They fit in a suitcase. They cost $2,000. They were never supposed to leave Ireland.
Now Bob Matchett is selling his uilleann pipes, which are a rare variety of bagpipe. He says it takes 20 years to learn how to play them and by that time he won’t be around anymore. He professes to have smuggled them out of Ireland in his carry-on, even though somebody told him these special pipes are supposed to remain in the country.
The uilleann pipes are different than other bagpipes by their tone and range. The instrument plays two full octaves, including sharps and flats. The uilleann pipes are often played indoors, and are almost always played sitting down.
A quick search on the strange website uilleannobsession.com uncovers some bagpipes being sold second-hand for as much as $20,000! So, as usual, the Dunster Mother’s Day Garage sale was full of bargains.
Despite the pouring rain, cars stretched down the street in front of the Dunster Store and school. Many highway travellers wandered through, carrying big finds back to their vehicles while trying not to slip in the mud.
By: Laura Keil
Slideshow: Micah Yoder shows off an extraordinary set of bagpipes. Carol Ann and Amos Romanow with Carol Ann’s bedding plants. Louis Lindstrom with his cedar bird houses.
