Tomás Ó Canainn is an Irish Uilleann piper

Uilleann pipes

The uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...

, accordion player, singer, composer and writer. He was a founder of the group Na Fili with fiddler Matt Cranitch and whistle player Tom Barry in the late 1960s and 1970s. They gained considerable popularity and recorded several albums.

Early life

Ó Canainn was born in Pennyburn, Ireland on the outskirts of Derry

Derry

Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...

 but he later moved to Cork where he became Dean of Engineering at the University. He also took over the Irish music lectures from Seán Ó Riada

Seán Ó Riada

Seán Ó Riada , was a composer and perhaps the single most influential figure in the revival of Irish traditional music during the 1960s...

 at the College after his death in 1971 and taught music at the Cork School of music. Ó Canainn's daughters also play, violin, viola and cello and all 3 three appear with him on his last solo release.

Na Fili discography

1971 Farewell To Connacht. Outlet SOLP 1010, 1971. Reissued on CD as Outlet PTICD 1010. Tomás Ó Canainn (uillean pipes, accordion, and vocal), Matt Cranitch

Matt Cranitch

Matt Cranitch is a well known Irish fiddle player.Dr. Cranitch is a founding member of Na Fili. He is a graduate in electrical engineering and music from University College Cork, lectures at the Cork Institute of Technology on subjects of electronic engineering and music technology...

 (fiddle), Tom Barry (whistle).

1. Farewell To Connacht(Arboe)
2. Im Aonar Seal/Miss Mac Namara
3. The Musical Priest
4. Paddy Hughes/Garrett Barryhttp/Morrison's
5. Paddy Lynch's Boat Song
6. Paschal's/Follow Me Down To Limerick
7. The Girl Who Broke My Heart/Strone Johnny
8. The College Groves/The Earl's Chair
9. Slan Le Maigh
10. Within A Mile Of Dublin/Carnanban
11. The Piper's Chair/The Rose In The Heather
12. Geaftai Bhaile Bui
13. Bantry
14. Dinny O'Brien/Eileen O'Callaghan

1972 Three. Outlet SOLP 1017. Reissued on CD as Outlet PTICD 1017.

1. Ballyhaunis (Beal Atha h-Amhnais)
2. Bhfaca Tu mo Sheamaisin (Did You See My Seamusin?)
3. Blackbird Hornpipe
4. Caitlin Triall
5. Captain Byng
6. Cis Liathain
7. Dalaigh's Polka
8. Dia do Bheatha
9. Farewell to Erin (Slan Le h-Eirinn)
10. Foggy Dew
11. For Ireland I'd Not Tell Her Name (Ar Eirinn ni Neosfainn Ce Hi)
12. Gander in/at the Pratie Hole
13. Is Maith Le Nora
14. Joys/Joy of My Life (Humours of Donneybrook)
15. Lament of the Three Marys (Caoineadh na dTri Muire)
16. Leitrim Fancy
17. Man of the House (Fear A Ti)
18. Over the Hill (Irish) (De Bharr na gCnoc)
19. That Night in Bethleham (Don Oiche Ud i mBeithil)
20. Why So?

1974 A Kindly Welcome

1. Anach Cuain (An A Chuin)
2. Blacksmith (tune)
3. Blackbird and the Thrush (Londubh is an Cheirseach)
4. Boys of Ballysodare/Ballisodare/Ballysadare
5. Cork March
6. Denis/Dennis Murphy's Polka
7. Deus Meus
8. Driving of the Calves (Seoladh Na nGamhna)
9. Dusty Miller's (Slip Jig)
10. Fairy/Fairies' Hornpipe
11. Lord Gordon's (Reel)
12. Matt Teehan's Polka
13. Mountain of Women (Slow Air) (Sliabna Na Mban)
14. Petrie's Polka
15. Whelan's Jig
16. White's Daughter from the Glen (Inion an Fhaoit O'n nGleann)
17. Will You Come Home With Me

Discography

1980 With Pipe and Song
1. Theodore Street/Pope's Quay/Dun Ciovain

2. Francey

3. Henry mcDermot Roe

4. Deirdre's Lament

5. Limerick's Lamentation

6. The Groves of Glanmire

7. Union Quay/Tam's Jig

8. Pauline's Polka/Claudine's Polka

9. Amen, A Iosa

10.An Sceipin Droighneach (The Blackthorn)

11.John Twiss

12.Saint Anthony's Road/The Moss Road to Dungiven

13.Rachad-sa 'smo Cheaiti (My Kitty and I Will Go Walking)

14.At Swim With Two Birds! (Ag snámh le dhá éan!)/Ard barra Jig

1998 The Pennyburn Piper Presents: Uilleann Pipes

1 The pratie in the gander’s whole/Donnybrook fair/Sixpenny money

2 Pennyburn hornpipe/The jolly beggarman/The Z-transform

3 Máthig túanocht (If you come tonight)

4 Eibhlín a rúin (Eileen darling)

5 Shoe the donkey/Cook in the kitchen/Dungourney battery

6 Iníon an fhaoit (White’s daughter)

7 Úna’s Boston reel/ The peeler’s jacked/Old Denmark

8 Aisling gheal (Bright vision)

9 Síle ní ghadhra (Sheila O’Gara)

10 Planxty montenotte

11 Tá tart ar m’anam (My soul thirsts)

12 De bharr na gCnoc (Over the mountains)

13 The blackbird

14 The Verdant Braes of Screen

The Verdant Braes of Screen

The Verdant Braes of Screen is a traditional Irish song. It is believed that the Screen refers to Ballinascreen in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland...

15 Gather round the fire * Britches full of stitches * Captain byng

Awards

Tomás won the All-Ireland solo piping title and is known as "The Pennyburn Piper". Hence the title of his album recorded in 1998 with Neil Martin The Pennyburn piper presents: Uilleann Pipes, on which he also sings.

See also

• List of bagpipers
• Uilleann Pipes
  Uilleann pipes
  The uilleann pipes or //; ) are the characteristic national bagpipe of Ireland, their current name, earlier known in English as "union pipes", is a part translation of the Irish-language term píobaí uilleann , from their method of inflation.The bag of the uilleann pipes is inflated by means of a...
  
  
• List of published bagpipe music
• Matt Cranitch
  Matt Cranitch
  Matt Cranitch is a well known Irish fiddle player.Dr. Cranitch is a founding member of Na Fili. He is a graduate in electrical engineering and music from University College Cork, lectures at the Cork Institute of Technology on subjects of electronic engineering and music technology...