References to Pipes, Piping and Music in the series
Ireland, From the Act of Union, 1800, to the Death of Parnell, 1891
A series of reprints, mostly fiction, set in Ireland and published by
Garland Publishing, Incorporated, New York, 1978 - 1980
References complied by Nick Whitmer
Series Numbers 5 - 38 Series Numbers 39 - 62 Series Number 68 Series Numbers 69 - 75
Series number : 69
Title: The Burtons of Dunroe / Margaret Brew ; with an introd. by Robert Lee Wolff.
Author: Brew, Margaret W.
Notes: Reprint of the 1880 ed. published by S. Tinsley, London.
vol. 1, p. 75 [At the landlord’s house] But as if the servants and the ‘reduced gentry were not enough, there was a swarm of idle strollers hanging everlastingly about the place.... There was the fiddler or piper of the district, who also went on his rounds, and was even more rapturously welcomed than the rat-catcher; certainly, he never had cause to complain that he got a cold or unsatisfactory welcome.
vol. 1, p. 122 There was nothing gregarious or social about Larry. He was never known to go to a wedding or any other merry-making; to take a turn with a pretty girl in ‘welting the flure,’ to the inspiring strains of the ‘Foxhunter’ or ‘The Wind that shed the Barley,’ or even to go to a funeral....
vol. 1, p. 327 ‘But the story, Lanty! you forget that I’m waiting for the story all this time.’
‘Sure enough, sir, but plase the piper you won’t have to wait for it long....’
vol. 2, pp. 1-2 [A voyage on the Shannon River] The little villages of Tarbert and Glyn, which last is famous for being the place where was composed the fine old Irish air known as ‘The Humours of Glyn’ were soon passed by....
vol. 2, pp.6-7 [The boat’s skipper sings Irish songs, including ‘Eilleen a Roon,’ which words are included here]
vol. 2, p. 17 [The recruiter describes his life before joining the army] ‘I was half-starved, and more than half-naked, and I was obliged to work very hard all day long for piper’s wages, and everyone knows that is more kicks than half-pence....’
vol. 3, p. 50 ‘...it is no wonder that you are hipped and nervous; but another week’s rest will make a different man of you altogether. In another week you will pipe to a different tune, I promise you that....’
Series number : 70
Title: The chronicles of Castle Cloyne / Margaret W. Brew ;
Author: Brew, Margaret W.
Notes: Reprint of the 1885 ed. published by Chapman and Hall, London;
vol. 1, p. 6 The farmer had gone to a fair early in the morning, and before he left Oonagh had made him promise that when he returned in the evening he would bring with him Jack Hennessy, the blind piper, if the said Jack was ‘over ground," as she had set her heart on having a dance, in addition to other amusements peculiar to All-Hallow Eve.
vol. 1, pp. 9-10 "But, girls, how will it be if Jack Hennessy isn’t able to come?" said Molly, with a grave face.
This question put a stop to the merriment of the girls, for the non-arrival of the blind piper would be a most disastrous ending to all their preparations.
"What put that into your head, Molly?" they both cried with one voice.
"Well, for wan thing, this is Novimber Eve, an’ powers ov people will be at the fair watchin’ to snap him up. An’ moreover, if he was there, many a wan was for giving him a thrate, and we all know that Jack loves the licker, and that when it gets into his head it takes all sinse an’ raison out ov it. I’ll go bail if Jack comes to us anyway overtaken, ‘tis little dancin’ will be on this flure to-night."
"My father promised me that he’d look out for Jack the first thing afther he got into the fair green," said Oonagh, "an’ what’s more, that he’d give him in charge ov Paddy Bryan, wid strict ordhers not to let him have a taste of licker for the whole day, barrin’ wan noggin of spirits to keep the cowld out ov his stomach. An’ when once my father makes me a promise, it will go hard wid him if he doesn’t keep it."
vol. 1, pp. 13-18, 23-27 "Now, Oonagh, we’re all right if only Jack Hennessy don’t fail us." [p. 13]
"...we’ll folly afther you as soon as ever my father comes. He ought to be here by this."
"If you only said the words sooner so he would. But oh, girls! Jack Hennessy isn’t along wid him."
At this dismal announcement all the gladness faded out of the faces of the three fair girls. Jack Hennessy was not coming, and consequently there could be no dance! Here was a fiasco as unfortunate as it was unexpected....
Chapter II
All-Hallow Eve
[....]
"Where is Jack Hennessy? Why didn’t you bring him wid you? Sure we won’t have any fun in life without the music," were the exclamations of the three girls as old Martin MacDermott approached the stile.
"I didn’t bring him, an’ there’s no more about it," he replied gruffly. "Come along, Oonagh, an’ get the supper, for I’m fairly starved. It’s my supper that’s troubling me now, an’ not Jack Hennessy an’ his music."
"But did you get sight ov him at all, or did you send to look for him as you promised me? Oh, thin we never thought that you’d lave us in the bog hole this way!"
"Sure I sint Paddy Bryan to hunt for him, an’ I wint myself afther Paddy, but where was the use? He was whipped up this mornin’, an’ carried off to a weddin’ that’s to be to-night, a great weddin’ intirely beyant at Ballycasey, an’ ov coorse they couldn’t do without Jack an’ his chanther, be no manner ov manes."
"Erra, girls, don’t mind him," cried Oonagh joyfully, for though her father tried hard to keep a grave face, yet the merry twinkle of his eye betrayed him; "sure he’s only makin’ fun ov us. I’ll go bail that Jack Hennessy is comin’ along wid Paddy."
The old man burst into a hearty laugh.
[....]
"Well, as Oonagh guessed it, I may as well tell the thruth about it. The piper is surely comin’ along wid Paddy, who had strict ordhers from me not to lose sight ov him.... [pp. 14-16]
Supper was hardly over when Paddy the farm servant, with a broad grin on his weather-beaten face, arrived in triumph, bringing the piper with him. The three girls broke into a perfect shriek of delight when they saw the pair, and certainly Jack had no reason to complain of his welcome. One of them took his hat, another his stick, while the third took him by the hand, and guided him to the cosiest corner of the wide hearth near old Martin, who said to them, "It’s his supper ye ought to be givin’ the poor man, instid of makin’ all this noise an’ botheration."
"So we will, father, so we will," said the cheerful voice of his daughter, "but we must get the cowld out of his heart first. I put some potatoes down to roast for him, for they were gettin’ cowld, an’ the’ll be nice an’ hot by the time he takes a hate ov the fire."
When Jack had eaten his supper, Oonagh by her father’s directions brought him a glass of whiskey to "wet his whistle," and put him in humour for the evening. Then when he had joined the old man in "a blast ov the pipe" he set about tuning his instrument, and though the sounds he drew from it were discordant enough, to the light-hearted girls they seemed the music of the spheres.
Not less pleasant was the droning of the pipes in the ears of the invited guests, as they came singly or in groups up the path that lead to the house. [pp. 17-18]
When the apples had been all eaten, and the beans all burnt, amid the good-humoured laughter of the company, the floor of the kitchen was cleared of chairs and tables, Jack Hennessy struck up the cheerful strains of "The Fox-hunters’ Jig," and old Martin, in a pleasant voice, told the young men to lose no time in asking their partners, "to take the flure wid ‘em." [pp.23-24]
[Description of dancing]
At the end of a couple of hours the piper declared that he should have a little rest, as well as a glass of punch to "wet his whistle" once more.... [p.25]
But at length the last song was sung, the last apple eaten, the last pipe smoked, and the guests all went away with the exception of the piper, who was to sleep with Paddy Bryan in the loft over the kitchen. [p. 27]
vol. 1, p. 314 [At an election rally?] Certainly there was no lack of music, for in another direction was a highland piper, looking very fierce and martial in kilt and philabeg, but whose accent, the moment he spake, proclaimed him to be unmistakably "a son of the sod."
vol. 2, pp. 112-113 [At a country wedding] A fiddler and piper were stationed in the chimney corners, one at each side, so that they could relieve each other, for when the dancing began, it was, to quote the newspapers, "kept up with spirit." [...] Reels succeeded jigs, or rather they were danced alternately, according to the music asked for by the different sets of dancers. Some of them liked that lively jig known as ‘the Foxhunter," while others preferred a moneen, or a slip jig. Some liked a reel danced by two persons only, to the inspiring strains of ‘Lady Mary Ramsay," or "Haste to the Wedding," and others liked better a reel danced by four, and known as "the figure of eight."
vol. 2, p. 128 "The divel take your impidence, you brazen old fagot!" he shouted. "Be the piper that played before Moses, I’m come to a purty pass, when the likes ov you would start up to outface me, standin’ on my own flure!...."
vol. 2, p. 262 [A woman reflects on her youth] "Ochone! when I was a colleen oge, ‘tis little I’d think ov it, an’ then to be up all the night if there was a fiddler or piper to the fore...."
vol. 3, p. 280 [The master asked the servant to] "...scour the whole country, till I got Jack Hennessy, the blind piper, an’ bring him back wid me. ‘And, Pat, my good boy,’ says he, ‘don’t come back to me without you bring that schamer ov a piper wid you, dead or alive,’ says he. ‘Bedad, sir,’ ses I, ‘I’ll bring him, sure enough, if he has only as much life in him as will blow the chanther; but what am I to do if he’s dead? ‘Well then,’ ses he, an’ never as much as a smile on his face, ‘you can bring him dead.’ Them was his very words, your reverence...."
Series number : 71
Title: Hurrish / Emily Lawless ; with an introd. by Robert Lee Wolff.
Author: Lawless, Emily,1845-1913.
Notes: Reprint of the 1886 ed. published by W. Blackwood, Edinburgh.
vol. 2, p. 229 "Be the piper that played before Moses, ‘tis the born fule I am, sure and sartin!" he exclaimed.
Series number : 72
Title: With Essex in Ireland / Emily Lawless ; with an introd. by Richard Lee Wolff.
Author: Lawless, Emily,1845-1913.
Notes: Reprint of the 1890 ed. published by Smith, Elder, London.
p. 91 [A wounded soldier sings]
‘Hark! Hark! the pipes and drums!
Rat tat tat tat! the soldier comes!’
pp. 154-160 [This novel takes place in 1599. In these pages an Irish harper is described, and he sings a dirge to Rory Oge O’More.]
Series number : 74
Title Maelcho / Emily Lawless ; with an introd. by Robert Lee Wolff.
Author Lawless, Emily,1845-1913.
Notes Reprint of the 1894 ed. published by Smith, Elder, London.
vol. 1, pp. 81, 82, 86 [Mention of a harp]
Series number : 75
Title: Traits and confidences / Emily Lawless ; with an introd. by Robert Lee Wolff.
Author: Lawless, Emily,1845-1913.
Notes: Reprint of the 1897 ed. published by Methuen, London.
p. 58 ‘Take care, I tell you, of that fine lord of yours, for by the piper that played before Moses ‘twon’t be many days longer you’ll be able to boast of how you’re serving a lord, so it won’t!’
p. 255 [The story takes place in the 14th century; after the repulsion of an English invasion] ...the triumphant screeching of the bagpipes, the wild whooping, the hurroushing.
Dec 2006
Series Numbers 5 - 38 Series Numbers 39 - 62 Series Number 68 Series Numbers 69 - 75