Representative List
CONVENTION FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE
SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE
Twelfth session
Jeju Island, Republic of Korea 4 to 8 December 2017
Nomination file no. 01264
for inscription in 2017 on the Representative List
of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
A. State(s) Party(ies)
For multi-national nominations, States Parties should be listed in the order on which they have mutually agreed.
Ireland
B. Name of the element
B.1. Name of the element in English or French
Indicate the official name of the element that will appear in published material.
Not to exceed 200 characters
Uilleann Piping
B.2. Name of the element in the language and script of the community concerned, if applicable
Indicate the official name of the element in the vernacular language corresponding to the official name in English or French (point B.1).
Not to exceed 200 characters
Uilleann Piping
B.3. Other name(s) of the element, if any
In addition to the official name(s) of the element (point B.1) mention alternate name(s), if any, by which the element is known.
Irish Piping, Union Piping
C. Name of the communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals concerned
Identify clearly one or several communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals concerned with the nominated element.
Not to exceed 150 words
The community of uilleann pipers, represented by Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU - The Society of Irish Pipers), based in Dublin, and with a worldwide membership. NPU has been identified as the most representative organization involved with Uilleann Piping, as its membership is located in many parts of the world, and accepts as members all who wish to play the uilleann pipes, without regard to age, religion, race, gender or any other characteristic.
Na Píobairí Uilleann is already known to UNESCO, as the organization was accredited as a recognized NGO in 2014 (Ref NGO 90283)
NPU is co-ordinating the support of Uilleann Piping groups and individuals, including the membership of NPU, The Armagh Pipers Club (Northern Ireland); The London Pipers (U.K.); and many others.
D.
Geographical location and range of the element
Provide information on the distribution of the element within the territory(ies) of the submitting State(s), indicating if possible the location(s) in which it is centred. Nominations should concentrate on the situation of the element within the territories of the submitting States, while acknowledging the existence of same or similar elements outside their territories, and submitting States should not refer to the viability of such intangible cultural heritage outside their territories or characterize the safeguarding efforts of other States.
Not to exceed 150 words
Uilleann Piping is practiced throughout Ireland. There are two significant centres of the practice:
Dublin, where Na Píobairí Uilleann is based, and Armagh, where The Armagh Pipers Club is based.
Outside Ireland, Uilleann Piping is practiced in most parts of the world, including Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, the United States of America, Canada, most countries in Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Cuba, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.
E. Contact person for correspondence
E.1. Designated contact person
Provide the name, address and other contact information of a single person responsible for all correspondence concerning the nomination. For multi-national nominations provide complete contact information for one person designated by the States Parties as the main contact person for all correspondence relating to the nomination.
Title (Ms/Mr, etc.): Ms Family name: O'Connor
Given name: Thérèse
Institution/position: Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Assistant Principal Officer
Address: 23 Kildare St, Dublin 2 D02TD30 Telephone number: 0035316313894
E-mail address: [email protected]
E.2. Other contact persons (for multi-national files only)
Provide below complete contact information for one person in each submitting State, other than the primary contact person identified above.
Not applicable
1. Identification and definition of the element
For Criterion R.1, the States shall demonstrate that ‘the element constitutes intangible cultural heritage as defined in Article 2 of the Convention’.
Tick one or more boxes to identify the domain(s) of intangible cultural heritage manifested by the element, which might include one or more of the domains identified in Article 2.2 of the Convention. If you tick ‘other(s)’, specify the domain(s) in brackets.
oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage performing arts
social practices, rituals and festive events
knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe traditional craftsmanship
other(s) ( )
This section should address all the significant features of the element as it exists at present, and should include:
a. an explanation of its social functions and cultural meanings today, within and for its community, b. the characteristics of the bearers and practitioners of the element,
c. any specific roles, including gender or categories of persons with special responsibilities towards the element,
d. the current modes of transmission of the knowledge and skills related to the element.
The Committee should receive sufficient information to determine:
a. that the element is among the ‘practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills — as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith —’;
b. ‘that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize [it] as part of their cultural heritage’;
c. that it is being ‘transmitted from generation to generation, [and] is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their interaction with nature and their history’;
d. that it provides communities and groups involved with ‘a sense of identity and continuity’; and
e. that it is not incompatible with ‘existing international human rights instruments as well as with the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and of sustainable development’.
Overly technical descriptions should be avoided and submitting States should keep in mind that this section must explain the element to readers who have no prior knowledge or direct experience of it. Nomination files need not address in detail the history of the element, or its origin or antiquity.
(i) Provide a brief summary description of the element that can introduce it to readers who have never seen or experienced it.
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
Uilleann Piping is a musical practice which uses a particular type of bagpipe (known as the 'uilleann', 'Irish', or 'union' pipes) to play Irish music.
The uilleann pipes is a very highly developed type of bagpipe. Originating in the early 1700s, it developed through the 1800s in Ireland, and within Irish communities abroad, to become the modern instrument. It is a complex instrument, with aspects of its musical functionality found nowhere else.
For two centuries, the instrument has been identified with, and used almost exclusively, for the performance of Irish traditional music. Uilleann Piping is perceived within Ireland as an especially national form of musical practice, and is valued as an essentially Irish form of artistic achievement, both in terms of the performance of the national music, and the manufacture of instruments to a high level of craftsmanship.
Uilleann Piping has strong roots in tradition, and aspects of performance and repertoire can be traced back through many generations. The community includes participants of all ages.
The performance of Uilleann Piping connects players to a centuries-old practice, which provides them with a platform from which to develop their own approaches to the music. Current practice
is non-prescriptive; however it does emphasize the option of continuity – that knowledge of the accumulated insights and techniques of earlier players should expand the player’s abilities and understanding of possibilities. This is the basis for innovation and creativity, and the past four decades have seen young players reach unprecedented levels of virtuosity.
(ii) Who are the bearers and practitioners of the element? Are there any specific roles, including gender or categories of persons with special responsibilities for the practice and transmission of the element? If yes, who are they and what are their responsibilities?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The bearers and practitioners of the element number around 6,000 individuals. These are dispersed throughout the world but are found in greatest concentrations in Ireland and in Irish communities abroad. As the appreciation of Uilleann Piping becomes internationalized, people with no Irish background are increasingly attracted to the art, and many become players themselves. The factor that binds them as a community is the shared love of a musical form, Irish music, and particularly the shared love of Uilleann Piping.
Special respect is accorded to players on the basis of their abilities as performers, or their perceived value as tradition bearers. These value judgments are community-based and not market-led. Uilleann Piping has not been commoditized by commerce, so within that world the community reaches a consensus on the value of the contributions that different pipers make to the tradition.
Aside from these cases there is no differentiation within the community in the form of specific roles, based on gender or any other characteristic.
(iii) How are the knowledge and skills related to the element transmitted today?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The knowledge and skills of Uilleann Piping are transmitted in a variety of ways, using long- established and modern approaches. The most highly valued is the practice of one-to-one, master-to-student instruction. This usually takes place in the form of group classes involving small numbers of students, ideally three to six. The instruction is mostly one-to-one, on a rotation basis, but the opportunity of observing another student receiving instruction has been found to be very valuable and helpful in the learning process. Tuition is very often provided at minimal or even zero cost by enthusiasts, and those who have received this benefit usually repay the gift by undertaking themselves to teach when they have reached a sufficient level of competence. Most organized groups use this approach. There are also pipers who teach on a professional basis.
In recent times modern methods have been used for transmission of Uilleann Piping, including Video and DVD tutorials, and on the internet – formally through sites such as www.pipers.ie and informally through such modern commercial channels as Skype and YouTube.
(iv) What social functions and cultural meanings does the element have today for its community?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
Uilleann Piping is usually enacted in a social setting. Social intercourse is founded on a shared love of the music and the instrument. In the case of many (if not most) pipers, the enjoying of communal music-making would be an important way of socializing.
Other social functions would include a ritual use of the element in the context of life events such as marriages and funerals where the sound of Uilleann Piping is seen as a means of providing a sense, valued on such occasions, of rootedness and connection to the past.
As Uilleann Piping is identified with Ireland and Irish music, it also provides its practitioners with a sense of connectedness to Ireland, or to Irish music. For Irish people this is a very strong and valuable bond, and allows them to enjoy a pride in a native form of cultural expression, and consequently enjoy a degree of self-worth. For non-Irish admirers of Irish music and piping these emotions would be similar if not identical. These effects may be considered over and above the pure aesthetic pleasure, un-alloyed with nationalist sentiment, to be derived from the element.
(v) Is there any part of the element that is not compatible with existing international human rights instruments or with the requirement of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, or with sustainable development?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
There is no part of the element that is incompatible with international human rights instruments, nor with the requirement of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals.
Groups including NPU have taken pro-active steps to involve in Uilleann Piping sectors of the population that might in the past have encountered barriers, real or perceived, to participation.
For example, in the case of the Irish Traveller community (which has a long association with Uilleann Piping) NPU has made special arrangements for the provision of tuition to Traveller children, in association with the Travellers organization Pavee Point. NPU has also filmed and published the DVD “Traveller Piper”, focusing on the music of the celebrated Traveller piping brothers Johnny and Felix Doran. NPU is also currently involved in a programme teaching Uilleann Piping to visually-impaired children, in association with ChildVision.
In order to overcome barriers created by economic disadvantage, NPU operates an instrument loan scheme which facilitates access to instruments without the necessity of having to purchase one.
The only part of the element that has been found to be incompatible with sustainable development has been the use, in the past, of materials such as tropical hardwoods and Elephant Ivory for the construction of the instruments. Makers have recognized their responsibilities in this area and have switched to alternative, sustainable materials.
2. Contribution to ensuring visibility and awareness and to encouraging dialogue
For Criterion R.2, the States shall demonstrate that ‘Inscription of the element will contribute to ensuring visibility and awareness of the significance of the intangible cultural heritage and to encouraging dialogue, thus reflecting cultural diversity worldwide and testifying to human creativity’. This criterion will only be considered to be satisfied if the nomination demonstrates how the possible inscription will contribute to ensuring visibility and awareness of the significance of the intangible cultural heritage in general, and not only of the inscribed element itself, and to encouraging dialogue which respects cultural diversity.
(i) How can inscription of the element on the Representative List contribute to the visibility of the intangible cultural heritage in general and raise awareness of its importance at the local, national and international levels?
Not fewer than 100 or more than 150 words
The inscription of Uilleann Piping will receive considerable publicity in Ireland, and will bring the concept of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) to the attention of many people for the first time. As the practice of Uilleann Piping is dispersed, but has a national profile through the existence of organizations with a significant level of public recognition, this new visibility will be realised at the local, national, and international levels.
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, aided by the state agency of the Arts Council, and the Irish Diplomatic Service, have a prestigious message to communicate about Irish culture at home and overseas. An open call has been made to practitioners of Uilleann Piping around the world. Inscription of their own artform on the Representative List will make them informed and enthusiastic carriers of the good news about ICH in their own countries.
(ii) How can inscription encourage dialogue among communities, groups and individuals?
Not fewer than 100 or more than 150 words
Inscription of Uilleann Piping will raise awareness of the value of an indigenous art-form.
Recognition of its worth by UNESCO inscription on the Representative List will inevitably lead to discussion of the art-form itself, and of the concept of ICH. In both cases, and to different extents, this discussion will be carried on by people made newly aware of both entities.
Learning about ICH and the Representative List through the event of inscription of Uilleann Piping will provide a focus for dialogue about ICH itself, and the attractions of various instances
of ICH. It will also provoke discussion about other possible candidates for nomination, and generate cooperation between different communities to achieve further inscriptions.
If successful, the Uilleann Piping community will see itself as facilitators for other groups and individuals in developing an awareness of ICH.
(iii) How can inscription promote respect for cultural diversity and human creativity?
Not fewer than 100 or more than 150 words
As Uilleann Piping is a ‘folk-art’ that has not been commoditized, it exists and thrives in a space that is outside the notice of mass-market commerce, and so is not visible to a large percentage of the population. The news of Inscription will heighten its visibility and consequently contribute to the broadening of commonly-held conceptions of the available cultural choices.
The realization that a form of musical activity has been nurtured in their country and brought there to a high degree of sophistication will surprise and enlighten many people. News of the inscription will bring the existence of Uilleann Piping to the attention of millions of people, world- wide, and will create for them the opportunity of enjoying a form of music unlike any other.
3. Safeguarding measures
For Criterion R.3, the States shall demonstrate that ‘safeguarding measures are elaborated that may protect and promote the element’.
3.a. Past and current efforts to safeguard the element
(i) How is the viability of the element being ensured by the concerned communities, groups or, if applicable, individuals? What past and current initiatives have they taken in this regard?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The most prominent group involved in Uilleann Piping is Na Píobairí Uilleann (NPU). It was founded in 1968, by pipers, with a mission to stop the decline of the instrument. There were then only c. 100 players known to exist, including those in Irish communities abroad. At that time the instrument was unknown outside those circles.
In its half-century of existence NPU’s efforts have contributed to a massive increase in the use and appreciation of the instrument and its music, with around 6,000+ players now worldwide.
Through its programmes of research, publications, tuition, and training, NPU accumulates and distributes information relating to the history, manufacturing skills, and performance of Uilleann Piping. This has resulted in a flowering of the art in modern times, with more players, and more virtuoso players than at any previous period.
Other groups have shared this effort, particularly the Armagh Pipers Club which has made a massive contribution to the resurgence of interest in Uilleann Piping, especially in Northern Ireland in early years, and subsequently with an increasing international dimension to its activities.
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy (the Willie Clancy Summer School) has, since its foundation in 1973, placed Uilleann Piping at the centre of its activities.
The Sean Reid Society has instigated original research into the history and technical aspects of Uilleann Piping, and have made the results freely available.
Many other groups and individuals have undertaken private research and have shared their findings freely, often through the pages of An Píobaire, the magazine of NPU.
Tick one or more boxes to identify the safeguarding measures that have been and are currently being taken by the communities, groups or individuals concerned:
transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education identification, documentation, research
preservation, protection promotion, enhancement
revitalization
(ii) How have the concerned States Parties safeguarded the element? Specify external or internal constraints, such as limited resources. What are its past and current efforts in this regard?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The Irish State has assisted in safe-guarding Uilleann Piping through the agency of An Comhairle Éalaoin/the Irish Arts Council, which supports NPU on an annual basis through its grant-scheme for Regularly Funded Organizations (RFO). NPU has been in receipt of support in this way since 1984.
Dublin City Council has supported Uilleann Piping through the provision to NPU, rent-free for 99 years, of an eighteenth-century town-house in the centre of Dublin. The Council has also provided funds on several occasions for repairs and refurbishments, as well as for education and performance. In 2006 the Irish Government provided a significant grant to allow the complete restoration of the house, which has provided NPU, and by extension Uilleann Piping, with a prestigious headquarters and archive, and a heightened visibility.
Through the same channels, other groups and organizations are also supported which make a contribution to the safeguarding of Uilleann Piping. These would include the Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, the Irish Traditional Music Archive, and Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann. Many smaller groups and festivals are also supported.
There are no external constraints on the support of the Irish State for Uilleann Piping. Internal constraints in the future might arise in the form of reductions in the Budget allocation to the arts in general and, consequently, to Uilleann Piping. However, despite the economic difficulties from 2008-2015, NPU, and other organizations, continued to receive grant-in-aid that proved adequate for them to continue to safeguard Uilleann Piping. Since 2015, there has been an increase in funding.
Tick one or more boxes to identify the safeguarding measures that have been and are currently being taken by the State(s) Party(ies) with regard to the element:
transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education identification, documentation, research
preservation, protection promotion, enhancement revitalization
3.b. Safeguarding measures proposed
This section should identify and describe safeguarding measures that will be implemented, especially those intended to protect and promote the element. The safeguarding measures should be described in terms of concrete engagements of the States Parties and communities and not only in terms of possibilities and potentialities.
(i) What measures are proposed to help to ensure that the element’s viability is not jeopardized in the future, especially as an unintended result of inscription and the resulting visibility and public attention?
Not fewer than 500 or more than 750 words
The visibility and public attention resulting from inscription will undoubtedly enhance the viability of Uilleann Piping. Increased exposure will result in an increase in appreciation and use, as its relative obscurity in the past was the result of the commercial hegemony of mass-produced music, rather than of any deficiency in the instrument or its music.
The following actions will be taken to ensure the viability of Uilleann Piping:
• Further expansion of ‘pipes-on-loan’ programmes in which beginner instruments are loaned to students to enable them to try the pipes and discover whether it is the instrument that suits them. After a year the instrument is passed on to another student. Most of those who have availed of this service have continued with piping, and have purchased their own pipes. By facilitating access to starter sets, the scheme has generated a large demand for instruments, which has had the effect of attracting craft workers to the trade of pipe-making. This was a foreseen and desired result. An NPU scheme has been in existence for over 30 years and their instrument bank now numbers 135 sets of pipes. Applications for instruments are not
geographically restricted, and several instruments have been placed abroad. These schemes have been consistently supported by the State, through the agency of the Music Capital Scheme.
• An expansion of NPU’s outreach tuition programmes to make tuition on the instrument available in areas where a former tradition has declined, or in areas (worldwide) where no tradition of Uilleann Piping has existed. In Ireland, NPU teachers now visit many regional centres on a weekly basis to conduct classes. It is planned to expand this programme. These classes are supported by local authorities throughout the country through the provision of venues and other supports, and by the State through the funding that NPU receives from the Irish Arts Council. Outside Ireland, NPU has responded to appeals for support from newly formed groups of Uilleann Piping enthusiasts. In the recent past NPU tutors have travelled to locations in the USA, Canada, Australia, Cuba, Israel, Argentina, Mexico and Italy to conduct classes and share the knowledge of the history and repertoire of Uilleann Piping. These visits have been supported by the State through Culture Ireland when forming part of a public performances.
• NPU will continue to add to its online resources on its website www.pipers.ie. The source material currently available through this portal includes over 11,000 pages of texts relating to Uilleann Piping; 3,592 audio and video files containing performances of music, piping tutorials, lectures on aspects of Irish traditional music, dance and song, and technical instruction in pipe- making; 3,570 interactive scores of tunes from the foundational collections of the tradition, going back to the early 18th century; and 3,427 pictures, including images of pipes and pipers, and technical drawings. Each year this store will be augmented by 150+ filmed performances, 12 lectures, 500+ music scores, 12 tutorials, and additional pictures. The information disseminated in this way reaches a worldwide audience. It is supported by the State through the agency of the Irish Arts Council.
• NPU will continue its publications programme of texts and audiovisual recordings.
Twenty-seven of the foremost exponents of Uilleann Piping have already been recorded on a series of nine DVDs under the title "Pipers Choice". Three more pipers will be published in this series in 2016, with further issues planned for future years. These recordings feature highly- regarded pipers playing and discussing their music, and provide the newcomer with an unprecedented insight into the art. Other examples will include CD recordings in the “Master Pipers” series, and printed collections of tunes. This programme of publications is supported by the State through the agency of the Irish Arts Council, and is designed to foster a diversity of styles and approaches in Uilleann Piping.
• Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy (the Willie Clancy Summer School), and other annual summer schools and gatherings will continue, with the support provided by the Irish Arts Council, to provide intensive, week-long classes in Uilleann Piping, catering for around 200 students each year.
(ii) How will the States Parties concerned support the implementation of the proposed safeguarding measures?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, through An Comhairle Éalaoin/The Irish Arts Council, will be supporting bodies such as NPU, Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy, the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and many others. In addition, assistance to these bodies will continue to be provided at a local level by local authorities, by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and by the Department of Education through the National School system.
These bodies and activities are activist-based entities, where decisions about artistic policy, teaching methods, and the direction of research, are taken by those who are practitioners of Uilleann Piping in particular, or Irish music in general, or who are deeply informed on the subject.
Recognizing the character of the Irish Traditional Arts, and Uilleann Piping, as a non- institutionalized, vernacular form of artistic expression, the State provides support on an ‘arm’s length’ basis, as it does with all the arts. This policy obviates the possibility of political direction in the arts, or of the co-option of arts activities to suit transient political agendas.
(iii) How have communities, groups or individuals been involved in planning the proposed safeguarding measures, including in terms of gender roles, and how will they be involved in their implementation?
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
The largest and most representative organization in the world of Uilleann Piping, NPU, has involved its membership, over many years, in the planning of the activities listed above at 3.b.i. It has done this by planning its programmes on the basis of five-year cycles and consulting widely with its membership during each cycle. This consultation has taken the form of surveys to discover (a) the community’s opinions of the direction and quality of the programmes undertaken by NPU for the promotion of Uilleann Piping, and (b) input into the framing of the next five-year Organizational Strategy, with a clearly defined vision and mission.
The other significant bodies who make a contribution to Uilleann Piping are running programmes that are complementary and, in some cases, coordinated with those of NPU. The safe-guarding measures that will be taken by NPU, and by other groups and individuals, have been elaborated and refined over decades.
Regarding gender roles, it is the case that there are no gender-specific roles in Uilleann Piping, nor in Irish traditional music generally. In the past the music was performed publicly by more men than women, but with the erosion of gender stereotyping in modern times, this dichotomy is disappearing, and participation in music-making, including Uilleann Piping, is tending towards equal male and female participation.
3.c. Competent body(ies) involved in safeguarding
Provide the name, address and other contact information of the competent body(ies), and if applicable, the name and title of the contact person(s), with responsibility for the local management and safeguarding of the element.
Name of the body: Na Píobairí Uilleann Name and title of
the contact person: Gay McKeon, CEO
Address: 15 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, Ireland Telephone number: 00 353 (0)1 8730093
E-mail address: [email protected]
4. Community participation and consent in the nomination process
For Criterion R.4, the States shall demonstrate that ‘the element has been nominated following the widest possible participation of the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned and with their free, prior and informed consent’.
4.a. Participation of communities, groups and individuals concerned in the nomination process
Describe how the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned have participated actively in preparing and elaborating the nomination at all stages, including the role of gender.
States Parties are encouraged to prepare nominations with the participation of a wide variety of all concerned parties, including where appropriate local and regional governments, communities, NGOs, research institutes, centres of expertise and others. States Parties are reminded that the communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals whose intangible cultural heritage is concerned are essential participants throughout the conception and elaboration of nominations, proposals and requests, as well as the planning and implementation of safeguarding measures, and are invited to devise creative measures to ensure that their widest possible participation is built in at every stage, as required by Article 15 of the Convention.
Not fewer than 300 or more than 500 words
The Irish National Scientific Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage of ICOMOS (NSC) was accredited in 2014 and adopted as one of its aims the securing of UNESCO recognition for Uilleann Piping through its inscription on the Representative List.
The NSC recognized that Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Society of Uilleann Pipers – NPU) was best placed to canvass the Uilleann Piping community and to co-ordinate the input of other groups
and individuals. NPU is an organization for Uilleann Pipers which is run by Uilleann Pipers. Its Board and staff are all musicians, all but one of them pipers, and its membership consists almost entirely of pipers, although its services are available to all.
As a long-established, state-supported body, with a global membership, NPU has the necessary contacts throughout the Uilleann Piping community to make the consultation process as comprehensive as possible, and the standing within that community to attract support and cooperation. NPU was an enthusiastic supporter of the Irish Government’s decision to ratify the Convention on ICH, and they were also centrally involved in the preparation of this nomination.
Through their network of members and contacts, NPU has enlisted the support and assistance of individual pipers and organized piping groups. This input was openly sought through NPU’s website, in the January issue (Vol 12, no. 1) of their magazine "An Píobaire", and through a mailshot to their entire membership.
Since the 1960s when effective steps were first taken to safeguard the survival and future of Uilleann Piping, the community has adopted a common approach towards the task, involving a varied programme consisting of: securing and disseminating the memory of the practice; tuition at all levels and in all localities; scientific examination of classic instruments; research into manufacturing methods; publication of archive and modern recordings; exploitation of modern technology and media; and performance and transmission.
These actions are not just proposals. Some or all of them are at present being employed by organized groups in the Uilleann Piping community.
The feedback that NPU received as a result of this exercise has been incorporated into this document, and supporting testimony in the form of written messages is appended to the nomination.
No aspect of the practice of Uilleann Piping is gender-specific. The call for involvement in this nomination went to all members, irrespective of gender, and all the groups to whom it was addressed would also be gender inclusive.
4.b. Free, prior and informed consent to the nomination
The free, prior and informed consent to the nomination of the element from the community, group or, if applicable, individuals concerned may be demonstrated through written or recorded concurrence, or through other means, according to the legal regimens of the State Party and the infinite variety of communities and groups concerned. The Committee will welcome a broad range of demonstrations or attestations of community consent in preference to standard or uniform declarations. Evidence of free, prior and informed consent shall be provided in one of the working languages of the Committee (English or French), as well as the language of the community concerned if its members use languages other than English or French.
Attach to the nomination form information showing such consent and indicate below what documents you are providing, how they were obtained and what form they take. Indicate also the gender of the people providing their consent.
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
All expressions were obtained through an open call which included detailed information in relation to UNESCO and Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Group / Individual Gender
Armagh Pipers Club (Brian Vallely) Male Letter attached BelfastTrad (Tom Clarke) Male Letter attached
Dr Caoimhín Mac Aoidh Male Letter attached Cilian Ó Briain (Pipemaker) Male Letter attached Conor Quinn Male Letter attached
Cork Pipers Club (Veronica Scanlan) Female Letter attached
Cumann Piobaireachta Tharlaigh Mhic Shuibhne (Anna Ní Mhaonaigh) Female Letter attached
Design and Crafts Council Ireland (Mary Whelan) Female Letter Attached Drimnagh Castle School (John Devilly) Male Letter attached
Deutsche Uilleann Pipes Gesellschaft (Jens Kommnick)Male Letter attached
East Coast Pipers (Bradford Hurley Male Letter attached Eliot Grasso, Piper Male Letter attached
National Folklore Collection (Bairbre Ní Fhloinn) Female Letter attached Geoffrey Wooff, Pipemaker.Male Letter attached
Glens of Antrim Pipers (Peter Lyons) Male Letter attached
Helena Rowsome (Daughter of NPU Patron Leo Rowsome) Female Letter attached Irish Traditional Music Archive (Grace Toland) Female Letter Attached
James F. Smith, Piper Male Letter attached Kevin Rowsome, Piper Male Letter attached
Saint Louis Tionól (Mike Mullins) Male Letter attached
Na Píobairí Uilleann (Gay McKeon) Male Letter attached Peter Lyons, Piper Male Letter attached
Salt Lake Piping Club (Mark Stevenson) Male Letter attached
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy (Harry Hughes) Male Letter Attached
Studienhaus für Keltische Sprachen und Kulturen (Lorcán Mac Cumhaill) Male Letter attached
Synergis Education (John Donohoe) Male Letter attached Therese Bann, Piper Female Letter attached
Wilbert Garvin, PiperMale Letter attached
World Fiddle Day (Catherine McKee) Female Letter attached 4.c. Respect for customary practices governing access to the element
Access to certain specific aspects of intangible cultural heritage or to information about it is sometimes restricted by customary practices enacted and conducted by the communities in order, for example, to maintain the secrecy of certain knowledge. If such practices exist, demonstrate that inscription of the element and implementation of the safeguarding measures would fully respect such customary practices governing access to specific aspects of such heritage (cf. Article 13 of the Convention). Describe any specific measures that might need to be taken to ensure such respect.
If no such practices exist, please provide a clear statement that there are no customary practices governing access to the element in at least 50 words
Not fewer than 50 or more than 250 words
There is no customary practice of secrecy attaching to any aspect of Uilleann Piping. This extends to the one area where such secrecy might be expected to apply, i.e. to the trade secrets and intellectual property of professional craft workers. In this area, professional pipemakers who were approached by Na Píobairí Uilleann with a request to share their instrument-making expertise granted the request freely. They allowed NPU to film and document their manufacturing methods, and to make the recordings available through NPU’s website www.pipers.ie and through the freely available mobile phone APP PipeCraft. The makers who participated in this exercise were Cillian Ó Briain, Ireland; Geoff Wooff, France; David Quinn, USA; Andreas Rogge, Germany.
4.d. Concerned community organization(s) or representative(s)
Provide detailed contact information for each community organization or representative, or other non-governmental organization, that is concerned with the element such as associations, organizations, clubs, guilds, steering committees, etc.:
a. Name of the entity
b. Name and title of the contact person c. Address
d. Telephone number e. E-mail
f. Other relevant information
Na Píobairí Uilleann Gay McKeon
15 Henrietta Street, Dublin 1, Ireland +353 (0)1 8730093
The Armagh Pipers Club Brian Vallely
Áras na Píobairí , 43 Scotch St, Armagh BT61 7DF, Northern Ireland +44 28 3752 8188
The Irish Traditional Music Archive Dr. Grace Toland
73 Merrion Square, Dublin 2, Ireland +353 (0)1 661 9699
Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy / The Willie Clancy Summer School Harry Hughes
Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, Ireland +353 (0)65 708 4281
[email protected] The Seán Reid Society Ken McLeod
50 Rowantree Road, Quilly, Dromore, Co. Down BT25 1NN, Northern Ireland +44 (0) 28 9269 3141
Cumann na bPíobairí Uilleann Mary Walsh
Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, 32 Belgrave Square S, Co. Dublin, Ireland +353 1 298 8730
[email protected] The National Folklore Collection Dr. Bairbre Ní Fhloinn
John Henry Newman Bldg, Stillorgan Rd, Belfield, Co. Dublin, Ireland +353 (0)1 716 8216
[email protected] Saint Louis Tionól Mike Mullins
297 Wolfrum Road, St. Charles, MO 63304, USA +1 636 926 9192
[email protected] Cork Pipers Club Veronica Scanlan
Redclyff, 34 Westgate Park, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland +353 (0)21 454 5725 / [email protected] Deutsche Uilleann Pipes Gesellschaft e. V.
c/o Barbara Coerdt
Lutherstraße 63, 30171 Hannover, Germany +49 511 283 49 60
[email protected] Salt Lake Piping Club Mark A. Stevenson [email protected]
Glens of Antrim Pipers Peter Lyons,
4 Knockdene, Bangor, Co. Down. Northern Ireland 00 44 289 1453099
[email protected] Cumann na bPiobairi
Tom Creegan
P. O. Box 31183, Seattle, WA 98103-1183, USA +1 206 784-8268
Great Northern Irish Pipers Club Tom Klein
St Paul, Minnesota, USA [email protected]
Le club des cornemuseurs irlandais du Québec Jamie Kerr
[email protected] London Uilleann Pipers Club John Devine
41 Durrants Lane, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 3PL, UK +44 01442 872835
[email protected] North Western Uilleann Pipers [email protected]
San Francisco Pipers Club Bob Wilson
414 Spruce Lane, Palo Alto CA 94306, +1 650-862-4093
Southern California Pipers Club Michael O’Donovan
4138 Fulton Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423, USA +1 818-789-8500
Uilleann Pipers Club Schaffhausen Johannes Schiefner
Schaffhausen [email protected]
Ulster Folk & Transport Museum Robbie Hannan
Cultra, Holywood, BT18 0EU, Northern Ireland +44 (0) 28 9042 8428
Irish World Academy of Music and Dance Dr Sandra Joyce
University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland +353-61-202065
[email protected] Oidhreact an Chláir Maureen Kilduff
Oidhreact an Chláir, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare
Tionól Tommy Kearney John Tuohy
[email protected] North Atlantic Tionól
5. Inclusion of the element in an inventory
For Criterion R.5, the States shall demonstrate that ‘the element is included in an inventory of the intangible cultural heritage present in the territory(ies) of the submitting State(s) Party(ies), as defined in Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention’.
a. Indicate below:
when the element has been included in the inventory, which should be prior to the submission of the nomination to the Secretariat (31 March),
its reference,
the inventory in which the element has been included,
the office, agency, organization or body responsible for maintaining that inventory,
how the inventory has been drawn up ‘with the participation of communities, groups and relevant non- governmental organizations’ (Article 11(b) of the Convention), and including in terms of the role of gender
how the inventory is regularly updated (Article 12 of the Convention).
b. Documentary evidence shall also be provided in an annex demonstrating that the nominated element is included in an inventory of the intangible cultural heritage present in the territory(ies) of the submitting State(s) Party(ies), as defined in Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention; such evidence shall include a relevant extract of the inventory(ies) in English or in French, as well as in the original language if different. The extract should be, for example, the inventory record or file for the nominated element, including its description, location, community(ies), viability, and so on. It may be complemented by a reference below to a functioning hyperlink through which such an inventory may be accessed, but the hyperlink alone is not sufficient.
The nominated element’s inclusion in an inventory should not in any way imply or require that the inventory(ies) should have been completed prior to nomination. Rather, a submitting State Party may be in the process of completing or updating one or more inventories, but has already duly included the nominated element on an inventory-in-progress.
Not fewer than 150 or more than 250 words
Uileann Piping was inscribed on the interim National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage as an element of national intangible cultural Heritage of Ireland on 22 February 2016. Reference No. NIICH-001. The Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht is responsible for maintaining that inventory. Pursuant to Article 12 the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage is updated to reflect additional elements following expressions of interest received from cultural bodies. An Advisory Goup comprising of representatives from the Heritage Council, the Arts Council, Built Heritage and Arts Division consider the processes for including elements of national intangible cultural heritage on the National Inventory. The Advisory Group is responsible for overseeing the implementaion of the Convention in Ireland and making recommendations to the Minister for inclusion of elements on the National Intangible Cultural Heritage.
6. Documentation
6.a. Appended documentation (mandatory)
The documentation listed below is mandatory and will be used in the process of evaluating and examining the nomination. The photographs and the video will also be helpful for visibility activities if the element is inscribed. Tick the following boxes to confirm that related items are included with the nomination and that they follow the instructions.
Additional materials other than those specified below cannot be accepted and will not be returned.
documentary evidence of the consent of communities, along with a translation into English or French if the language of concerned community is other than English or French
documentary evidence demonstrating that the nominated element is included in an inventory of the intangible cultural heritage present in the territory(ies) of the submitting State(s) Party(ies), as defined in Articles 11 and 12 of the Convention; such evidence shall include a relevant extract of the inventory(ies) in English or in French, as well as in the original language if different
10 recent photographs in high definition
cession(s) of rights corresponding to the photos (Form ICH-07-photo)
edited video (from 5 to 10 minutes), subtitled in one of the languages of the Committee (English or French) if the language utilized is other than English or French
cession(s) of rights corresponding to the video recording (Form ICH-07-video)
6.b. Principal published references (optional)
Submitting States may wish to list, using a standard bibliographic format, principal published references providing supplementary information on the element, such as books, articles, audio-visual materials or websites. Such published works should not be sent along with the nomination.
Not to exceed one standard page.
Breathnach, B. (1963). Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Vol. 1. Dublin: Oifig An tSoláthair Breathnach, B. (1976). Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Vol. 2. Dublin: Oifig An tSoláthair Breathnach, B. (1995). Ceol Rince na hÉireann, Vol. 3. Dublin: Oifig An tSoláthair Breathnach, B. (1971). Folk Music & Dances of Ireland. Dublin: Talbot Press
Breathnach, B. (1996). The man and his music: An anthology of the writings of Breandán Breathnach. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann.
Brooks, Dennis (1998). Irish Union Pipes, A Workbook. Seattle: Irish Pipers Club
Clarke, H. J. (1988). The new approach to uilleann piping: The new uilleann pipe tutor with accompanying cassette tape. Galway, Ireland: St. Martin's Publications.
Colclough, (1820). New and Complete Instructions for the Union Pipes. London Crowley, Tadhg, (1936). How to play the Irish Uillean Pipes. Cork: T. Crowley
Donnelly, S. (2001). The Early History of Piping in Ireland. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann
Ennis, S., (1986). The Master's Touch: a Tutor for the Uilleann Pipes. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann
Geoghegan, (1743). Geoghegan's Compleat Tutor for the Pastoral or New Bagpipe. London Hegarty, D., & Píobairí Uilleann. (1983). Reedmaking made easy (2nd ed.). Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann.
Kannmacher, Thomas (1999). The Uilleann Pipes - The Instrument, the Music and Playing Technique. Grafschaft: Thomas Kannmacher
Mitchell, P. (1976). The Dance music of Willie Clancy. Dublin: published for Na Píobairí Uilleann by Mercier Press.
Mitchell, P., and Small, J. (1986). The Piping of Patsy Touhey. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann Mitchell, P. (2007). The Dance Music of Seamus Ennis. Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann Moylan, T. (1981). Ceol an Phíobaire. Dublin: Foras na bPíobairí Uilleann.
Na Píobairí Uilleann. (1969 - ). An Píobaire. Dublin: Píobairí Uilleann.
O'Farrell, Patrick (1804). O'Farrell's Collection of National Irish Music for the Union Pipes.
London
O'Farrell, Patrick (1805/10). Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes. London Rowsome, Leo, (1936) Leo Rowsome's Tutor for the Uileann Pipes, Dublin: Walton's Seán Reid Society. (1999 - ). The Séan Reid Society Journal. Dublin: Sean Reid Society.
Spillane, Davy, (2011). The Davy Spillane Uilleann Pipe Tutor. Dublin: Walton's Pipers Choice, Vols. 1-9 (DVD), (2008-2015), Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann
A New Dawn (CD), (1999), Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann The Rolling Wave (CD), (2012). Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann PipeUp (DVD), (2011). Dublin: Na Píobairí Uilleann
The Pipering of Willie Clancy - Volume one (CD, 1980). Dublin: Claddagh Records The Pipering of Willie Clancy - Volume two (CD, 1983). Dublin: Claddagh Records Séamus Ennis - The Return from Fingal (CD, 1997), Dublin: RTÉ
Séamus Ennis - Ceol, Scéalta agus Amhráin (LP, 1961). Dublin: Gael Linn Leo Rowsome, King of the Pipers (LP, 1960). Dublin: Claddagh Records
7. Signature(s) on behalf of the State(s) Party(ies)
The nomination should conclude with the signature of the official empowered to sign it on behalf of the State Party, together with his or her name, title and the date of submission.
In the case of multi-national nominations, the document should contain the name, title and signature of an official of each State Party submitting the nomination.
Name: Feargal Ó Coigligh
Title: Assistant Secretary at the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Date: 15 September 2016 (revised version)
Signature: <signed>
Name(s), title(s) and signature(s) of other official(s) (For multi-national nominations only)
