I lived an worked with Michael in the early 70 before his death. What an amazing man he was, and what great sounding pipes he made. I’m so glad I found this on RU-vid as it takes me back to a great time in my life.
That’s fascinating! Thanks for posting, I genuinely love these little-known makers and I’m very glad to share what info and sounds I have here. To be making pipes in those days was a very rare thing and we need to celebrate his contribution to the instrument and it’s history. Especially when his pipes play and sound so good.
@@sionrouse my big regret was that my mother was taken I’ll shortly before his death and as I had to go home to England I missed his passing. When I returned his house had been cleared and both his and my pipes had gone. But seeing that old treadle lathe really took me back. My legs used to ache . I asked him if his legs ached and he told me with a twinkle in his eye “not when I think of the money they’re making”
What an amazing story. Of course it would be a treadle lathe in those days, fair play to you both. Feel free to drop me a message some time I’d love to hear more about it
Over 50 years ago I saw an advert by this chap in Exchange & Mart magazine .Knowing little of any bagpipe other than the Highland pipes,I got his brochures/description sheets for the Briain Boru wariness,Northumbrian small pipes,and the Uilleann pipes .All were beyond my reach financially at the time,but their descriptions fascinated me.Some time later I heard the McPeake family,and the I was hooked ! Wish I,d kept those brochures now !
Jason thanks for the great video, I have owned the pipes in the old RTE clip since 1982 they were Mick Keenan’s own set and came with a Rowsome chanter, I think he also got a mention in an article that I posted on the Glasgow Uilleann Pipers F/B that Pat McNulty had penned back in the 1980’s. Keep up the good work!
@@sionrouse Jason The best pipes I ever had was a set that Seamus Ennis identified at the Tionol one year as been made by Hamilton of Glasgow a full set… looked a lot like the work of Willie Rowsome in the key C* again he got a mention in the Pat McNulty article that I posted in Glasgow Uilleann Pipes f/b . I think that the McPeak Family Belfast have also a set by Hamilton. This could be your next project…..Good luck.
I at one time, had an idea for a popper vavle, at the bottom of the pipe Chanter so that one could play completely standing up with the pipes. I'm saving up so I can purchase a proper bag that works for my pipe Chanter, but I have synthetic reeds that work great(even in practice chanter) and so I often times play standing up. I am limited though but if I inhale fast enough between breathes, I can play for long periods.
