Blackie O'Connell - Uillean Piper
Michael "Blackie" O'Connell is an Uilleann Piper. He can be hired as a soloist for wedding ceremonies, funerals and other celebrations and usually comes as a duo if it is background music for drinks receptions and parties.
Blackie is one of the most exciting Uilleann pipers in traditional music and was taught the Uilleann pipes by the great Limerick piper Mickey Dunne. His influences are the playing of Paddy Keenan, who is a regular visitor to his home in Clare, Finbar Furey and the great Johnny Doran.
He has been playing the pipes from a young age and is currently living, and playing, at the heart of Irish music in County Clare. He regularly tours Europe, the USA and the Far East but is also very much at home at his local bars in Ennis or Doolin. At concerts and sessions Michael O'Connell performs with gusto, and audiences are swept away by his exuberant and fast flowing piping style.
A regular guest of Na Píobairí Uilleann (Uilleann Pipes Association), and the William Kennedy Piping Festival. He teaches and performs at the annual Catskills Irish Arts Week in New York, and the Doran Tionol, as well as being a full time tutor at the Irish World Academy of Music, University of Limerick.
He has also has toured extensively with various dance troupes in the USA, China, Taiwan and Dubai, including on Broadway and in Carnegie Hall. He has performed with Paddy Keenan, Finbar Furey and the Chieftains. He is an ambassador for Irish tourism as part of the current worldwide internet and TV campaign by Tourism Ireland.
In 2010 he released the album; “We were drinking and kissing the ladies”, in collaboration with the renowned concertina player Hugh Healy to great critical acclaim. He has now followed this with the 2014 release of ‘Friars Green’ a duet album with Irish Music stalwart Cyril O’Donoghue.
2015 will see a number of new projects which will include collaboration with fiddle player Eoghan Neff (Anxo Lorenzo band) as well as some new working material for the ‘Blackie O’Connell Band’ following demand from two performances at the Doolin folk festival.
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Blackie O'Connell - Uillean Piper Feedback
“Blackie was an absolute professional. We saw him play during our last trip to Ireland and his musical skill is top notch. The day of our actual wedding it was pouring rain and we had to pivot the time and place, we moved indoors in a cottage and Blackie was able to change plans with the rest of us. A fire alarm went off and he got his son to dance to entertain our guests. Blackie was flexible, professional, solution oriented and the music was exactly as we wanted. Many thanks for making our wedding day memorable and special. We highly recommend Blackie O’Connell.
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“My older brother Don was also at the wedding. This past weekend he was at a bluegrass event in Crozet, Virginia. It was mostly bluegrass music, but they had an open mic part where seven guys played the Uilleann pipes, one at a time during part of the show. It is not something you see too often in the states. After they were finished, my brother went up on stage and and said “hey guys take a look at this”. He showed them the video of you and Cyril playing at our wedding, and they immediately knew who you were and said “That’s Blackie O’Connell!! He’s the best in the world!” Anyways, I thought it would be fun for you to hear that! You are making an impact this side of the Atlantic ocean- even well-known in small towns in Virginia! Very cool!
Thanks again to you and Cyril for playing at our wedding!
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“His performance at our wedding ceremony was everything we hoped for and more. He was well prepared and played the most beautiful pipes for our ceremony on the Cliffs. I couldn't ask for more!
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Blackie O'Connell - Uillean Piper Gallery
