Sir, – Kevin Conneff (October 11th) is quite correct. While the newly-designed passport's depiction of Irish music includes such recent additions to traditional practice as the bodhrán, accordion and banjo, the uilleann pipes, with its far longer association with Irish music, is left out.
I would have to say “unaccountably left out”, given the internationally recognised identification of the instrument with Ireland. For the instrument has been associated with Ireland for centuries, and is the most sophisticated of the scores of different types of bagpipe found throughout Europe. It affords the player an unequalled musical palette (including a two-octave range, unmatched by other bagpipes) for the performance of the native music, and incorporates its own built-in apparatus for providing harmonic and rhythmic accompaniment. It has been aptly described as “the Irish organ”.
Any other country would be proud of such a musical phenomenon, but a great many Irish people seem to be unaware of its existence. I can only suppose that the commissioner of the artwork concerned, and probably the artist who executed it, fall into that category. Na Píobairí Uilleann, the Association of Uilleann Pipers, was founded in 1968 when the general ignorance regarding the instrument was even more profound than it is today, and when it seemed to players that the pipes were destined to follow the old Irish harp into oblivion. Things have greatly improved in the 45 years since then, but in some quarters we obviously still have some way to go.
We are happy to provide players, lecturers or information on the subject of what is a national instrument. Inquiries should be directed to the address below, or to info@pipers.ie
– Yours, etc,
TERRY MOYLAN,
Archivist,
Na Píobairí Uilleann,
15 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1.