Meet the Uilleann pipes or píobaí uilleann - “pipes of the elbow” in Irish Gaelic. Their air comes from a bellow held under the player’s arm - freeing them up to sing along if they want to! Composer Neil Martin brought his pipes to the In Tune studio for this performance of Molloy's jig - originally written for legendary Irish flautist Matt Molloy of The Chieftains. Listen now on BBC Sounds | BBC Radio 3

Uilleann Pipes Stair na hÉireann/History of Ireland "I love the pipes. It's the only instrument in Ireland we can truly call our own. They make me proud to be an Irishman." –Finbar Furey The importance of piping during the years of the Irish chieftains is evident in the 9th century representation of a piper on the great stone High Cross of Clanmacnoise in Co Offaly. This seat of Irish culture in Clanmacnoise fostered the great ancient school there which at its height involved six to seven thousa