U - Comhaltas Archive

The influence of their father,William and uncles Tom andJohn was obvious.Tom and Leo were hugelycommitted to traditional Irishmusic and spared no effort inhelping young players in allaspects of their musical education.Apart from their constantinvolvement in the practicalmatters of music, they were verymuch involved in fund-raising atthe Pipers' Club which includedthe purchasing of practice sets ofpipes for children and sendingthem for lessons either at the'Club' or the Municipal School ofMusic, Chatham Row, (now adepartment of the DublinInstitute of Technology).Finally their efforts wererewarded when in 1950 CumannCeolt6iri Eireann was formedwith Tom being its firstSecretary. The name waschanged to Comhaltas Ceolt6iriEireann in the following year andthat organisation was 'launched'at its first fleadh, in Mullingar.On that very day, Tom's youngestson Ciaran was born. At birth,Ciaran was quite ill and was on alife-support machine. Tomrealised that there was nothinghe could do and went to theMullingar Fleadh!Ciaran confirmed to me that hehad been called 'Comhaltas' foryears after and thank God lives totell the tale!Few people had cars at that timeand Tom put his car at thedisposal of the Pipers' Club,transporting students andparents as required.In a photo taken at the back ofHayes Hotel (Thurles Fleadh1955) Tom's youngest son Ciaran(,Comhaltas') and the writer arehappily 'sandwiched' betweenLeo and Tom listening to someserious piping.Copy photo of Leo, Tom, Ciaran andHelena at Thurles Fleadh, back of HayesHotel 7956Tom and Leo decided that thereshould be a Comhaltas emblemand designed one with the helpof an artist friend of Leo's sonLiam, Martin Forristal. The crestwas then affixed to numerousgreen Comhaltas blazers tailoredby Tom Rowsome's staff at theshop, strategically positionedalmost opposite the premises ofthe Pipers' Club at 14 ThomasStreet. Many a good night washad with those great gentlemenwho kept the pipers club goingfor years, some of whom havesadly become part of a forgottengeneration.Jim Nolan, in his greenComhaltas blazer was awelcoming sight for allenthusiasts as they entered thehallway of The Pipers' Club at 14Thomas Street. Jim's assurancethat 'a bird never flew on onewing' guaranteed an encore on alloccasions, much to the delight ofall those present. Ger Tuohey,Paddy McElvaney, Jim Seery,Criost6ir 6 Cearnaigh, JimCrystal Maggie & Peter Flynn,Tom, Leo, Leon and Liam and somany more ... Go ndeana Diatr6caire orthu go leir.Tom played the pipes in theColmcille Ceili Band in the1920'S. Tom, like Leo spent timein their father's workshop wherethey heard the playing andtuning of many fine instruments,including the then century old setof pipes made by the MaloneyBrothers of Kilrush, Co. Clare in1834 approx. This instrumenthad been unused but kept safe byProf. O'Leary and later given toWilliam Rowsome whocompletely overhauled them tomake them look and sound likenew. A lecture, broadcast onradio in 1940 was given byWilliam's son Leo on 'TheAntiquity and Development ofthe Uilleann Pipes'. This wasillustrated by selections on thethen century old Maloney set, thekeys of which were made ofcrowns and half crowns! The truescale of this robust instrumentwas evident as one observes thephoto of Leo playing what wasdescribed as 'a hive of honeyedsounds'. On that occasion, Leoconcluded his broadcast on hisown favourite instrument, madeby himself in 1922. It was thefamine in 1847 that forced theMaloney's to part with the pipes,which sold to Mr O'Carroll, afarmer of Miltown Malbay andthen acquired by Prof. O'Leary in1906, the year Tom Rowsomewas born. It must have beendifficult for the Maloney42