Paddy Conneely facts for kids

Paddy Conneely (who sometimes spelled his name Coneely) was a famous blind Irish musician. He played the Uilleann pipes, a special type of Irish bagpipes. He was also a talented singer. Paddy lived a long time ago, passing away on September 11, 1851.

The Galway Piper

Paddy Conneely was often called 'The Galway Piper.' This was because he lived in the Galway region of Ireland for many years. A kind person named James Hardiman helped Paddy. Mr. Hardiman even gave Paddy his own set of uilleann pipes. These special pipes were made around the 1820s.

His Amazing Music

Many people wanted to remember Paddy's wonderful music. So, several music collectors wrote down his tunes. These collectors included Henry Hudson, George Petrie, and William Forde. They wrote down about 180 of his songs!

Today, you can find most of Paddy's original music notes. They are kept in important places. These include the National Library of Ireland and the Boston Public Library. You can also find them at the University of Notre Dame's library.

A Famous Portrait

In 1839, a painter named Frederic William Burton painted Paddy's picture. This painting was later used for an engraved portrait. An engraved portrait is a picture made by carving it into a surface.

This engraved portrait was printed in The Irish Penny Journal in 1840. This made Paddy Conneely very special. He was probably the first folk musician to have his picture on the cover of a widely read magazine!

His Family

After Paddy Conneely passed away, his two sons needed care. The Christian Brothers helped them. They took the boys in and looked after them.