Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh.

[JR]

Anybody familiar with his pipe making? I understand he studied under Geoff Woof and currently resides in West Clare.

Are his pipes any good? He has a fondness for Flat sets so I assume he would probably make only those

[Ceann Cromtha]

Do you mean the fiddler? He makes pipes too?!

[carel]

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[The Sporting Pitchfork]

Do you mean the fiddler? He makes pipes too?!

And he's an excellent flute player. And he has a degree in theoretical physics. (AND he managed to survive growing up vegetarian in Ireland in the 1980s, which is truly beyond belief.)

I had the privilege of showing Caoimhín around Portland, OR for an afternoon last year. The man has far too much on his plate to even remotely consider doing much pipemaking in the foreseeable future, as far as I could tell. I know he made at least one very nice full set (see the vid. on Fergmaun's YouTube page), but I'm not sure how much he made beyond that. Maybe someday he'll get back into it...I'd quite happily sign onto his waiting list if he ever does.

But if you were one of the most celebrated traditional musicians of your generation, and one of the few people working in the medium with the combination of brains, balls, and artistic integrity to do music that both arch-traditionalists and people without the slightest interest in Irish traditional music would rave about, would YOU sit around in a workshop making pipes all day?

[MikeyLikesIt]

WHAT have i been doing for the past year and a half?!? ......I'll stick to the workshop, as my playing need more work.

[The Sporting Pitchfork]

NB: I didn't mean to suggest that there's anything wrong with sitting around in a workshop making pipes all day. Some of the most interesting people I know sit around in a workshop making pipes all day...

Just that Caoimhín's got quite a lot to keep him busy, it seems, and I don't think he'd place pipemaking as a particularly high priority for the time being.

[MikeyLikesIt]

NB: I didn't mean to suggest that there's anything wrong with sitting around in a workshop making pipes all day. Some of the most interesting people I know sit around in a workshop making pipes all day...

Just that Caoimhín's got quite a lot to keep him busy, it seems, and I don't think he'd place pipemaking as a particularly high priority for the time being.

I know, i was just trying to be silly. sorry for the misunderstanding, internet unfortunately tends to muddy up delivery.

[Wannabe-Piper]

Caoimhin burnt his set because he wasn't happy with they way it turned out.

[JR]

Now that is a shame. I can't even begin to imagine burning a set of pipes even if it were one i made (if i could). A set is such a big investment in time and money but I'm sure he had good reason...

I suppose it would be good business for him if the customer knew they were getting only the very best. I can't think of any pipemaker who would destroy his own instruments if they turned out to be sub standard.

[meemtp]

I don't think it's that uncommon. Kieran O'Hare once wrote a story about Kirk Lynch blasting chanters that he wasn't happy with a shotgun. Others make lampposts out of them.

[snoogie]

I suppose it would be good business for him if the customer knew they were getting only the very best. I can't think of any pipemaker who would destroy his own instruments if they turned out to be sub standard.

Huh? What else to do with them if they turn out substandard, you certainly wouldn't want a pipemaker to sell them...nor would the pipemaker want their name on a substandard product.

I'd say, learn what you can from the 'failures' and then toss them in the fireplace when you're done analyzing what went wrong. Of course, skeet shooting with them has a certain appeal as well

-g

[Hans-Joerg]

Murphy´s Law: If Mr. X makes a top notch set it is likely that a mediocre player will get it and it will never be mentioned any more. However, should Mr. X only once turn out a mediocre set then you can be dead sure that once in a while a first class player will try it and the rumour will spread that Mr. X makes crappy stuff. Burning is the only logical alternative.

[PJ]

What else to do with them if they turn out substandard...

EBAY

[Wannabe-Piper]

Murphy´s Law: If Mr. X makes a top notch set it is likely that a mediocre player will get it and it will never be mentioned any more. However, should Mr. X only once turn out a mediocre set then you can be dead sure that once in a while a first class player will try it and the rumour will spread that Mr. X makes crappy stuff. Burning is the only logical alternative.

Hm I'm not sure about it being the ONLY logical alternative.............

Anyway, Caoimhin made the set for himself, he was never intendening to sell it on. At least thats what I think, he referred to it in interviews and on the documentary about making a set for himself