I played at Celtic Connections early in 2008 and that was the last public playing on the pipes that I did until the Blas Festival Gigs with my brothers in September 2008. ....
I did a tour of Brittany with Iain MacFarlane in February 2008 but wasn't able to play the pipes. It feels great to be able to play again. Since then I have done various gigs around the country and was in Limerick University Teaching and playing in November. I did a great UK tour with John McCusker's 'Under 1 Sky' in November/December.....
I was walking with a stick at the beginning of the tour but not far into the tour I left the stick in a taxi and didn't bother getting another one which made me work at walking 'normally'.....
After Celtic Connections there was not a lot of free time before I was off to Brittany with Iain MacFarlane for a wee tour organised by Cedric Moign of Forzh Penaos. We did a number of gigs and three lectures!! What were we lecturing about? Well you’ll have to come to our next lecture to find out, Ha Ha! The tour was very enjoyable and the hospitality as always in Brittany was fantastic, great company, food, drink and music. What more do you want? We supported Kornog one night and it was great to see and hear the lads again. I even have the poster of the gig for posterity! We played in Ploughastel, Brest, Lorient and Quimper with a couple of gigs thrown in here and there. The weather was like summer with blue skies and clear crisp mornings which we managed to catch every day! Thanks to Cedric, Jean Luc and all who organised the trip and also to Jamie McMenemy and Löic Denis who played with us at different points. Incidentally, Löic Denis and Eric Quemere are playing in the College of piping on the 5th of March. Great Piping and Bombard. Hopefully it will not be too long before we return to Brittany again.
