Showing 2 results

These fonds were largely created by Breandán Breathnach while he was chairman of the uilleann piping society, Na Píobairí Uilleann, from its establishment in 1968, right through the 1970s and into the early 1980s. The majority of the material dates from the decade 1968-1978. The first series contains letters from Francis O'Neill (O'Neill, Francis, 1848-1936) to William Halpin and letters from various individuals to Seán Reid (Reid, Seán, 1907-1978), mostly dating from the 1930s. It is most likely that the Seán Reid and Francis O'Neill letters were purchased by, or donated to, Breandán Breathnach in 1973 by Seán Reid after a request by Breathnach to deposit the originals in his newly established 'National Archives'. Breathnach wrote 'I am making so bold as to suggest you should donate these & other papers you might have to the National Archives new established in this Department or perhaps you would not mind offering them for sale' (M/187/3/3/2, 30 Oct 1973). These fonds also contain papers relating to Seán Ó Riada (Ó Riada, Seán, 1931-1971) from Len Clifford who seemed to be acting as an agent for ÓRiada during the early 1970s. It is not known how Breathnach came to be in possession of these papers, it is most likely that they were given to him as part of his national music archive project. The last series in this collection relates to the organisation Na Píobairí Uilleann. It includes correspondence and papers of a financial and administrative nature, as well as, documents relating to the organisation's various activities i.e. exhibitions, concerts, and pipe making.

This series contains letters and ephemera which were originally in an envelope marked 'S. Reid’. Seán Reid was a fiddler and an uilleann piper, born in Castlefin, Co. Donegal he moved to Ennis in Co. Clare in 1937 and lived there for forty years. Along with Breandán Breathnach he was founder member of Na Píobairí Uilleann and played an important part in its evolution. The series contains five letters from the famous Irish American music collector, Francis O'Neill, (O'Neill, Francis, 1848-1936) to the uilleann piper William Halpin. Also included are letters, the majority written in 1937 and 1938, from various friends and relatives to Seán Reid (Reid, Seán, 1907-1978). Some letters are personal in nature, for example those from his mother and sister, ‘Kathleen’, but the majority include many references to music, musicians and uilleann piping in 1930s Ireland. There are also a number of items of ephemera relating to feiseanna & Irish music events.