Scoil Acla - Uileann Pipe Classes

Uileann Pipes (pronounced uilin) are the national bagpipe of Ireland and differ from the Scottish variety in their method of inflation. Píoba uilleann literally means "pipes of the elbow” and uileann pipes are inflated by means of a small set of bellows strapped around the waist and the right arm. The bellows not only offer the player relief from having to blow into a bag to maintain pressure, they also allow relatively dry air to power the reeds, reducing the adverse effects of moisture on tuning and longevity.

The uilleann pipes have a different harmonic structure, sounding sweeter and quieter than many other bagpipes. It is thought the uileann pipes could only have been invented by the Irish as they allow pipers to converse, sing or take a drink while playing.

Scoil Acla Uileann Pipe Tutors

Mick O’Brien

Born in Dublin into a well know musical family in 1961, Mick started learning the pipes at nine years of age. His musical influences are his father and box player Dinny and pipers Séamus Ennis and Tommy Reck.

Mick began his musical education on the Uilleann pipes in the renowned Thomas Street Pipers Club in Dublin where his first teachers were Leon Rowsome, Mick Tuohy and Seán Seery. He recorded his first LP with his family when he was 13 years old. He later joined Na Piobairi Uilleann, where he absorbed hundreds of tunes and refined his technique. His playing can be heard on numerous recordings with artists such as The Dubliners, Frankie Gavin and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra.

He has toured extensively performing with Eurovision winners Secret Garden in Norway, Belgium, Korea and Poland, with Norwegian groups Vamp and Hanne Krogh and with Breton piper Patrick Molard in Brittany. He has also performed in San Francisco, Baltimore, Germany, Switzerland and Scotland and has given master classes throughout Europe and North America.

His highly acclaimed solo CD of traditional Irish music; "May Morning Dew" was released in 1996. 2003 he released "Kitty Lie Over," a duet album with fellow Dublin-born musician Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, which has been widely recognised as the most impressive Irish traditional instrumental CD of 2003 and one of the best in many years.

Mick lives in Dublin and was our musician in residence for 2009 and he has since joined our experienced list of tutors.

Robbie Hannan

Robbie was born in Belfast and raised in the nearby town of Holywood Co. Down. He began to take an interest in Irish traditional music as a result of listening to his parents' record collection. After listening to the recordings of Paddy Maloney with the The Chieftains and Liam O'Flynn with Planxty he decided to take up the pipes in 1977.

The pipers who have most influenced him have been Séamus Ennis, Willie Clancy and Tommy Reck and he has also adapted some of the repertoire of the Donegal fiddle playing tradition to the pipes. Robbie has made a number of recordings including a solo album and a duet recording with the Dublin fiddle player Paddy Glackin. He has taught the advanced piping class at the Willie Clancy Summer School in Co. Clare and at Scoil Acla in Co. Mayo for a number of years. He has played at concerts and festivals throughout Europe and, in recent years, has played at a number of festivals and concerts in the United States. In January 2003 he was a guest soloist with the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra at two concerts in Hong Kong City Hall.

He currently presents the radio programmes Fonn Ceoil on Raidió na Gaeltachta and Cúlán on BBC Radio Ulster.

Robbie studied Celtic languages and literature and Law at Queen's University, Belfast and is currently Curator of Musicology at The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum.

Tommy Keane

Tommy was born in Waterford City and while in his early twenties, after playing tin whistle for a couple of years, he met local piper Tommy Kearney who encouraged him to take up the uilleann pipes.  As well as his early tuition from Tommy Kearney, Tommy also attended the Willie Clancy Summer School where he learned further piping skills from pipers including Pat Mitchell and Liam O’Flynn.  The recordings of Willie Clancy, Séamus Ennis and Tommy Reck have also influenced his repertoire and style of playing. 

 In the 1980s Tommy spent seven years in London where he played with many of the giants of Irish music including Tommy McCarthy, Bobby Casey and Roger Sherlock.  While there he also provided music for productions by the National Theatre Co. and Rambert Ballet Co.  He was in demand as a session musician and worked with Elvis Costello on The Pogues album - Rum, Sodomy and the Lash.  Other recording credits in London include Clannad and Ralph McTell.  He was a member of the Thatch Céilí Band in London and in 1986 they won the Senior Céilí Band competition at the All Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Listowel, Co. Kerry. 

Since 1987 he has lived in Galway where he has worked with Druid Theatre Co. and the Irish language theatre group - An Taibhdhearc.  He has toured the U.S. on several occasions with Liam Clancy, Russia with Shaskeen and Zambia with the Sergeant Early Band.  Recording credits since moving to Galway include working with Alec Finn of De Dannan on the album “Blue Shamrock” - Alec’s first solo album. 

He has taught piping and performed at many traditional music events including: Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy (Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare), Fonn (Galway), Blas (Limerick), Feakle Traditional Music Festival (Feakle, Co. Clare), Scoil Shéamuis Ennis (Co. Dublin), Scoil Acla (Achill, Co. Mayo), Fleadh na gCuach (Kinvara, Co. Galway), William Kennedy International Festival of Piping (Armagh), Gaelic Roots (Boston) and Augusta Irish Week (West Virginia).  He has also taught and performed as guest of Uilleann Pipes clubs in England, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. 

      In 1991 he released his solo album “The Piper’s Apron “ on the Mulligan label and in 1995 a duet album “The wind among the reeds” with his wife, concertina player Jacqueline McCarthy.  In 1997 he performed with Iarla Ó Lionáird and The Irish Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra at the Point, Dublin and Carnegie Hall, New York.  Tommy is also featured on the De Dannan CD “Welcome to the Hotel Connemara” released in 2000.
     
Tommy holds an M.A.(Hons) in Traditional Music Performance from University of Limerick - completed in 2000. He is featured with Liam O’Flynn and Ronan Browne on Volume 1 of Na Píobairí Uilleann’s DVD series “Piper’s Choice” - released in 2008.  He teaches traditional music in Co. Galway.