Drops Of Brandy

By Sean McAloon & John Rea

Sean McAloon (1923-1998) was an Irish uilleann piper and pipe maker. Originally from the Rosslea area of County Fermanagh, McAloon's first instrument was the fiddle. However, he is best known as a master of the uilleann pipes. He emigrated to the United States in 1964, but after a year he returned to Ireland. He spent eight months working as a builder's laborer in Dublin, but moved to Belfast in 1966 to be closer to his family. There, he got a job working for the Corporation Parks Department. Read more on Last.fm

Born in 1915 (some sources say 1922), John was the youngest of ten children. His six older brothers were all taught to play the fiddle by his father. However, as he was too small, his father had a dulcimer made by John's brother Alexander (a carpenter), using a borrowed dulcimer as a pattern, and that became John's instrument. This instrument was in turn used as the pattern for many other instruments made for other local people. In contrast to the wooden hammers generally employed by today's players Read more on Last.fm

One comment

A Classic TOPIC Records recording-1976

Great Playing by two fine musicians now sadly departed;
Sean McAloon(Uillean Pipes and fiddle)from Fermanagh and
John Rea(Dulcimer)from the glens of Antrim.

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