Seamus honoured for musical contribution
WEXFORD native Séamus MacMathúna’s contribution to the world of music was duly noted when he was honoured with a special presentation by Na Piobairi Uilleann.
Following over 50 years experience in teaching, playing and promoting Uilleann piping in Wexford and elsewhere, the Croke Avenue resident and cofounder of Na Piobairi Uilleann was invited to Waterford for the group’s annual general meeting recently. It was there that he was presented with a collector’s copy of Patrick Resten Joyce’s ‘Old Irish Folk Music and Songs’ which was printed in 1909. As an avid book collector, Séamus was thrilled to add it to his extensive collection of music books, some of which date back as far as the 1800s.
‘I didn’t expect to be given that honour at all but it was very nice to get it,’ said the 82-year-old. ‘ There are quite a few people in Wexford playing the pipes now. We had a group of about seven pipers playing at an event in the Church of Ireland Church in Wexford recently. After all these years of being involved in music, it was great to have so many pipers there.’
Séamus was born into a musical family and credits his grandfather’s experience as a British Army trumpet player as one of his key inspirations when he was young. In his late twenties, he began to play the flute and later on, he developed an interest in the Uilleann Pipes. He went on to play, teach and promote the instrument around the country and passed on many of his skills to new musicians. He and also got heavily involved in reed making after learning the skill from Dubliner Dan O’Dowd.
Though Séamus has no formal teaching qualification, he has long been a key figure on the music scene in Wexford. Many of Wexford’s Uilleann Pipe players have learned the skill from Séamus, who says he is happy to help anybody who is interested in taking it up.