Eamonn Ceannt’s uilleann pipes returning to north Mayo collection

EAMONN Ceannt’s set of uilleann pipes are coming back to the Jackie Clarke Collection.

The pipes will be returning to the collection as part of the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Ballina Salmon Festival.

Eamonn Ceannt’s set of uilleann pipes will be transported from the Curragh Camp Military Museum on the afternoon of July 9 and put on display until the morning of July 11.

There will also be a very special performance on July 10 - Heritage Day - when uillean piper Eamonn Walsh will be popping in to try out the iconic pipes, which date back to 1845.

Eamonn Ceannt last played the pipes during St. Patrick’s Day 1916, only a few short weeks before he was executed for his role in the Easter Rising.

It is hoped as many people as possible take this opportunity to come to the collection to see this very special musical instrument that belonged to a truly remarkable man.

The pipes were last on display in the collection during the Connacht Fleadh in 2023.

Born in Galway in 1881, Eamonn Ceannt was devoted to the Irish language, music and dance and in 1900 joined the Gaelic League. He became a fluent Irish speaker, began teaching Irish and changed his name to the Irish format.

He was also an excellent musician and uilleann piper. He won a gold medal at the Oireachtas na Gaeilge in 1906 and received a Papal blessing for his performance while in Rome with members of the Catholic Young Men’s Society, participating in an athletics competition to celebrate the jubilee of Pope Pius X in 1908.

He founded the Dublin Pipers Club in 1900 which ultimately laid the seed for the formation of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and Na Piobairi Uilleann.

At the Jackie Clarke Collection you can view his signature on the original 1916 proclamation as well as three dispatches written by Eamonn in Easter Week 1916 when he was Commandant of the Garrison of the South Dublin Union during the actual Easter Rising, 1916.