing I can think, the customer didn’t want the Eb key?
The length of it is about the same as one of my D flutes, however:
"An “A’ played on this wooden Irish flute (ie two fingers) sounds
like a ‘B flat’ played on an ordinary metal modern flute.
Hope this helps- what pitch does that make this flute?
Thanks”
It would appear to be in Eb ,So an Eb key would give you a concert E.
Or the Bb key isn’t seating or is stuck open.
Or, it was played with the slide all in…
My guess is that as there’s not much call for an e flat in Irish music, they just didn’t bother with it.
Someone could ofcourse try contact Robbie Hughes to see if he remembers the how and why of the flute.
Yeah, my thought also… I’d add that this virtually has to be a modern flute, whether or not anyone has heard of the maker (I haven’t) - no period one would lack the Eb key, and the combination of pillar mounts with square flaps is rather anachronisitic - not impossible that a C19th flute might have both features, but exceedingly unlikely, as, come to think about it, is the possibility of a C19th flute maker in Dungannon!
It’s a 1980s flute, late 70s at the earliest. Robbie was in Downpatrick for the first half of the eighties so if the flute was made in Dungannon it was either before or after that. The keywork would suggest earlier rather than later.
Ooops, sorry! My bad. 
Downpatrick it was - says on the eBay listing. I misremembered. But good info, Mr Gumby - certainly backs up my typological deduction!
Or, it was played with the slide all in…
I asked the question to the seller, and I was right…
Q: when checking for the pitch, what was the position of the tuning slide? If it was all the way in, then the real pitch could be closer to 440.
A: The tuning slide was all the way in, ie fully closed so perhaps 440 is the real pitch? Thanks