The Uilleann Pipes are bellows-blown bagpipes from Ireland. They aren't any louder than a violin, guitar or flute - which are instruments they are commonly played with on stage or in musical 'sessions'. A 'full set' of uilleann pipes consists of a bag, bellows, chanter, 3 drones and three 'regulators' for playing chords.
Daniel Winfree Papuga started playing Irish tin whistle in the 1960's. He began with uilleann pipes in 1977, with kind help from Dan O'Dowd, Johnny Bourke and Cillian O'Brian in Dublin, as well as Denis Brooks, Sean Folsom and others in the San Francisco Bay Area.
If YOU are interested in the uilleann pipes, you might wish to become a member of the na piobairi uilleann - the world organization for uilleann pipers . There are also many online groups for discussing the instrument, such as the uilleann pipe mailing list and the Chiff and Fipple Uilleann Pipe forum
There are, of course, OTHER forms of bagpipes that are perhaps more well-known around the world than uilleann pipes. Read what Richard Burgess wrote about Bagpipes - Musical Instrument Or Secret Weapon?
