On behalf of the board and members of Na Píobairí Uilleann, NPU, we thank the Chairman and members of the joint committee for the invitation to make this presentation.
NPU operates in the traditional Irish arts music sector. Our primary focus is the uilleann pipes, fostering the playing of the pipes and the manufacture of an instrument that is uniquely Irish. Our vision is to make uilleann piping a major music activity worldwide. We will talk a little about the heritage, the evolution of the instrument and its manufacture. We have been working on a project for a number of years to establish a pipe making training course to promote the industry in Ireland. We have taken many steps in that process and are now at the stage of seeking funding to help us train to people who wish to learn how to make the uilleann pipes. In that regard, €170,000 a year is required for the next five years, or a total of €850,000.
Each generation of pipers has left a significant legacy. The uilleann pipes were almost extinct after the Famine. It is a hugely iconic instrument of Ireland. The cultural revivalists of the 19th century brought together the remaining uilleann pipers in Ireland for the Feis Ceoil in Dublin in the late 1800s, following which the pipers clubs of Dublin and Cork were founded. The tradition was at a very low ebb at the time. Individuals such as Éamonn Ceannt tried to revive the pipers club in Dublin, as well as the manufacture of the pipes. Unfortunately, after 1922 the impetus was lost. Individuals such as Seamus Ennis and Leo Rowsome tried to keep the tradition alive through various events and tuition, but by 1968 there were fewer than 100 uilleann pipers in the world. There was only one full-time maker of pipes, Leo Rowsome, who sadly died in 1970. The population of pipers was resident in Ireland, Britain and the United States.
There were only two hobby pipe makers and one part-time pipe maker in Ireland. That was the entire number of uilleann pipe makers in the world. Leo Rowsome, Seamus Ennis, Paddy Moloney who travelled with The Chieftains and Ceoltóirí Chualann and Breandan Breathnach were founding committee members of Na Píobairí Uilleann, an organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of the playing and making of the uilleann pipes. What is so special about them? It is a very complex instrument, probably the most complex in the world. Its maintenance and manufacture require a highly skilled wood turner, metal turner, leatherwork and the skills of a jeweller. Musically, one must have very strong musical skills to balance the pipes and get them working.
Since the foundation of NPU, the landscape for traditional music generally and uilleann piping has improved. There are now over 6,000 uilleann pipers in the world and over 60 makers of uilleann pipes. Sadly, the craft has waned a great deal in Ireland in terms of the number of makers here relative to the number in the rest of the world. There are fewer than 20 uilleann pipe makers in Ireland and more than 40 outside. The leading pipe makers in terms of turnover reside in the United States, Britain, France, Canada and Germany. The committed group of uilleann pipe makers in Ireland is doing a very good job. However, this instrument and its sound are considered uniquely Irish and people want it to remain such. They want the craft to be followed in Ireland in order that they can come here to visit pipe makers. There is an opportunity in that regard.
The challenge for this generation of uilleann pipers is to ensure people can get instruments when they require them. In that context, we believe we can create at least 30 additional jobs. Even the components such as the bag and the bellows are being imported from Canada and Scotland. No one in this country is making them and it does not require a very high level of skill. The 30 jobs could be created very quickly.
Na Píobairí Uilleann is a very vibrant cultural organisation which has benefited hugely from a strong volunteering ethos in the areas of research, tuition and promotion. We have many volunteers in communities of uilleann pipers throughout the world. They see the uilleann pipes as a uniquely Irish brand. Because of the increased interest in the instrument, we conducted a number of surveys in recent years. We have surveyed the players, the makers and those interested in undergoing training. We value the current back orders for uilleann pipes at €7 million. That might appear to be a large number, but the average price of a full set of pipes is €10,000. It can be up to €20,000 for a bespoke customised sets of pipes made in the style of the classic makers who operated in this city in the 1700s and 1800s.
Apart from the back orders and the economic activity, young people are being denied the opportunity to get instruments in the important formative years when they are teenagers. I know the uilleann pipes community very well, but my children had to wait for more than eight years to get full sets of uilleann pipes. That is the situation for the majority of young people. They cannot aspire to obtain the instrument quickly. Two uilleann pipers played at a major concert we held in Liberty Hall, the ancient uses of piping concert, last Saturday night. One set of uilleann pipes was made in America while the other was made in France.
Na Píobairí Uilleann is very effective in project management. The Arts Council has given us great support during the years and particularly in recent years with pipe making. We have also worked with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Dublin City Council, the Heritage Council, the Crafts Council of Ireland, FÁS and various others. Seán Potts, Paddy Moloney and other founding members have brought this legacy forward and helped to develop it, with Irish traditional music in general, in conjunction with many other organisations. Our organisation has a very good organisational record and strong volunteer involvement.
Our headquarters is located at 15 Henrietta Street. We acquired the building under a 99 year lease from Dublin City Council in 1982. It was in very poor condition, but our members contributed their professional skills as architects, engineers and so forth to restore the magnificent heritage building. The public funding we received was approximately €1.45 million, but anyone would agree it would cost well in excess of €3 million to restore a building of that nature to such an extent. There was "in kind" work, while Seán Potts toured the United States to raise money and many other musicians became involved. We have a strong record of voluntarism.
In recent years we have conducted surveys, identified the level of demand and sought support. We recently signed a lease on a 2,400 sq. ft. industrial unit at the Port Tunnel Business Park in Clonshaugh, County Dublin, which we are fitting out with the necessary equipment. That work will be finished in early November. It is a bespoke, customised pipe making training centre and we are now seeking the funding to secure the best skilled people in the world to come here and train Irish people, re-establish the craft in Ireland and make it stronger than ever. The instrument and the sound are unique. Irish people watch the films "Braveheart" and "Titanic" and hear uilleann pipes. They go to Riverdance and concerts around the world. The instrument identifies Ireland. It is our instrument and our craft and we should re-establish it in Ireland.
We have done much work as an organisation and received great support from the Arts Council and other bodies such as the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport. We want to offer our skills and expertise as an organisation. We filmed the top uilleann pipe makers around the world and will launch that film on our website later this month.
There has been no provision for the transfer of skills, no mentoring schemes other than what we do in an informal way and no training courses. We want to establish something sustainable for the long term. We ask for the committee's support. We need to get €170,000 per year for the next five years and that is what we ask for today.