O’Flynn, Liam

Born in Kill (co. Kildare); His father, Liam, was a teacher and fiddle player; His mother, Maisie (née Scanlan), who came from a family of musicians from co. Clare, played and taught piano; According to Derek Schofield, Liam jr. (who showed musical talent at an early age) was "captivated by the sound of the [Uilleann] pipes when a local piper, Tom Armstrong, visited the house to play duets with his father". At the age of 11, he began taking classes with Leo Rowsome; He was also influenced by Willie Clancy and Séamus Ennis, who taught him that there was much more to being a piper than playing tunes; Liam once said "Séamus gave me much more than a bag of notes"; During his early years, his name was sometimes spelled Liam Óg O’Flynn (Irish: Liam Ó Floinn); The recognition of his talent started in the 1960s, during which he won prizes at the Oireachtas Festival and the Fleadh Cheoil. In 1968, he was a founder member of Na Píobairí Uilleann, the Society of Uilleann Pipers; At the time of his death he was their honorary president; In 1972 O’Flynn was co-founder of the Irish traditional ensemble Planxty, which initially featured Christy Moore (vocals, acoustic guitar, bodhrán), Andy Irvine (vocals, mandolin, mandola, bouzouki, hurdy-gurdy, harmonica), and Dónal Lunny (bouzouki, guitars, bodhrán, keyboards); Despite 2 break-ups of the group, Liam remained a member throughout its active periods (1972–1975, 1978–1983, and 2003–2005), being joined by various others; Planxty brought a vitality to acoustic music that drew heavily on O’Flynn's piping virtuosity; Following the break-up in 1983, Liam found work as a session musician with artists as Kate Bush, Rita Connolly, Enya, the Everly Brothers, Nigel Kennedy, and Mark Knopfler. He has performed in films, including Cal (1984), Kidnapped (1979 [?]), The Field (1990), and A River Runs Through It (1992) [NB: ➺ Bagpipes in cinema films], worked with avant-garde composer John Cage, and also with neo-romantic composer Shaun Davey; In 2007 he received the TG4 Gradam Ceoil Award for Musician of the Year (which is considered to be the foremost recognition given to traditional Irish musicians); His music was filled with heart and soul, and he is particularly famous for the way he played slow airs; Liam died after a long illness, being survived by his wife, Jane (née Nightingale), whom he married in 1988, and sister, Maureen; His name is mentioned, among others, in the 3rd verse of Christy Moore's song Lisdoonvarna [➺ There's a Dutchman...]).