About the Great Northern Irish Pipers Club

The GNIPC is a piping club located in Minnesota dedicated to the national instrument of Ireland, the uilleann pipe. We host monthly meetings for beginners and experienced pipers. The club holds an annual tionól (pipers gathering) in September, hosts a quarterly open-mic event open to all traditional musicians, and hosts a traditional Irish music and dance tent at the Irish Fair in St. Paul every August. We'd love to have you join us!

About the Pipes

The Uilleann pipes are distinguished from many other forms of bagpipes by their sweet tone and wide range of notes – the chanter has a range of two full octaves, including sharps and flats – together with the unique blend of chanter, drones, and regulators. The regulators are equipped with keys enabling the piper to play simple chords, giving a rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment as needed. The Uilleann pipes have a unique harmonic structure, sounding sweeter and quieter than many other bagpipes, such as the Great Irish Warpipes or Great Highland Bagpipes. The Uilleann pipes are usually played indoors, and almost always played sitting down.

About the Club

The Great Northern Irish Pipers’ was founded smetime in the 1900’s. We’re not certain when, do you know? If you do contact us and we’ll update this little item that talks about the history of the club.