Back in 2014 legendary Clare Uilleann Piper Blackie O’Connell & bouzouki maestro, Cyril O’Donoghue released their debut album Friars Green. A full-bodied traditional Irish music album, it pretty much sailed under my radar until a friend mentioned the purchase of the album via the good folk at Custy’s Music in Co. Clare (use them, they provide an excellent service – very fast and reasonable postage as well).
In Colin Harper and John McSherry’s fantastic book ‘The Wheels of the World: 300 Years of Irish Uilleann Pipers“, Finbar Furey, a master and ambassador of the instrument in the 60s and 70s, describes Blackie O’Connell as “…the next generation that’s going to hold this instrument together”.
Cyril O’Donoghue’s accompaniment on bouzouki is like watching musical telepathy; he also plays the guitar, sings and is a prominent musician on Clare’s traditional music scene (check his solo album Noting But a Child). He’s played with the likes of Tola Custy, Alan Kelly, John Kelly, Michael Queally, The Mulcahy family, Fisherstreet, Birkintree, to name just a few.
They certainly lock into the performance here – watch Blackie and Cyril performing King of the Pipers / Spike Island Lassies at the 2016 Fleadh on the streets of Ennis. Presenter Lynette Fay’s infectious whoops of encouragement during the session perfectly reflected our own response upon seeing this for the first time.
Both Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue also run Piping Heaven/Piping Hell, a world-renowned uilleann pipes session at Considine’s, Ennis, Co. Clare every Friday at 4:30 (Facebook)
Buy their album via Custy’s here: https://custysmusic.com/products/blackie-o-connell-cyril-o-donoghue