Na Píobairí Uilleann

Chairman, NPU

An Píobaire

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7 4 15 20110920 15 DON’T GIVE UP! IT’S MONDAY 10th July 1986. 8.15am. “Thanks for the lift, lads”, I say as I get out of the car at the top of Tubbercurry. Two young men had pulled up for me as I thumbed a lift from Ballina to Tubbercurry where I have been asked to teach the pipes at the first South Sligo Summer School. I proceed down the main street, pipes in hand, rucksack on back, not knowing what to expect. My head throbs. After a hard week in Miltown Malbay and then a late session last night in Bal- lina, I’m not the best. The town looks deserted. Some cars parked. Not many. A woman sweeps the pavement outside Killoran’s pub and restau- rant. Some life at least! “Is there anywhere I could get a cup of tea” I ask. “Come in” she replies. “You are here for the music”. She sits me down. Like magic, an enormous feed appears in front of me. All I need is a cup of tea! But the breakfast goes down well. “How much is that”, I ask as I prepare to leave. “Nothing at all”, she says. Maybe you will play for us tonight” “Of course”, I promise rashly, not knowing where I am going to be tonight. I find St. Bridget’s Hall. Young people running around with instrument cases. I introduce myself to the lady at the desk. Her name is Rita. “Your classes are in the vocational school”, she says and gives me directions. She puts me at ease. She is a pet. At the tech I am amongst banjos and flutes. A card saying PIPES is fixed to one door. I enter. No one here. It’s the science room. Glass cabinets with beakers, test tubes and funnels are all around. Charts on the walls; How Plants Grow. The Principle of Archimedes. The Coefficient of Linear Expansion. The door opens. A thin young girl of about 12 years comes in. “Hello. I would like to learn the pipes”, she says. “ Sit down. Have you played music before”? “ I play the tin whistle” she replies. “Ok. Put this on”. I hand her a practise set of pipes that Rita has just given me. They are on loan to the summer school for the week. “I play left handed”, she says. Problems!!! I await for more pupils to arrive. They don’t. “Try turning the bag upside down” I suggest to the girl. “I remember seeing Willie Clancy do that once. He played left handed”. She struggles with the gear. “Ok. Fainne Geal an Lae. D E F F F”. The chanter squaulks. “Cover the holes”, I say. “It’s not that”, she replies. “The bellows is hurting my arm”. “Take a break”, I tell her. “Play a tune on the whis- tle”. She does. Wow! If I could play the whistle like that I wouldn’t bother with the pipes! Back to the pipes. After ten minutes she is ex- hausted. What time is it? 10.30. What now? The charts glare down at me from the walls. The Principle of Archimedes. “Do you do science in school”? I ask. BRIAN GALLAHAR Tubbercurry 1986

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2011-09-22T00:00:00

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