Michael Carney uilleann

Lives of the Pipers Home

Michael Carney

performer, pipemaker; private and commercial recordings exist

b. near Irishtown, Co. Mayo, Ireland Aug. 21, 1872
d. Brooklyn, NY May 12, 1938


Michael Carney. Earliest known newspaper publication of this photo was Oct. 1914.
Photo in the Tom Busby collection of photographs at Na Píobairí Uilleann.


Tom Busby, Anna Busby (then Anna Hollwitz), Michael Carney, Paddy Lavin, circa 1936.
Photo from Denis Igoe, also in the Tom Busby collection of photographs at Na Píobairí Uilleann.

A likely photograph of Agnes [Mrs. Michael] Carney is with the biography of Paddy Lavin.


About 40 years after Michael Carney died, two men were transcribing old piping recordings from a cassette tape. The recordings were from the collection of Tom Busby, and one, originally a cylinder record of an unnamed tune, seemed "extraordinary." Jackie Small and Pat Mitchell, both pipers with a great interest in early recordings, "were under the mistaken impression that the piper was Patsy Touhey, and we regarded the piece as representing the cream of Touhey's art, both from the point of view of repertoire and execution." Later they learned that the piper was Mike Carney, playing "The Village Grove." The incident confirms Carney's skills as a top-rank piper, and indicates how much he had been forgotten. In the 1920s and 30s Carney was the most respected, probably best-loved piper in New York City.

Not much is known of his early life and family background. The few written sources are not entirely reliable. Carney was born and raised in or near Irishtown, in southeast County Mayo, not far from the Galway and Roscommon borders, father Michael and mother Margaret Higgins Carney. In later years announcements and advertising almost always referred to him as "the famous piper from Irishtown Co. Mayo," or some variant. This location was an important part of his self-image; he made a pipe bellows in Brooklyn in 1928 and wrote "built by Mike Carney of Irishtown, Co. Mayo" inside it.

His grandfather, father and uncle were pipers, perhaps winners of "musical contests." His father played at a formative rally by the Land League in Irishtown, April 1879. Carney's younger brother James (1882-1969) played accordion. An Irish birth register gives Carney's birth year as 1872, New York City death records give the birth year as 1876; US Census records show he emigrated to the US in 1891 or 92, probably about age 20.

Carney probably spent his first years in the United States in Hartford, Connecticut. A 1900 US Census listing shows him there, married for two years to Agnes (Carney was apparently also her maiden name) and employed as a mill wright. His brother James lived in New Haven CT in later years. Connecticut connections persisted for the rest of his life, as will be seen. Michael and Agnes moved to Brooklyn, NY perhaps after 1905 but this year is a guess.

Tom Busby (1912-2000), one of Carney's last students, and Michael T. Scanlon, active until the 1970s, who knew Carney, both agree that he played flute before taking up the pipes. He did not start playing pipes until after coming to America. Carney was good friends with Pat Touhey, the foremost piper in the first two decades of the twentieth century, and it is assumed that Carney learned piping from him.

The 1910 US Census shows Carney as living in Brooklyn, married to his wife Agnes for 13 years, and working as a Machinist at a Pump Works. Around this time something dreadful happened: he was stricken with paralysis from the hips down; he became an "invalid," to use the term of the day, and was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Stories persist that he was crippled in a work-place accident. I myself have heard that he was a "sandhog," a laborer hired to dig subway tunnels, and was injured in a cave-in. More reliable is the recollection of Anna Busby (1916-2012), Carney's niece, who as a girl lived with Michael and Agnes, and later married Tom Busby.Years later Kathleen Cavanaugh asked her about this. Cavanagh's recollection of Anna Busby's account: "One day, he sat down at his job, and could not stand up. They brought him back to the house and called a Dr. The Dr. came to the house and told him he would be paralyzed. It was a sudden thing. He was very depressed after that, but threw himself into pipemaking/reedmaking and helping out the Irish music community."

Carney's obituary says "... Mr. Carney lost the use of his legs 29 years ago following a stroke of paralysis...." What happened? John Whitmer, my father, was a medical doctor, trained in the late 1940's. He speculated 'The way I read the newspaper article leads me to believe that the man had the misfortune to get "ASCENDING PARALYSIS" which is now called Guillain-Barre Disease [syndrome].'

Best evidence is that it happened around 1910. Tom Busby says 1905 but this is unlikely. An advertisement for a dance and benefit for Carney in 1928 describes him as "an invalid 18 years." This kind of statement is used in other ads in other years, and the numbers work out to it happening between and including the years 1908 and 1911. Michael Kelly points out that in the 1910 US Census, "Although Michael's occupation was recorded as a 'machinist in a pump works' in April 1910, he was then unemployed and had been for 27 weeks during the previous year. This supports the view that his life-changing event, whatever the cause, had occurred in 1909, probably in the first half of the year."

Busby also asserts that Carney did not take up the pipes until after he became crippled. This may or may not be so. Cavanagh's telling of what Anna Busby said to her ("but threw himself into pipemaking/reedmaking") implies that he was already playing pipes. The first newspaper article about Carney, October 1914, which reads much like an advertisement, says "After a few years in the United States his love for music urged him to follow in his father's footsteps. His one wish was to hear those jigs, reels and hornpipes played by his own fingers, a task which he accomplished in a short while...." By the time of the article he had been in the US twenty-two years.

The earliest reference I have found to Carney as musician is from April 1913, playing pipes for Irish dancing at a contest at Round Hall, Brooklyn. But there is some suggestion that he was active publicly as early as 1906. The Michael J. Carney Association advertised the Association's "13th Annual Monster Entertainment and Ball" for February 13, 1920. A similar entertainment, described as the "twelfth annual" was held October 12, 1918. These ads suggest that Carney was publicly active at dances at least as early as 1907.

A word about Associations: They appear to have been a way of organizing or marketing Irish-American for-profit dances that were not sponsored by societies, clubs and other more established entities. These Associations sponsored many events between 1888 and 1931, almost all of them in the New York City region. The person after which the Association was named was often referred to as the association's "standard-bearer." The standard-bearer sometimes helped organize the events, but more often merely lent his name with no more apparent duty than to be at the dance. There were many Associations, some few in the name of other Irish pipers, Tom Ennis and Francis X. Hennessy, for examples. But most were not musicians. John McMurray, in the hotel business. Denis J. Buckley, an undertaker. M. J. Moylan, "the popular hurler." And so on. All seemed to be widely known, have some measure of popularity and be active in the social world. Their identification with an event probably suggested that the event would be fun and well-attended by sympathetic people.

That there was a Michael J. Carney Association by 1906 or 7 says something about his status in the community at the time. It is not too far a stretch to think that this status was based in part on playing music.

There is more evidence that might suggest he had a reputation as a piper by 1906. In that year the Edison Manufacturing Company produced "Kathleen Mavourneen," a 15 minute silent film, a melodrama. The film still exists. Near the end is "The Village Dance" scene, where "champion reel dancers of the country take part and dance to the tunes of the old Irish piper." This is likely the earliest appearance of an Irish piper in a motion picture. Barrel-chested, playing left handed, enthusiastically tapping his right foot, and with a big shiny set much like the one in the picture of Carney circa 1914, it is not impossible that the piper is Michael Carney.

In 1915 Carney ran an advertisement several times in The Advocate, an Irish-American weekly newspaper: "Prof. Michael Carney, Celebrated Irish Bagpiper, 90 Bergen St., Brooklyn. Open for Engagements for Parties, Weddings, Ball and Social Functions. Best Irish Music for All Occasions." Carney's name begins to appear in event advertising and announcements. Not often from 1914 to 1920, but almost monthly from 1920 to 1935. Of newspapers available to me, most references appeared in The Advocate.

Most of Carney's gigs were playing for Irish dancing: sets, hornpipes, reels, etc. In this era there was a great deal of public dancing activity for Irish-Americans in New York, perhaps ten large dances every weekend. Also, throughout the week, smaller dances, dance classes, receptions, and club meetings with some dancing after business. The large dances usually had "American" or "modern" dancing in one room, with a band or "orchestra" supplying the music. In another room, usually the smaller of the two, Irish dances, commonly with two, three or four musicians. The Irish musicians were usually unnamed in advertising and announcements, particularly before 1920. Sometimes music by "fiddlers and pipers" would be promised.

In the 1920s Irish musicians began to be named more often. In The Advocate this may have been due to editorial policy supporting "real" Irish culture. It may have been due to a realization that these individuals were an attraction. Carney and others benefited from the attention of James A. Hayden (d. 1943), The Advocate social columnist, also an events organizer, master of ceremonies, singer, radio program host. A flute player, Hayden genuinely liked traditional Irish music and mentioned Carney often.

Most of Carney's engagements were in New York City. The only out of town engagements I came across were at or near Hartford, CT. In a newspaper column from November 1920, Hayden writes that "Mr. Carney was visited by friends from Hartford, Conn., who came by automobile, their purpose to take him with them to play at an Irish entertainment there Saturday night."

Carney had particular relationships to pipers Eddie Burke and Hugh J. Cavanaugh, both of whom organized dances and entertainments in which Carney participated. Both were great supporters, and both organized benefit after benefit for Carney for many years. Burke tended to organize events in Manhattan. Cavanaugh, who started out as one of Carney's students, organized events in Brooklyn.

Whether or not the Carney Association events were benefits for Carney is ambiguous. Only the last Carney Association event, Feb. 1920, is so described. After that, mentions of the Association cease and many a "Carney benefit" was held in the ensuing years. Twenty four benefits have been verified from 1919 to 1938. The high water mark was three in 1925, February, March, May. The object of the May benefit was "to help purchase a wheelchair for the old man...." The last benefit was held April 24, 1938, about four weeks before Carney's death.

Carney played some engagements multiple times. Probably due to the efforts of Eddie Burke, from Roscommon, Carney - and Burke - played for years at the Cloonfad (Roscommon) Ladies Annual Ball. In 1926-27 he was playing for dancers every Saturday evening at Tammany Hall in Brooklyn (a dancehall, not the political Tammany Hall headquarters in Manhattan). Similarly, in the winter of 1930 he played at the Imperial Lyceum, Manhattan, every Sunday night.

For most Irish-American events, newspaper coverage would include an announcement or two, advertising, and a follow-up report of the event. Such coverage was almost entirely positive, and often in a pro forma sort of way. "... music, songs, dancing and other features made the evening a delightful one. Prof. Cody supplied the music." "... they held a very enjoyable social and dance. Profs. McIntyre, Manning and Kelly were in charge of the music." "A very good crowd attended and all enjoyed a splendid time." These examples are chosen from a random issue of The Advocate, Jan. 3, 1925.

But in the coverage of some of the events where Carney was present, a sense of excitement and intensity occasionally comes through.

Top-notch musicians were willing to play at the benefits and other events. Of these, fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison and piper Pat Touhey are best remembered today. But combinations of good players not much remembered now made powerhouse music. At the Carney Benefit May 22, 1926 "A greater array of Irish music has never been assembled on any stage. Following are among those who played: James Botkins, Eddie Burke, Brian Delaney, the Crowley brothers, Jimmy McDermott, Mike McDonough, Barney Griffin, Hughie Cavanaugh, Mike Walsh, Hugh Lally, James Morrison, Francis X. Hennessy and the renowned Michael Carney himself."

In several engagements Carney is described as playing in a group with three, four, even five other pipers. For example, at the Roscommon-Tuxedo Ballrooms, Sep. 22, 1934, "a special all-Irish pipers' band, headed by the old warrior himself, Mike Carney; Eddie Burke, [Paddy] Lavin, Conway, [Myles or Jimmy] McLaughlin and many others."

Recordings of Carney's playing survive. One 78 rpm record of solo playing, and another in company with fiddle player James Morrison, were released in 1929. Cylinder recordings, likely homemade, still exist and are in the care of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Dublin. Some of these recordings can be found on the Internet.

Carney gave lessons in piping. At least two students passed their knowledge on to subsequent generations of pipers, and so to some degree extended Carney's musical influence through time. Tom Busby became a storehouse of information about the music and musicians of Carney's era and shared what he knew with many. Paddy Lavin (1908-1975), a Carney student in the 1930s, returned to his native Roscommon and passed on piping skills to Andy Conroy, among others. Martin Beirne was described as a "protege of Michael Carney" in a 1931 newspaper article and is said to have introduced Paddy Lavin to Carney.

Carney repaired and bought and sold pipes. He also made reeds, some of which survive and are described by John Tuohy as "very neat work." Busby wrote that "Patsy Touhey played a weak reed. Mike Carney played a strong reed. Mike was a strong man." Chanters and bellows of his make also survive. Busby said that Carney made four full sets, one of which was for Paddy Lavin. At a social event in Manhattan, January 1923, piper "Peter J. Gallagher gave several musical selections on his beautiful new $300 bagpipes, made by Michael Carney of Brooklyn, one of Ireland's greatest pipers."

After Pat Touhey died in 1923 the set he used most, made by the Taylor brothers, was sold to Carney by Touhey's widow.

The Carney home was a center for music. Busby recalls "Mike was a good Irishman and was held in high esteem by all Irish musicians in the country. All the flute players and fiddlers in New York and from all over the country came to hear him. Many a time there would be as many as ten of them in the kitchen, playing their hearts out."

Carney was apparently gregarious, cheerful. Paddy Lavin said that "when Carney talked about something [that] happened in America - it would be in English. if it happened in Ireland - in Irish. ..." Writing in the 1970s Michael T. Scanlan says "He was a cripple, and a happy one, in a wheel chair, so he devoted full time to his hobby." In a poem by Elizabeth Garvey from 1930 Carney is described as

By 1935 the demand for engagements had dropped off. After that year Carney is seldom mentioned in the papers unless in connection with benefits for him or the Cloonfad Ladies' Ball.

Carney died at home "after a short illness" May 12, 1938. James Hayden wrote, "He was waked at his home on Pacific Street, Brooklyn and it can be said that every Irish or Irish American musician throughout greater New York attended the wake especially last Sunday." He is buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Brooklyn.

On August 19, 2023 "A celebration event in honor of Michael Carney" was held in Irishtown, County Mayo. Activities included an exhibition and film screening on the life and times of Carney, the unveiling of commemorative plaque honoring Carney, and the launch of a publication The Irishtown Piper by Michael Kelly.

Back in 1924, to promote the Cloonfad Ladies' Ball, Eddie Burke wrote a poem which concluded with this verse:


The initial version of this biography was first published in An Píobaire vol. 14 no. 3 August 2018 pp. 39-45. Shown here courtesy of Na Píobairí Uilleann, Dublin.


Selected References

Burke, Eddie "With the Poets Reminiscences of Cloonfad" NY Advocate Feb. 16, 1924 p. 2 column 1
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0992.pdf

Busby, Thomas "Michael Joseph Carney" An Píobaire vol. 1 no. 10/11 Aibrean 1973 p. 86-7
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1010&mediaId=25886

"Carney Benefit a Success" NY Advocate June 21, 1924 p. 2 column 3
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 1149.pdf

Cavanagh, Kathleen Private communication about Anna Busby, email July 8, 2015

Costello, Jack "What .... Jack Costello .... Says" [Martin Beirne as protege of Carney] NY Advocate May 9, 1931 p. 8 column 2
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1930-1931 - 0817.pdf

"Co. Mayo Benefit Saturday Night for Michael Carney" NY Advocate Sep. 22, 1934 p. 2 column 6
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1932-1934 - 1253.pdf

Garvey, Elizabeth "The Michael Carney Benefit." NY Advocate April 26, 1930 p. 8 column 2
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1930-1931 - 0200.pdf

Hayden, James A. "In Irish Circles" NY Advocate May 21, 1938 p. 7 column 1
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1937-1938 - 0644.pdf

Hayden, James A. "News, Notes & Comment The Carney Benefit." NY Advocate May 29, 1926 p. 7 column 1
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1925-1927 - 0684.pdf

Hayden, James A. "News, Notes & Comment The Cloonfad ladies at East 55th St." NY Advocate Feb. 17, 1923 p. 2 column 4
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0540.pdf

"Irish Music Club Social" [Carney makes pipes for Peter J. Gallagher] NY Advocate Feb. 3, 1923 p. 2 column 3
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1922-1924 - 0524.pdf

Johnson, Thomas "Johnson's Uilleann Pipes Site" [discography]
http://steampacket.ownit.nu accessed Dec. 2017.

"Kathleen Mavourneen at the Crystal Theatre." Kokomo [IN] Daily Tribune Oct. 23, 1906 p. 6 column 3
Newspaperarchive.com

Kelly, Michael "The Cloonfad Piper" An Píobaire part 1 vol. 13 no. 1 Jan. 2017 pp. 20-4
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1138&mediaId=27287

Kelly, Michael The Irishtown Piper: the life and musical world of Michael Carney (1872-1938) of Brooklyn Irishtown Heritage Group, Irishtown, Co. Mayo 2023 72 p. [Carney's parents' names p. 8; suggesting Carney became paralyzed in 1909 p. 25; Martin Beirne as protege, introduced Lavin to Carney p. 46]

Kelly, Michael [1900 US Census; genealogical information] private comunication 2019

Lavin, Paddy quoted in "Stuff from Paddy Cronin, Jim Dolan et al" Barry O'Neill notebook no. 4 [part 1 of 3], 1970s, p. 16-8

McKiernan, Seán [Carney making full sets] private communication 2018

"Michael J. Carney, Noted as Bagpiper" [obituary] Brooklyn [NY] Daily Eagle May 13, 1938 p. 13 column 3
Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle 1938 Grayscale - 3976.pdf

"Prof. Carney Plays at Imperial Lyceum." NY Advocate Feb. 22, 1930 p. 7 column 6
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1930-1931 - 0098.pdf

"Prof Michael Carney" NY Advocate Oct. 24, 1914 p. 2 column 5
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1913-1915 - 0782.pdf

Scanlon, Michael T. letter The Uilleann Piper vol. 1 no. 3 June 30, 1974 pp. 2-3
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1037&mediaId=26433

Small, Jackie "A Reel From Mike Carney" An Píobaire vol. 2 no. 32 D. Fomh. 1986 p. 5
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1011&mediaId=25934

Small, Jackie "The Village Grove" An Píobaire vol. 3 no. 4 September 1990 pp. 12-14
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1012&mediaId=25950

"Tobercurry and Charlestown Dance" NY Advocate Jan. 7, 1928 p. 7 column 4
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1928-1929 - 0033.pdf

Touhey, Mary letter to to Henry Mercer, July 18, 1923 [sells Pat Touhey set to Carney] From the Collection of the Mercer Museum Library of the Bucks County Historical Society, Doylestown, PA

Tuohy, John conversation Oct. 13, 2017

Walstrom, Mark "Early Pipe Makers in America" Pipers' Review vol. 22 no. 3 Summer 2003 p. 20
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1036&mediaId=26390

Nick Whitmer
Sep. 2018 additions Dec. 2018, 2019, Sep. 2023