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Breandán Breathnach Collection File
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Letters from Francis O’Neill to William Halpin

Letters from Capt. Francis O’Neill, 5448 Dreyfus Ave, Chicago to William Halpin, Newmarket on Fergus, Co. Clare. The letters refer to a number of uilleann pipers both resident in the United States of America, as well as, Ireland. These include Bernard Delaney and Patsy Touhey (Touhey, Patsy, 1865-1923), ‘two first class pipers’, Ireland’s ‘double prize winner’ Bob Thompson, ‘McAuliffe’, ‘Stephenson’, Charlie Ferguson, ‘Bishop O’Connor of Limerick’, ‘Bishop Touhy of Limerick’, ‘Andrews’, ‘Mr O’Mealy of Belfast’ (O’Mealy, Richard Lewis, 1873-1947) and Eddie Joyce. There are also references to other musicians including the fiddler John McFadden, who O’Neill describes as, ‘our best traditional fiddler’. The letters refer to phonograph piping records which O’Neill and Halpin exchange throughout the course of these letters. There are also a number of references to the Professor of Irish at University College, Cork and author of a number of books on Irish music, ‘Rev. Dr. [Richard] Henebry’ (Henebry, Richard, 1863-1916). O’Neill says that he is in correspondence with Henebry and has sent him a number of phonograph records also.

Seán Reid Letters: 1927-1936

Letters from various friends and relatives to Seán Reid who between these years lived at a number of addresses including: Ormeau Road, Belfast; Hibernian Hotel, Borrisokane, Co Tipperary; 70 Haddington Road, Dublin and Royal Oak Road, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow. Letters from Seán Reid’s mother, Scarvagherin, Co Tyrone are personal in nature. Letters from Rev Leo Browne, Verdun, Montreal, refer to Reid as his ‘dear old sparring partner’ (6 Oct 1927), and Redmond [Nugent?], Erganagh, Castlederg, refer to training and boxing and talk about the ‘good old times’. Letters of a more musical nature with references to uilleann pipes, fiddles, and various Irish music publications including ‘O’Neill’s music for Piano & Violin’ and ‘Moore’s Melodies’ are exchanged with the following people: John Potts, 6 Watkins Blds., Off Ardee St, Dublin, who is glad to hear that Reid is ‘progressing with the pipes’; ‘John’, Spamount, Castlederg, [Co Tyrone]; ‘Brian’, 23 Salisbury Gardens, Belfast; D[enis] Dunphy, Spamount, Castlederg, Co. Tyrone; ‘M. McGlinchey’, R.U.C Barracks, York St, Belfast; ‘M. Foley’, Kuigh, Nenagh, Co Tipperary and ‘J. Leahy’, The Chalet, Ballinaclough, Nenagh. There are also two undated letters from Paddy Brennan and ‘R Freeman’, Dooleys Hotel, Bagenalstown, Co Carlow. The letter writers say that they ‘miss [Reid] a lot here, no pipes, no violin, nothing but the Gramophone to remind us of you.’

Seán Reid Ephemera

Various items of ephemera including concert programmes, receipts and newspaper clippings. These relate to Feiseanna, Conradh na Gaeilge, Cumann Lúthchleas Gael (GAA) and An Cumann Gaelach, Queen's University Belfast. Included are a ‘Programme of Concert in New Cinema, Thurles, November 14th, 1935’ and ‘Clár Feis Charman 1936’.

Accounts and Receipts

Financial documents and receipts relating to the activities of Na Píobairí Uilleann. Included are an entry sheet for ‘Cumann na bPiobairí Uilleann / Uilleann Pipers' Club Members Private Sweep on The Grand National, Run at Aintree..., 1963; a hardback copy listing names & subscription payments to Na Píobairí Uilleann (1968-1972), the first entry is as follows ‘26th October 1968. Convention held at Bru na Gael, North Great George’s Street. Subscriptions were collected by me and the names of subscribers noted with addresses.’ The copy also includes ‘income’ and ‘expenditure’ accounts for these years. Also included are receipts for among other things, printing of the society’s newsletter An Píobaire, the printing of photographs from a pipers’ gathering in 1973, receipts for materials relating to reed making e.g. ‘12 balls of hemp, £1.07’ as well as receipts for the purchase of publications.

Feis Ceoil Piping Competition

Included in an envelope marked, ‘Féis Cheoil piping comptn’, are draft & original correspondence between Turlough [Terry] Moylan, honorary secretary of Na Píobairí Uilleann and two members of the Feis Ceoil committee, Mrs M. E. Atock and Miss J. Hunter; a letter from Terry Moylan to Breandán Breathnach; and a copy of the Feis Ceoil ‘Syllabus of prize competitions … 1971.’ The correspondence relates to a request by Na Píobairí Uilleann for the ‘re-inclusion of piping competitions in the 1972 Feis Ceoil’ (22 Jul 1971). Na Píobairí Uilleann’s suggestion ‘received very favourable consideration’ at the Feis Ceoil committee meeting (17 Sep 1971) the issue of who would provide and finance prizes and adjudicators is raised; Na Píobairí Uilleann offer to provide plaques and three adjudicators ‘at no expense’ (30 Sep 1971); there is a disagreement about the number of adjudicators needed, the Feis Ceoil committee comment that ‘in all Feis Ceoil competitions only one adjudicator is employed … this condition must be complied with in the piping classes’ (12 Nov 1971); Na Píobairí Uilleann is ‘taken aback at the unyielding attitude’ displayed by the Feis Ceoil committee, Na Píobairí Uilleann feel they are the ‘best judges’ as to how a piping competition should be conducted and accordingly ‘they cannot accede’ to the Feis Ceoil request (18 Jan 1972).

Monaghan County Museum

Letters from Aidan Walsh, BA Curator, Monaghan County Museum, The Courthouse, Monaghan to Breandán Breathnach; exhibition catalogue ‘Pipes and Piping: An exhibition from Na Piobairi Uilleann, Dublin. Monaghan County Museum, October 7 - November 3 1977’; and copies of newspaper clipping relating to the exhibition from ‘The Anglo Celt’, ‘The Northern Standard’ and ‘The Argus’. Letters relating to the mounting of the piping exhibition in Monaghan County Museum. Aidan Walsh wrote that the exhibition was ‘well received’ and that ‘our daily attendance averaged 50 throughout the exhibition which was an increase on our normal October level’ (21 Nov 1977).

The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust

Letter from Eamonn Fitzgerald, c/o Michael Ó Ciarán, Glasleac, Shercock, Co Cavan; draft letter from Breandán Breathnach to Donal McGahan, Foras Eireann, Fitzwilton House, Wilton Place, Dublin 2; and original & draft correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and Janet Allan, Administrative Assistant, Carnegie United Kingdom Trust, Comely Park House, Dunfermline. The letter from Eamonn Fitzgerald describes the apprenticeship which he is serving with 80 year old pipe maker Michael Ó Ciaraín in Cavan. He lists a number of other pipe makers in the country including Alf & Moss Kennedy. He refers to the financial problems which have been faced by Ó Ciaraín ‘he has made a good few sets of pipes in his time and some good ones too. However he was always hampered by lack of money trying to make a living on a 15 acre farm in Cavan is not easy’ Fitzgerald is asking Na Píobairí Uilleann to ‘endorse my work if I could make good pipes’ he has managed to ‘get a grant of £1000 per year for 3 years from the Carnegie Trust’ (21 Jul 1976). Breathnach writes to Mr Donal McGahan, Foras Eireann, saying that Na Píobairí Uilleann would be willing ‘to act as intermediary in the payment of the grand which the Carnegie Trust awarded him [Eamonn Fitzgerald] to enable him to study uilleann pipe making’ (15 Aug 1977).

General Correspondence: 1973-1975

Letters from Ronnie Wathen; Brendan Saunders, Derry; David O’Docherty, London; Theodor Podnos; Pat McNulty; John Curry; Willie Reynolds (Reynolds, Willie, 1916-2003); draft letters from Breandán Breathnach to Seán Reid (Reid, Seán, 1907-1978); correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and ‘Mr E. H. Tupling’, London; letters from Patrick Farrell, Dublin 4; Tom Sheridan, London; Roisín White, Warrenpoint, Co Down; Seán McGuire, Cavan. Includes correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and Doirín Clancy [widow of Willie Clancy (Clancy, Willie, 1935-2009)] which refers to tapes of Willie Clancy’s playing and getting copies of these recordings made for various people for a Claddagh Records LP.

General Correspondence: 1977

Letters from Roderick D. Cannon; Mick Farrell, Melbourne; Séamus [Ennis] (Ennis, Séamus, 1919-1982); Sammy Wade, Antrim; Ciss Talty, Miltown Malbay, Co Clare; Robbie Hannan; Eilish Moore, Dublin suggesting a presentation to Seamus Ennis should take place ‘Recently Seamus Ennis played in the venue and he moved me so much that I feel compelled to do something for this gentleman. It has been suggested to me by various musicians that a public presentation should be made to this gentleman in appreciation for his contribution to Irish Music’ (26 May 1977); letter from C.I.H. Bayley, Teddington, Middlesex, who is making ‘uilleann and Northumbrian Pipes as a hobby’ he is looking for information ‘on the construction of extra regulators’ includes five diagrams (1 June 1977); letter from James T. McGuire Jr, Evanston, Illinois, who is carrying out research on ‘chief Francis O’Neill (O’Neill, Francis, 1848-1936) and other Chicago Musicians, especially pipers’ (17 Oct 1977); letter from Padraig Ó Fearail enclosing a copy of the programme for ‘Éigse Mhantáin, Royal Starlight Hotel, Bray October 7/8, 1977’ (23 Oct 1977).

General Correspondence: 1978-1982

Letters from Séamus MacMathúna, Wexford; Larry McCullough; Larry Lynch who encloses a copy of an itinerary for a ‘14 day dance and music tour of Ireland June 23-July 6, 1981’; letter from Diarmuid Grainger ‘enclosing details of the passing away of Mr Moss Kennedy, piper and pipe maker… he was 82’ Grainger gives a good deal of biographical information in this letter (4 June 1982); letter from Tadhg Mac Lochlainn thanking Breandán Breathnach for the tape of ‘D[enis]. Delaney’, MacLochlainn ‘knew Denis well and saw [him] playing in 1916/17 when I was about 10 or 11 yrs.’ (4 Dec 1982)
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