FLEADH CHEOIL NA HEIREANN -AUGUST 12- AUGUST 19TH

The remarkable Taylor boys

THE incredible story of the Taylor Brothers, the Uilleann Pipers of Drogheda and Philadelphia, will be told for the first time in Barlow House on Saturday August 18th (2pm) as part of the Fleadh Cheoil.

Brendan Matthews been researching the Taylors for a long time and much painstaking work has gone in to try and find out as much as possible about them.

‘ I will outline where they were resident in Drogheda, where they played and performed before leaving the town. Also when they left for New York and where they resided in that city before moving to Philadelphia, and their occupation there,’ he stated.

The Taylors made magnificent and significant changes, adaptions and modifications to the Pipes so that they could blend well with both violin and piano and also they were regulated to a higher pitch so that they were suitable for the larger American Concert Halls.

‘I will also reveal exactly when the brothers passed away, which, heretofore, has never been correctly recorded; there are many dates given as to their deaths, but all are incorrect. I will reveal what they died from and, the most important of all, where they were laid to rest.

‘I will also speak about the first set of Pipes they made in the States and the last set of Pipes ever owned and played by Willie Taylor and where exactly those Pipes are today, with photo/ images shown on a Power-Point Presentation on the day,’ he added.

Brendan first began to research on the brothers back in 2008 and he will also speak a little on the day about other local Pipers and Fiddle-players in Drogheda and the surrounding area including Nicholas Markey, Pat and Dowser Ward, the `Blind-Piper Gaynor` and his own great Grand-uncle, Tom Matthews of Greenanstown Stamullen who himself was a composer of many reels, jigs & hornpipes and who was a fiddle-maker and player along with playing the Uilleann Pipes and the Irish Harp.