Flute Maker Martin Doyle’s Weblog

Willie Clancy

With the Willie Clancy Summer School happening at Miltown Malbay in the County Clare each year, mid June becomes a busy time for Martin Doyle. There is a steady stream of visitors to his house near Liscannor and, when he gets a chance, Martin heads into Miltown Malbay to socialise and catch a session or two. Flutes to deliver, orders to take – the busy life of a popular flute maker!

During the Willie Clancy, Miltown Malbay is packed with hundreds of visitors, musicians, singers and dancers, young and old, from all over Ireland, Scotland and further afield. Standing room only! Traditional music flows like the water in the rivers and streams of Ireland and a unique traditional culture lives, breathes and is propagated during this ‘gathering of the clan’.

Cathal McConnell - photo by Kerstin Grünling*

One visitor Martin had the opportunity to welcome into his home this year was the renowned flute player, tin whistler and singer Cathal McConnell, who gifted to Martin a copy of his latest CD, Auld Springs Gies Nae Price. Needless to say, Martin was thrilled at Cathal’s kind gesture. Auld Springs Gies Nae Price is a joint effort between Cathal McConnell and Duncan Wood. A multi-instrumentalist musician, artist and author, Duncan Wood hails from the North East of Scotland and plays fiddle on the album.

Like most developed flute players, it is probably a safe bet that Cathal has more than one flute in his quiver. If that is the case, we know that at least one of them is the Martin Doyle C flute as it features in one of the tracks on Auld Springs Gies Nae Price and with Cathal on the CDs jacket photos. The track in question (track eight) comprises two lovely airs, The Fairy Strain and The Hon Mrs Maule of Panmure’s Favourite, and is introduced in the CDs accompanying booklet thus:

Auld Springs Gies Nae Price

The first lovely air came from the playing of the great Irish piper and song collector, Seamus Ennis. According to the words of the original song, a young woman was stolen away by the fairies on her wedding day, never to be seen again. Cathal here plays homage to the talented Irish flute maker Martin Doyle, who made his wooden C flute. The second tune, a wistful air written by Nathaniel Gow, appears in Gow’s Fourth Collection of Strathspeys and Reels, dedicated to the Earl of Eglinton and published in 1800. Nathaniel Gow, composer and publisher, was a great favourite with the Prince Regent and the best known of Niel Gow‘s five sons.

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