Paddy Lavin uilleann

Lives of the Pipers Home

Paddy Lavin

player, farmer; private recordings exist

b. Caher Townland, Castlerea, County Roscommon March 16, 1908
d. Caher Townland, Castlerea, County Roscommon October 4, 1975


Paddy Lavin, Agnes [Mrs. Michael] Carney?, Tom Busby. Probably taken in Brooklyn, NY, in the 1930s.
From Denis Igoe, his email Oct. 30, 2019.


"Paddy Lavin" Photo in the Tom Busby collection of photographs, at Na Píobairí Uilleann, Dublin.

Another photo of Lavin is with the biography of Michael Carney.


During his years in the United States, Patrick Lavin was known as Pat or Paddy. At home in Ireland he was called Pake (roughly pronounced "Paak"), a variation of "Patrick" found around northeast Galway and Roscommon. Here I will stick with calling him "Paddy."

Lavin was born on a farm owned by his father near Castlerea, County Roscommon. His parents were Michael Lavin and Martha Shriane. There were nine children. Bridget (1907-1995) was the eldest child and Paddy the eldest son. Paddy had two younger brothers, Michael (1914-1980) and Jim (d. 2014?).

Lavin's mother sang and played concertina. Denis Igoe, a nephew of Lavin's, was told that there was a "lot of music in this area" when Lavin was young. Lavin learned to play flute and whistle. He did not take up pipes until he came to the United States.

Lavin emigrated in September 1929, age 21. He arrived in New York City on the S. S. Scythia with the apparent intention of staying permanently. The 1930 US Census shows him living in Newark, New Jersey, with his aunt, Nora Shriane Johnson. In 1936 he gave his address as Irvington, New Jersey, a township just west of Newark. Seán McKiernan writes that Lavin lived in Brooklyn for a time, not far from Michael Carney, his piping teacher. This may be so but there is no other evidence for this.

One assumes that Lavin sought out Irish music after his arrival in the States. He took up the pipes, and became a student of Michael Carney. By 1930 Carney (1872-1938) was well established as the best-regarded piper in New York City. He had several students, and many admirers and supporters. It is said that Lavin was introduced to Carney by piper Martin Beirne, also from Roscommon. It is not known exactly when or how soon he began taking lessons. It is clear that he was welcomed to the Carney household and accepted into the music scene there. Anna Hollwitz (later Busby), Carney's niece, was living with the Carney's at the time. Many years later she recalled, "... he was like a brother I did not have."

By 1934 Lavin was enough of a piper to play at public dances. There are newspaper references to three events, all, appropriately enough, at the Roscommon Ballroom, Manhattan, and all piper-heavy. At a benefit for Michael Carney, Sep. 22, "There will be a special all-Irish pipers' band, headed by the old warrior himself, Mike Carney; Eddie Burke, Lavin, Conway, McLaughlin and many others." An announcement for the Cloonfad Ladies Ball, Dec. 15, says "The Irish music will be furnished by Peggy Foley's Roscommon Radio Boys, including Eddie Burke, a member of her [illegible] headed[?] by Michael Carney of Irishtown, Co. Mayo; Hugh Cavanaugh, Pat Lavin, J. Malone, M. Flanagan and T. Crowley, all of whom will positively appear."

Anna Busby wrote that her uncle thought Lavin "was the 'best piper' - and my Uncle missed him" after Lavin returned to Ireland. Seán McKiernan and Paddy's brother Jim also heard that Paddy was regarded as Michael Carney's best student.

It is unclear what Lavin did for a living when in America. The 1930 US Census entry gives his occupation as "Millwrights Helper Elec. Motor Mfg." Michael T. Ruane, who compiled a family genealogy, asserts that he "worked nights;" Denis Igoe recalls hearing that he was a "laborer" and for a time worked in an A&P grocery store.

Shortly after his arrival in the United States Lavin started the process of becoming an US citizen. A 1930 application form describes him as "complexion dark, color of eyes gray-blue color of hair dk. brown, height 5 feet 10 1/2 inches; weight 167 pounds; visible distinctive marks none." One requirement is continuous residence in the US for at least five years. He swore the Oath of Allegiance and became a naturalized citizen in February 1937. At the time he claimed to have been living in New Jersey since his arrival in the States. Not long after this, perhaps within a year, Lavin moved back to Roscommon. He had been in the States about eight years. His two passports, one for Ireland and one for the United States, still exist.

Lavin never married. He returned to the family farm in Roscommon and did agricultural work for the rest of his life. Denis Igoe says his uncle Jim once told him that Paddy would have been better off to stay in America. He was not suited for farming.

Paddy's brothers played music. On his return from America, both were very much interested to hear Paddy play pipes and find out what he had learned in the States. The story goes that Paddy was happy to oblige. He took out the pipes but played the chanter under the kitchen table so the brothers could hear but not see what he was doing.

Despite this inauspicious start Paddy taught both brothers to play. He also made reeds for the pipes. Private recordings exist of Paddy and Jim playing pipes together; brother Jim played for many years and published a cassette tape in 1982 of apparent solo piping, titled "Ceol an mhala."

Paddy Lavin was a teacher of Andy Conroy (1913-1999), also from Roscommon, a player who developed his own remarkable style. Supposedly Conroy was able to make the chanter speak. Conroy would ask his chanter who was the best piper in Ireland and the chanter would reply "Paddy Lavin!"

Paddy is said to have played at fleadhanna (festivals) and concerts, but there is little specific evidence for this.

Barry O'Neill visited Paddy and Jim Lavin in 1972 or 3. They were living on a farm, no electricity, way out in the country. Light by burning peat. The brothers played pipes together. O'Neill recalls clean, un-ornamented playing, in precise unison.

From Barry O'Neill's notebooks, after conversations with Paddy:

Besides the recordings of Paddy and Jim, some of which are held by Comhaltas, there are a few extant solo recordings from 1974 collected by Henrietta Yurchenco and at the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Dublin.

Paddy Lavin died of prostate cancer, according to Michael T. Ruane, October 4, 1975, perhaps at the family homeplace in Caher, Castlerea.


Selected References

Busby, Anna letter to Kathleen Cavanagh, circa 2010 [the brother I did not have; the 'best piper']

"The Cloonfad Ball Saturday, Dec. 15" NY Advocate Dec. 8, 1934 p. 7 column 7
New York NY Irish American Advocate 1932-1934 - 1354.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

Igoe, Denis email (Sep. 11, 2018) and telephone (Nov. 12, 2019) communications

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. [Martin Beirne introduced Lavin to Carney p. 46]

Kenny, Patrick email communication Nov. 26, 2019 [about the nickname Pake]

Lavin, Jim "Ceol an mhala." GTD, publisher, 1982 audio cassette, apparent solo piping. In collection of the Irish Traditional Music Archive, Dublin
http://www.itmacatalogues.ie//Default/en-GB/RecordView/Index/27654

McKiernan, Seán "Andy Conroy 1913 - 1999 by Seán Mac Chiarnáin" [Lavin lived in Brooklyn; chanter speaking "Paddy Lavin!"] An Píobaire vol. 4 no. 2 Sep. 1999 p. 12
https://pipers.ie/source/media/?galleryId=1013&mediaId=25988

O'Neill, Barry notebook no. 4 [part 2 of 3], 1970s, pp. 4-6

O'Neill, Barry telephone conversation Nov. 9, 2019 [O'Neill visits Paddy and Jim]

Ruane, Michael T. "Ruane/Lavin and Hicks/Critelli:Information about Patrick Lavin" Genealogy.com [Genealogical information compiled by Ruane. There is a long list of sources but they are not linked to specific facts or assertions. Accessed Nov. 2019.]
https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/r/u/a/Michael-T-Ruane/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0654.html

Nick Whitmer
November 2019, addition Sep. 2023