Séamus Ennis

Séamus Ennis (; 5 May 1919 – 5 October 1982) was an Irish traditional musician, singer and Irish music collector. He was most noted for his uilleann pipe playing and was partly responsible for the revival of the instrument during the twentieth century, having co-founded Na Píobairí Uilleann, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to the promotion of the uilleann pipes and its music. He is recognised for having preserved almost 2,000 Irish songs and dance-tunes as part of the work he did with the Irish Folklore Commission. Ennis is widely regarded as one of the greatest uilleann pipers of all time. In 1912, he came first in the Oireachtas competition for warpipes and second in the uilleann pipes. He was also a prize-winning dancer. and Christopher. His job was to record the traditional music of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and to present it on the BBC Home Service. The programme was called As I Roved Out and ran until 1958. Meeting up with Alan Lomax again, Séamus was largely responsible for the album Folk and Primitive Music (volume on Ireland) on the Columbia label. It has since been reissued on the [Rounder] Label

Full-time musician In 1958, after his contract with the BBC was not renewed, he started doing freelance work, first in England then back in Ireland, with the new TV station Teilifis Éireann. Soon he was relying totally on his musical ability to make a living. About this time his marriage broke down and he returned to Ireland. He suffered from tuberculosis and was ill for some time. In 1964, he performed at the Newport Folk Festival. His father gave him the pipes he had bought in 1908. Although most pipers can be classed as playing in a tight style or an open style, Séamus was in between. Séamus was a master of the slow air, knowing how to decorate long notes with taste and discreet variation.

Two events will live in legend among pipers. The first was in Bettystown in 1968, when the society of Irish pipers, Na Píobairí Uilleann, was formed. Breandán Breathnach was playing a tape of his own piping. Séamus asked "What year?" Brendan replied "1948". Séamus said "So I thought". For a couple of hours the younger players performed while Séamus sat in silence. Eventually he was asked to play. Slowly he took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves. He spent 20 minutes tuning up his 130-year-old pipes. He then asked the gathering whether all the tape recorders were ready and proceeded to play for over an hour. To everyone's astonishment he then offered his precious pipes to Willie Clancy to play a set. Willie demurred but eventually gave in. Next Liam O'Flynn (Liam Óg Ó Floinn) was asked to play them, and so on, round the room. The second unforgettable session was in Dowlings' pub in Prosperous in County Kildare. Christy Moore was there, as well as most of the future members of Planxty.

Séamus never ran any school of piping but his enthusiasm infused everyone he met. In the early seventies, he shared a house with Liam O'Flynn for almost three years. Finally he bought a piece of land in Naul and lived in a mobile home there. One of his last performances was at the Willie Clancy Summer School in 1982. He died on 5 October 1982. His pipes were bequeathed to Liam O'Flynn. Radio producer Peter Browne produced a compilation of his performances, called The Return from Fingal, spanning 40 years.

Commemoration

Séamus Ennis Road in his native Finglas is named in his honour. The Séamus Ennis Arts Centre in Naul was opened in his honour, to commemorate his work and to promote the traditional arts. He is also the subject of Christy Moore's song 'The Easter Snow.' This is the title of a slow air Ennis used to play, and one after which he named his final home in Naul.

Discography Albums The Bonny Bunch of Roses (1957) The Ace and Deuce of Piping (1961) Ceol, Scéalta agus Amhráin (1961) Forty Years of Irish Piping (1974) The Pure Drop (1974) The Fox Chase (1974) The Best of Irish Piping (1974) Irish Pipe and Tin Whistle Songs (1976) Feidhlim Tonn Rí's Castle (1977) The Wandering Minstrel (1977) Forty Years of Irish Piping (1977) The Return from Fingal (1997) Two Centuries of Celtic Music (2001) Séamus Ennis – Ceol, Scéalta agus Amhráin (Remastered, 2006)

Anthologies (various artists) Irish Pipe and Tin Whistle Songs (1994) Green Linnet 20th Anniversary Collection (1996) Alan Lomax Sampler (1997) Traditional Dance Music of Ireland (1997)

In 2009 The Blackbird from The Wandering Minstrel was included in Topic Records 70 year anniversary boxed set Three Score and Ten as track eight on the third CD.