Michael (Blackie) O'Connell and John Joe Kelly / Whistle Entertainment / Folk Lure

Blackie O'Connell on the Uilleann Pipes and John Joe Kelly on the Bodhran with video from their appearance in Ballyvaughan, Ireland and near by places of interest.

[@micjam1986]

I need more Uilleann Pipes in my life!!

[@enduser63]

Love those bass tones

[@martini3524]

So do we all.

[@mykey1956]

My wife and I were in Doolin one night on an Ireland vacation. Just happened to catch a Trad session at Mcganns Pub. Blackie played there that night. Wow those pipes were smoking. I will never forget that evening. Amazing!

[@trevorbyron9448]

He sounds masterful - a pleasure to listen to

[@cwilde]

@shreddemon3113 : I have the first brief little demo tune as The Silver Spear, and on the big set I have them as Gorman's Reel, The Merry Sisters of Fate, The Mountain Top, and The (Poor) Scholar. Mighty stuff, Blackie! :)

[@nmaddog4689]

That was just awesome. I’ve often noticed the regulators while listening to and watching uilleann pipes being played but that’s the first time I ever heard someone explain that part in the instrument. It all becomes clear as he kicks them in at the end of this video. For all that’s going on with that instrument he’d probably be a natural flying a helicopter.

[@kabouktli]

It's simple. All you have to do is control the chanter with the fingers of both your hands, the bellows with your arm, the bag with your other arm, the regulators with the side of your hand, and the end of the chanter wih your knee. Drones play all alone, and you have your mouth free in case you want to play some harmonica along.

[@mdcascade1180]

So so good! I could listen to this 24-7. I play the highland pipes, but uilleann pipes are on my bucket list!!

[@jonjeny]

Same here on both accounts :)

[@mariegordon6248]

This took years off my heart this morning. Brilliant.

[@mickipatrick]

We so enjoyed Blackie and the group at 2 pubs in Doolin Sept 2013…the group was delightful…banjo, mandolin, the pipes. Great musicians, great fun!

[@shaalis]

Got to play along with Blackie at a Fleadh in Toronto. He's a fabulous person. The Jimi Hendrix of the pipes.

[@lesliecaplan4899]

YES!!! That's perfect! The Jimi Hendrix of the pipes!!!

I met him a couple of times in Clare, very humble, and quite brilliant.

[@Gaff.]

I know I'm not supposed to say this, but the piping here impressed me as much as the first time I saw Séamus Ennis.

[@balddonaldcerrone7930]

Blasphemy

[@girlandherguitar]

Had the great, good fortune to see Blackie & Cyril O'Donoghue in Lac Brome (Knowlton), Quebec during the International Celtic Festival last night. Absolutely fantastic! They were joined later by two local musicians, Pascal Gemme & Nicolas Williams of Genticorum (who we were actually there to see so we had no idea of the treat that was awaiting us in Blackie & Cyril's playing). The magic just grew exponentially! Wow! Four extremely talented musicians! I'd never heard the Irish pipes live before. Thrilling!

[@peterflaherty5807]

Lou Gearey

[@trevorbyron9448]

Great to see guys still keeping the tradition alive today - playing this charming instrument so creatively

[@EdiKavanagh]

UNREAL tunes!!!! 10/10

[@margaretnesbeth593]

That drumming was awesome, pipes also.

[@mikiesmyth]

lovely playing Blackie

[@touious]

Great music! Hello from Greece!

[@desmondmcnally2104]

My wife and I had the absolute pleasure of listening to Blackie, Daoiri Farrell and Robbie Walsh doing a set at the Cambridge Folk Festival last weekend in front of 14,000 others. The lads simply blew them away! I was so proud to be there as an Irishman: hairs standing on the back of my neck! And my wife was so proud of her Kilmaley, Co. Clare roots,too!

[@CaliforniaBrowngrass]

This is fantastic. Thanks!

[@bsb4038]

wow! i'm a new fan ......awsome pipes

[@mergatroidb]

I love it!!! totally inspiring.

[@Fromama7]

Thanks for sharing! We were fortunate enough to hear Blackie play in person in Doolin a few months ago. He is incredible!

[@tristanburke6575]

Great... now I have to find more videos of these guys...Thanks!

[@liamg1995]

one of the finest examples of piping I've heard

[@kylecmurphy]

Blackie played at our wedding in Doolin...he was amazing!

[@martini3524]

Did ye take time to do the Wedding?

[@coolsage0]

Pure class

[@eowenspa2]

a fine selection of specimens at 4.29

[@felixreali7101]

he makes it look so easy...wow. astonishing

[@michaeljordan6479]

Brilliant Performance Blackey

[@NotAFanAnymore]

insane piping...just brilliant

[@simon39825]

great video very nice and i also can remember having a great night of music playing the pipes with blackie in Manchester a couple of years ago o what a night of music.

[@thelightwasbrighter]

I agree!

[@MichaelMAFox]

Fantastic stuff!

[@banjoeddan]

Super playing

[@EricOwensFlute]

Blackie=instant like

[@JLeoFipple]

Gwan yeh boi's yiz! thanks for sharing =D

[@efdiyi]

uffff incredible piper

[@fabianhoffmann360]

thanks! :)

[@vonliz8223]

phenomenal

[@aarondolan]

Savage stuff Blackie!

[@NotAFanAnymore]

A legend

[@bobmcmichael]

Fantastic. Who's the maker of those pipes? Trying to find out -- I see them being played by lots of top players but can't find out who made them! Thanks in advance.

[@kennedyobrien1]

I'd really like to know if the small part that he played on the regulaters is a real tune it sounded lovely

[@fintanandrouiz8160]

It's a reel called "Silver spear". :)

[@greepo]

Up ya boya!

[@m0rna]

magic!

[@MrDavieRavie]

does anybody now the names of the tunes ? wonderfull playing :)

[@Zanzibarbarian]

Great!

[@Dayepipes]

The chanter clearly sounds like wide bore D. But maybe you're hearing the drone sound as above many modern concert D's in tone quality and stability.

[@liamkelly4338]

3:53 jesus

[@eileennestor9274]

Fabelous love it

[@eowenspa2]

happy to meet sorry to part

[@anthonycollins8510]

phenomenal playing. absolutely ridiculous. Has Blackie recorded at all?

[@immanuelgodson7156]

So you work your elbow...the palm of your hand....and move all of your fingers like lightening?....Impossible!....i think there is magic afoot!

[@Drew_The_Man]

Yeah like what strongpipes said once I perfect my highland piping ill learn these

[@naadbrahma]

The first tune is called "Throw Away the Keys," not even close to Bucks of Oranmore.

[@kipthecourtjester]

Cliffs of Dover are nice...

[@dukadarodear2176]

The Cliffs of Dover Are nice. But These are Not the Cliffs of Dover.

[@fabianhoffmann360]

does anyone know the maker of his pipes ?

[@liamkelly4338]

Fabian Hoffmann Cillian O’Briain

[@TheFiddleChuck]

what was the name of the song? it excapes me haha plus love the pipes, hope to own a some one day

[@gerardekkel1700]

is that a D set? sounds really nice!

[@eddien09]

I think its the player rather than the set

[@gerardekkel1700]

Oh i'm positive! :-D but still wondering if that's a D set, though is sounds like it :-).

[@NoPetrol]

Can you uploaded an unedited version of this video? I want to see the man play the pipes, not random landscape scenes.

[@sav633]

heavan

[@MrBlindmans]

@thomas cronin,do you think Blackie would have a bad bodhran player accompany him? What a rotten comment.

[@johnpatrick6998]

What's the best way to play the bodhran? With a pen knife.

[@sabradaly7151]

TAKE OFF YER SHIRT!!!!!

I love Clare and Blackie's music, but I hate those fucking coaches on the winding country roads in Kerry and Clare. Busted a tire trying to avoid one of them last July.

[@ApoIogeticsMan]

He looks a little like the guy from 300 and that movie about the White House being attacked..

[@freezebritches]

Excellent piping. (pity about the racket on the non bodrhan sounding bodhran) That top end style has no place in serious live traditional music. I can just imagine what Colm Murphy would have sounded like.

[@mossiegee4674]

Colm would have sat back and admired John Joe as the finest Bodhrán player that ever lived....and there is no such thing as top end style you moron and even then he was mostly playing double end style