The Breandán Breathnach Post-Retirement Index, or PRI for short, was the name given to this melodic card index by Jackie Small so that the resource could be distinguished from the other two Breathnach indexes. Breathnach retired from University College Dublin in 1977 at the age of 65. PRI is written on 6302 index cards, each 15.5 X 10.5 cm in size.
Cnuasacht Iomlán den Cheol Damhsa, CICD for short, is Breandán Breathnach’s own title for this resource. CICD is a melodic card index written on 6544 large index cards, each 5 X 8 inches in size. These cards contain full handwritten and printed tunes.
This is the melodic tune index that Breandán Breathnach used during his professional life as a civil servant with responsibility for music. Clár na bPort Gaelach (CPG) is written on 6545 index cards, each 3 x 5 inches in size.
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)
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).
Draft & original correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and Ken McLeod, Robert McMahon, Alaska; and Jackie Small. Correspondence between Breathnach and McMahon relate to ‘procuring a practice set from Kevin Thompson’ (20 Oct 1976)
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.
Letters from Seán Reid; Tom Busby; Wilbert Garvin; Paddy Moloney, Managing Director, Claddagh Records; Mícheál Ó Riabhaigh, Cork (Ó Riabhaigh, Mícheál, 1911-1976); Pat McNulty, Glasgow; Barry O’Neill, Ann Arbor, Michigan; John Curry, Williamsburg, Virginia; Roly Brown, Hungerford, Berkshire; Micheál Ó Ciaráin, Cavan; and Tony Engle, Director, Topic Records. An undated letter from Tom Busby [1970] congratulates Breathnach for ‘having the courage to organize such a necessary and wonderful association as Na Píobairí Uilleann’.
Included in a file marked ‘Shannon Development: Costings L. Byrne’ are draft & original correspondence between Breandán Breathnach and Nick Condon, Librarian, Shannon Development, Shannon Free Airport, Co Clare and Bruce W. Du Ve, Barr Rua, Feakle, Co Clare; and an undated photocopy of Lonan Byrne’s costs for ‘manufacturing uilleann pipes.’ The correspondence relates to a project being researched by Nick Condon ‘on pipe-making, ascertaining ways and means of making it a more productive craft industry’ (17 Feb 1977); Breathnach meets with Condon and recommends pipe-maker, Bruce De Ve; De Ve subsequently writes to Breathnach saying that ‘Shannon Development have been of little assistance of late, and although they are still working on processing my application I am not holding out great hopes’ he asks Breathnach to ‘help me by guaranteeing this bank loan’ (17 Dec 1977); Breathnach replies saying he is ‘unable to meet’ his request and notes that ‘when Shannon Development began dragging their heels I felt they had grown dubious about the enterprise and what I had earmarked for the piping I diverted elsewhere’ (3 Jan 1978).
Draft & original correspondence between Breandán Breathnach, Jackie Small, Ballinfoyle, Galway and two employees of Gaeltarra Éireann, Na Forbacha, Gaillimh [Galway], Cathal Mac Gabhann, Stiúrthoir, and Tomás Bairéad, Oifigeach Taighde; a typescript entitled ‘A Proposal for manufacture of Uilleann Pipes’ which proposes setting up the watchmaker, Brian Gallahar, ‘a skilled craftsman in a field which has some common ground with musical instrument making (in turning and boring fine metals)’ as a pipe maker in the Ros Muc Gaeltacht. Gaeltarra turn down Na Píobairí Uilleann’s proposal because of a similar venture which was being considered in Rinn, [Co. Waterford] involving ‘‘Sky’ and Liam Clancy (of the Clancy Brothers)’ [16 Apr 1976]
