All Galleries in "Classic Sets"
The ownership of this set of pipes can be traced almost from the time of its manufacture to the present. They were made for John Coughlan (1837-1908) by Michael Egan – one of two sets that the famous pipemaker made for him in New York in the late 1850s. Egan had been induced to come to America by Coughlan’s father Thomas, and taught John for some time, as well as making the pipes for him.
John Coughlan became a celebrated piper in the United States, but emigrated to Australia in 1862, apprehensive at the disturbed conditions arising from the American Civil War. He settled in Melbourne, and later moved to Sydney. He acquired a great reputation as a piper and travelled throughout Australia, as well as to New Zealand, performing Irish music.
On his death in 1908 the pipes were bequeathed to his brother Tom, who was professionally known as “Tom Buckley, the Irish Comedian”. He travelled even further with them, bringing his comedy/music routine to India and throughout Australasia.
The ownership of the set is unclear for some time after this until they came into the possession of Australian piper Bill Crowe (an uncle of Joe Barry of Templemore), probably in 1945. Bill’s father Paddy, a Tipperary man, arrived in Australia in 1899, and Bill was born there. By occupation a fireman, he visited Ireland in 1956 taking the set with him. During a tour of Tara Street fire-station, he was introduced to “another mad piper”, Dan O’Dowd, who worked there. They struck up a relationship and Crowe stayed with the O’Dowds for some time before returning to Australia. Before he left he gave the Egan set to Dan.
The ownership of this set of pipes can be traced almost from the time of its manufacture to the present. They were made for John Coughlan (1837-1908) by Michael Egan – one of two sets that the famous pipemaker made for him in New York in the late 1850s. Egan had been induced to come to America by Coughlan’s father Thomas, and taught John for some time, as well as making the pipes for him.
John Coughlan became a celebrated piper in the United States, but emigrated to Australia in 1862, apprehensive at the disturbed conditions arising from the American Civil War. He settled in Melbourne, and later moved to Sydney. He acquired a great reputation as a piper and travelled throughout Australia, as well as to New Zealand, performing Irish music.
On his death in 1908 the pipes were bequeathed to his brother Tom, who was professionally known as “Tom Buckley, the Irish Comedian”. He travelled even further with them, bringing his comedy/music routine to India and throughout Australasia.
The ownership of the set is unclear for some time after this until they came into the possession of Australian piper Bill Crowe (an uncle of Joe Barry of Templemore), probably in 1945. Bill’s father Paddy, a Tipperary man, arrived in Australia in 1899, and Bill was born there. By occupation a fireman, he visited Ireland in 1956 taking the set with him. During a tour of Tara Street fire-station, he was introduced to “another mad piper”, Dan O’Dowd, who worked there. They struck up a relationship and Crowe stayed with the O’Dowds for some time before returning to Australia. Before he left he gave the Egan set to Dan.
Set made originally for Patsy Touhey by the Taylor Brothers of Philadelphia.
Francis O’Neill wrote of the Taylors as follows:
We are credibly informed that Highland pipes, as well as Irish pipes, were anufactured by the Taylors in Drogheda, and it is quite probable such was the case, because Highland pipes were turned out in the Philadelphia shop. Some medals were awarded the Taylors at the Centennial Exposition held in that city in 1875. The renowned musician and mechanic died in 1901, and his brother “Charley” followed him in about a year, but as neither had ventured to embark on the stormy sea of matrimony there were neither widows nor orphans to mourn their loss. They were sincerely lamented,
however, by all the Irish pipers in the land, for to them the death of the Taylors was a veritable calamity. (Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Chicago 1913)
On the death of Patsy Touhey in 1923 the pipes passed into the possession first of Mike Carney and then his niece Annie – both left-handed pipers like Touhey. Annie subsequently married the New York piper Tom Busby, and in the 1970s they gifted the set to Seán Mac Ciarnán who now plays them.
