Item HBR-18629/1/258984 - Harry Bradshaw Collection. Reel-to-Reel 2 [sound recording] / [various performers]

Speech: Untitled [Part of an interview with Breandan Breathnach by Paddy Glackin for the radio programme 'The Long Note', RTE Radio 1, with occasional input from the programme producer Harry Bradshaw. Topics: continuation (from a previous tape) of a discussion about the aims of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann (CCE); a survey (of music instrumentation?) taken (within CCE?); CCE should not concern itself with the button accordion or the harp; guitar banned from CCE competitions because of its sexual symbolism; founding of Na Piobairi Uilleann (NPU) in 1968; initial discussions with Seamus McMahon, Martin Talty, and Sean Reid in Wilson's pub after a Fleadh Ceoil in Miltown Malbay; first Tionol arranged in Bettystown; Pipers Club in Thomas St, Dublin gave financial support; 50 to 60 pipers attended, including some from the USA; Seamus Ennis gave an impressive recital; before he began to play instructed everybody to turn on their tape recorders; after playing, handed his pipes to Willie Clancy, then on to anybody who wanted to play them; next was Liam O Floinn; this generosity uncharacteristic of older generation of pipes, who would not play if they thought anybody else could learn their music; one piper on his deathbed bit the reeds so that no-one else could play his pipes; another sent his wife to the door before he played to check that no-one was listening; Seamus Ennis had no trade secrets; at the first Tionol, Sean Reid proposed the founding of an organisation; this was supported by Leo Rowsome and Seamus Ennis; BB was assistant secretary of CCE at that time, and aware of problems with lengthy arguments at committee meetings; constitution of NPU restricted to 294 words; membership of NPU restricted to practitioners; great asset was the tremendous ability of Seamus Ennis, with his willingness to share his music, and thus to bind the organisation to the long tradition that he had through his father, with the connection to Nicholas Markey and the Taylor brothers; phonograph cylinders that Francis O'Neill had sent to Father Henebry in 1908 were discovered to be still extant in Cork; BB quotes Henebry's judgement of Touhey's version of 'The Shaskeen Reel'; other cylinders discovered with music from pipers born before the Famine, for example Jem Byrne and Dinny Delaney; unfortunately music from Martin Reilly was indecipherable; a bulletin, An Piobaire, was published, containing historical information and transcriptions from pipers; Ceol an Phiobaire and its contents; Wilbert Garvin produced pipe-making manual; first printing sold out very quickly; alleged errors in the pipe-making manual and BB's reaction to this accusation] [END OF BAND ONE]

Bradshaw, Harry - speech in English
Breathnach, Breandan - speech in English
Glackin, Paddy - speech in English