This series relates to the uilleann piping organisation Na Píobairí Uilleann which was founded in 1968. The majority of the papers relate to the early years of the organisation from 1968–1978, when Breandán Breathnach was chairman. A large amount of the correspondence is addressed to the chairman’s home address, 47 Frascati Park, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. There are also letters addressed to other committee members including secretary, Brian Vallely and Terry Moylan. The objectives of the organisation are to ‘promote and encourage the playing of the uilleann pipes; to collect and preserve music for the instrument in any manner considered feasible by the council; to assemble materials and carry out research on the history of the pipes and pipers; to issue from time to time publications about piping and the affairs of the association; to spread the knowledge of reed making and to promote the making of pipes.’ (BBR-18712/5/2). The series is divided into three subseries, the first contains some financial and administrative documents relating to various NPU premises and to specialist equipment acquired by the organisation. The objectives of the organisation are reflected in the second subseries ‘Activities’ with documents relating to the society’s bulletin An Píobaire; the music competition, Feis Ceoil; letters relating to the organisation of some of the early Tionól [Pipers’ Gatherings]; the piping exhibition Pipes and Piping, which was exhibited around the country in various locations; and documents relating to proposals sent to Gaeltarra Éireann, Shannon Development and The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust for grant aid to assist in setting up pipe makers in business. The final subseries, ‘General Correspondence 1969-1982’, contains letters from many uilleann pipers active in the society in the 1970s.
This series is made up of three Thematic Indexes to Irish Dance Music which was compiled on index cards by Breandán Breathnach over a period of thirty years. The index controls about five or six thousand dance tunes in manuscripts, books and on sound recordings. It provides names for tunes without titles, gives the printed history of the tunes, and lists the appearance of tunes in various sources.
Includes set list written on back of form from Walkinstown Social Service Centre. Also includes cassette inlay card dated February 1986 listing 15 tunes (annotation re reproduction and performance quality) and duplicate list written on an envelope. Includes set list on carbon paper with drawing of fiddle, a speech (?), and list of compositions by Potts.
Letter from Paddy Doaley of the Welsh School of Violin-making (1983) including tune of Ed Reavy. Letter from Mick O’Connor re Potts’ decision to not be involved in archival project. Letters to Paddy Maloney including musings on folk music and musicians of the time. (7 June 1972). Letters to and from Michael O’Sullivan [Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin] at Music Department UCC.
Nellie Walsh published a column in 'Ireland's own' entitled 'Songs of your county' from the mid 1960s to just before her death in the mid 1990s. 'Songs of your county' included the lyrics of songs tied to 32 counties across Ireland, and each column was often dedicated to one specific county, though many included features from multiple. In order to find these songs, Walsh compiled lyrics from across the Island from her own experience, but also received submissions from citizens of songs they had heard throughout their lives. Though published only as ballad sheets, many of the songs were submitted or noted in tonic sol-fa, and occaisonally with accompanying staff notation. The two sub-series in this series show the published 'Songs of your county' column, and the handwritten notes that show how Walsh constructed her column, divided by county.
Separate from her contribution to 'Ireland's own,' Nellie Walsh was a singer and collector of traditional Irish music who sang in local and national choirs. As a singer, she had a large collection of sheet music taped together to be performed. She collected folk songs before even starting 'Songs of your county,' so a majority of her personal papers is made up of songs compiled into manuscript books or written on the backs of envelopes, clipped from newspapers, and photocopied. The earliest date in this collection is 1936, but the majority is likely from the late 1940s until the end of her life in the late 1990s.
