At the age of five, I started playing the tin whistle. At age sixteen I bought an Eb Flute from Paul Davis not knowing the difference between an Eb Flute and D Flute. Paul Davis used to travel around the country selling flutes at the time. When my oldest brother, P.J. Hernon would come home from boarding school in Galway, I was not able to play with him because he was playing a B and C Accordion. When you play the two rows on the Accordion, you are playing in the key of D. I was at a huge disadvantage because I had an Eb Flute. I began to experiment with the embouchure by closing off the original embouchure and redrilling the head joint closer to the cork. However, I still wasn’t hearing what I wanted to hear. I then extended the tuning slide and I was happy enough at the time with it. There is a recording of this flute on P.J.’s album made with Gael-Linn in 1978. The flute can be heard on this album on Track 11 – Fox on the Prowl and Crock of Gold. Whenever my son Prionsias plays this recording, I ask him to skip this track because I find it embarrassing to listen to it because the flute was out of tune with itself. Following this experience, I got the courage to get some tools to make an instrument myself. The first flute I made was made out of oak because my father was a boat repairer and had plenty of timber pieces lying around. I burnt the first few flutes I made because they were really bad. I continued working with oak until I was happy with what I was hearing.

the History of Why I started making FLUTES

I got my first piece of Africian Blackwood timber from Eugene Lambe, a piper, piper maker and flute maker from Co. Clare. Thirty years later, I am still making traditional Irish flutes. Like the music, I strongly feel that I inherited this gift. My aunt, Mary Madden who was my mother’s sister from Feenish Island died in the Carna Nursing Home in May 2023 at the age of 101 years told me, that her uncle Pateen Pháraic Mháirtín Connolly made a flute out a steel pipe because he could not afford to buy any instrument at the time. The islanders were able to lilt the dance tunes until such time as Pateen’s sister brought a melodeon home from America. Her idea was that Pateen would teach her but Pateen managed to hold on to the melodeon and thereafter he used to play on the island and all around the area. For me, music is food for my soul. I am grateful to my ancestors that I inherited their musical talent and I am proud that my two sons are the future guardians of these inherited talents.

To buy one of my flutes please contact me via email or phone on +353(0)87 972 9763 If you are local to me and would like to play one of my instruments prior to ordering your own this can be organised in our conversation. My Black African Wood Flutes are priced at €1000 + postage and packing and it takes me around two months from the ordering of a flute until it is delivered. Flutes come in a custom made wooden storage / carrying case.

Fox on the Prowl and Crock of Gold,*The track I dislike.*

Gauger a much better sound

Below are some You Tube recordings of Concert Gigs done over the years and a small compilation of clips showing how I make the flutes. Our current band called Feenish (Fíghnis) and we have toured Europe and America bringing a little taste of Connemara around the world. The newest CD is called Rabharta which means Spring or full tide and also a full blast of music or song.