So far we have;
Bill Haneman
Lorcan Dunne
Michael Dooley
Donncha Keegan
Robbie Hughes
Kevin Thompson
Martin Preshaw
Cillian O’Briain
Martin Kerrigan
John Mitchell
Gordon Galloway
Mark Donohoe
Michael Vignoles
Mickey Dunne
Finbar McLaughlin
Eamonn Curran
Dessie Seery
Martin Crossan
Eugene Lambe
Arie De Keyser
Anyone know if these lads are still making pipes
Tom White
Nick Adams
Tommy
What about this guy?
I have heard that Caoimhin O Raghallaigh was also. Is this true? Apparently he can play very well also. Why can’t he spread around some of his talent
Remember, that some of those makers make only practice/ halfsets and chanters.
Gordon Galloway apparently has gone back to Scotland and Eugene is not interested in pipemaking at the moment
Gordon Galloway has moved back to Scotland, so unfortunately his name must be dropped from the list.
Caoimhín, the story goes, turned out at least one full set of pipes (probably some chanters, etc., as well, but I’m not acquainted with him and don’t know any of the details…) and though he was not Geoff Wooff’s apprentice, it seems likely that the latter provided helpful advice to say the least. Unfortunately, Caoimhín is doing too much skinny dipping, performance art, and Hardanger fiddling to do any pipemaking at the moment…It’s just not his bag right now.
Hadn’t there been talk of Kevin Rowsome taking up the old family mantle and cranking some sets out? He has some training in woodworking, I seem to recall. Don’t tell me he’s gotten too ensconced in skinny dipping too…
Peter, I think we must have some inadvertant mental telepathy thing going on…
Caoimhin WAS Geoff’s apprentice. For the first set Geoff told him exactly what to do and why and that came out lovely. He then copied a Coyne Csharp tha the had on loan but (initially?) failed to reed it to his own satisfaction so went back to work on the reedmaking. By the nother things became too distracting.
So much for the telepathy.
I hadn’t been sure what exactly Caoimhín’s status had been under Geoff’s tutelage. Only that there were plenty of rumors that he would be teaming up with Geoff or taking over his business when Geoff retired and he seemed keen to quell them.
For Geoff it was more about passing on knowledge and skills, he considered Caoimhin an apprentice whatever that means.
There’s nothing too unfortunate about living in Scotland y’know.
Its very close to Ireland, the people are very similar (IMHO), as is the music, the scenery is great, and they seem to like whiskey even more than we do.
(I’m still trying to decide if the salmon fishing is any better, but climate change may throw that debate out the window.)
Gordon is still very much making uilleann pipes.
And when he’s not back in Ennis, Co Clare on the piss with his mates, he comes along to my local for a few tunes on his squeallers of a Sunday night!!!
B
Lucky you, Boyd…
I only meant that it was unfortunate for the state of uilleann pipemaking in Ireland that Gordon’s gone home. Ireland’s loss, Scotland’s gain. Very cool that he comes down to your local from time to time…I just hope you’re not keeping him from working on the chanter he’s supposed to be finishing for me any time now…Oh jeepers…I can hardly contain my excitement…
As far as I know Cillian O’Briain is only making chanters these days, I could be mistaken. Mickey Dunne seems to so far make only chanters, and is said to be very good at reeding chanters, especially O’Briain and Froment instruments. We saw Mickey play at Miltown this year and his own O’Briain set was very in tune, fine piping. I think Finbar McLaughlin makes pipes when he has time. About three years ago he made 3-4 flat sets of pipes as he had the time and materials. So he had them ready to sell to any interested parties. I really like Finbar’s piping by the way, reminds me a lot of Felix Doran and even Leo Rowsome. Martin Kerrigan last I heard has made chanters and is also an acclaimed reedmaker, very good at reeding Rowsome chanters
Joe Kennedy. He moved from Canada, and has been in touch, regarding pipemaking, with Geoff Wooff. Could you explain something more about this, Peter? Thanks.
Martin Carrigan not Kerrigan. He’s making full sets based on Rowsome instruments these days.
Martin Carrigan only makes the odd chanter, very rough work (he made a practice set for my neighbour, Sean Talty’s son)
Joe Kennedy has gone back to Canada
Nick Adams is writing filmscripts etc, not making pipes
I knew he had gone to Canada again, but I thought it´d be due to temporal business. So it´s definitive, Peter?
"Martin Carrigan not Kerrigan. He’s making full sets based on Rowsome instruments these days." Stain.
No, not full sets, just chanters and a practice set.
Almost forgot there’s Qwop Maguire in Ballygob, Co. Down, he makes only tenor drones though, and the occasional popping strap
Sorry guys, Martin Carrigan makes full sets. I’ve seen and played em at his house. I know as much as anyone else on this forum about Martin Carrigan’s work, trust me.
His first full set was a copy of Fergus Finnegan’s Rowsome set that Sean Seery bequeath him.
I can’t disagree with Peter’s comments on his work but don’t want to make commments about it on this forum.
Fair enough, only going by the one practice set I have seen (and photos of others), I was told Martin only made chanters. His reedmaking is held in very high regard.
You’re not Jimmy are you? (that would explain something 
)