Hillery's, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare in July 1998

I had played for a while in the backroom when these two came in, playing East Clare music before it became the fashionable thing.

Outside Crotty's, Kilrush, Co. Clare in August 1999

Seán McNamara lived in Liverpool but used to spend most of the summers in Clare. He was a long time member of the Liverpool Ceili band. He's playing here with Mick Coyne who has strong family connections with the band. They were flying it.

Jackie had asked me to take a few photos. This was at the back of the house. A few days later I was working on the films in the darkroom at home. Towards one o'clock I took a break and turned on the radio and heard serious classical music on Clare fm. That didn't sound right so I turned the television on to catch the news. The job didn't get finished, it was 11 September 2001.

The piper's hands

Wille Clancy Summer School reedmaking workshop, Vocational school, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare on 6 July 1994

Robbie was playing a lunchtime recital for the pipers at the 1997 Willie Clancy Summer School. His son moved to the front at some point, perhaps suggesting it was time to move on.

Conway's, Mullagh, Co. Clare, July 1999

Late one afternoon we had gone to Mullagh for a few tunes. Denis has that lovely flowing old fashioned sort of sound. He was sitting opposite of me, catching the light of the low sun coming in through the window while smoking his pipe. I had to go out to car to get the camera.

Paddy Canny at The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon in August 1998 / Peter Laban

Another big gathering of concertina players outside Crotty's in Kilrush from August 1998. Úna Grogan, Dympna O'Sullivan, Mick Mulcahy and Gerdie Commane all playing concertinas, Louise Mulcahy play playing the flute. Gerdie's wife, Nora and Pat Costello sitting in to listen.

Geoff Wooff's house, Cloghanmore, Miltown Malbay in June 1998

At one point I embarked on a project that would document pipemaker Geoff Wooff making a set of pipes for Maire Ní Ghrada. This image was taken towards the end of that project when Maire came to collect her pipes. With the vacuum cleaner stored in the backroom echoing the shape of the chanter, I had to take this angle, hadn't I?