uilleann pipes
Irish bellows-blown bagpipes with a two-octave range, chanter, drones, and regulators, considered the most complex and expressive instrument in Irish traditional music.
In Depth
The uilleann pipes (from Irish "uilleann," meaning elbow, referring to the bellows operation) are a uniquely Irish form of bagpipe that differs dramatically from the Scottish Highland pipes. Rather than blowing into a bag, the player pumps a bellows strapped under the right elbow. The instrument includes a chanter with a two-octave range (far wider than Highland pipes), three drones, and up to three regulators — keyed pipes that can produce chords and harmony, making the uilleann pipes essentially a one-person orchestra.
The instrument nearly went extinct in the mid-20th century, with fewer than 100 players remaining. The group Na Píobairí Uilleann (The Uilleann Pipers) was founded in 1968 to preserve the tradition, and today the instrument thrives. Liam O'Flynn, Paddy Moloney (of the Chieftains), and Davy Spillane brought uilleann pipes to international audiences. The instrument's ability to play both the slow, ornamented air and the rapid dance tune — and to switch between them — gives it an emotional range unmatched by any other bagpipe.
The uilleann pipes are so difficult to master that an old Irish saying claims "it takes seven years of learning, seven years of practice, and seven years of playing to make a piper" — 21 years total.