Banba by Gallen Blackwood Uilleann Half Set, Concert D

A concert pitch D half set that plays well and comes ready to go. Drones and chanter are African blackwood with imitation ivory mounts and metal ferrules, and the chanter carries one key. Bag and bellows are by Kelleher Traditional.

The set has been through one significant piece of work. As delivered, the stop key on the common stock leaked badly enough to make the drones unplayable, so it went to an American smallpipe maker who fitted a brass sleeve to make it airtight. The chanter and blowpipe stocks were replaced at the same time so that everything matched the rest of the set. The original stocks come with it.

What is included:

• Blackwood chanter with imitation ivory mounts and C-nat key
• Bass, baritone and tenor drones on a common stock
• Blowpipe
• Bag and bellows by Kelleher Traditional
• Spare Banba chanter reeds and spare drone reeds
• The original chanter and blowpipe stocks
• Kelleher Traditional carry bag

About the Maker

Martin Gallen has been making uilleann pipes since 2011, working as Banba Design from Strabane in County Tyrone. He is a full member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and won the O'Mealy pipemaking scholarship in 2012. He makes everything himself, from reeds and bags through bellows, cases and the tools of the trade, and has published a book on reedmaking. He restored Paddy Keenan's Rowsome set, and has worked with Liam O Maonlai and Finbar Furey.

Kelleher Traditional of County Dublin supplied bags and bellows to the pipemaking trade for years and appear on Na Piobairi Uilleann's list of suppliers. Some pipemakers used Kelleher bags and bellows exclusively rather than making their own.