A different tune as 'Donegal Piper' Christy Murray retires from teaching in schools

Monday was different for Christy Murray.

Retirement, or at least part-retirement for his calendar is still plentiful, brought with it a strange sensation.

“The routines were still going through the head and I was still thinking I should preparing or going here and there,” the affable Raphoe musician tells Donegal Live.

Better known now as the ‘Donegal Piper’, Murray has had many strings to his bow, but he has bowed out from teaching music in primary schools. It brings to an end a 22-year association in the role having previously taught a variety of marching bands for 21 years.

He was just 13 when he first joined the Raphoe Pipe Band. As the different bands in the town were practising, the young Christy would sit outside and listen in.

He was outside the Marathon Hall one evening when Bobby McNulty, a noted piper from St Johnston, beckoned him in.

In 1983, alongside Conor Porter, he helped to form the St Eunan’s Youth Band.

“Before that, I was training young ones running and was big into marathons,” he says. “I had been in the FCA from I was 16 - too young, actually - and when people started asking me about whistle classes, that gave me the push.”

He was in modest surroundings for that first whistle class, in a prefab next to St Eunan’s Church - “it would be condemned now,” he says.

When 55 children came through the doors, he jolted. 

“The band was further down the road, but we had to move quickly after 55 showed up. The floor in the opal could have bounced with so many children at it.”

Porter taught the drums - “and so much more, a great man for ideas” - and the pair became best friends. They played together across the world and Murray even played the pipes at a wedding in Luxembourg City, his tones having been heard at a session in Raphoe.

Porter has been in a nursing home in recent months, something that gave Murray “ a real gunk”, while he suffered a heart attack  himself a year and a half ago.  More time now can be spent with his three grandchildren as he steps away from a frontline role. 

The memories now are as vivid as ever, though.

At the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in Kilkenny in 1988, the St Eunan’s Youth Band struck gold.

“That was our first year doing Irish music,” Murray says. “That was a real highlight.”

Word soon spread of the work he was doing in Raphoe and Ramelton Town Band got in touch.

Over a period of 21 years, he worked with seven marching bands in Donegal with his tutelage also given to St Baithin’s Band in St Johnston, St Patrick’s in Killea, Manor Band, Donegal Community Band and St Patrick’s in Drumkeen.

Christy Murray on his last day at Social Bhride, Convoy

“I couldn’t see a bigger picture at the time,” he says. “Our experience with the St Eunan’s band in Raphoe really helped. My reputation, I suppose, was getting out there,

“I really enjoyed the marching band scene. The bands withered away and just dwindled eventually.”

The loss of a brother in 2001 bit hard, the pair having worked together in Unifi for 19 years. Murray left his employment and hatched a plan about teaching music in schools.

The early take-up meandered between minimal and non-existent. Then, a couple of months after he wrote his initial letter to test the water, Charlotte Maye from Raphoe Central NS got in touch and asked if he’d provide a 10-week course to pupils.

“I am eternally grateful to Charlotte because that was a really big step for her and for me,” Murray says.

“I was taking care of my mother at home at the time, but in September 2002 I started that 10 weeks. At the end of the 10 weeks I was working in four school.”

Convoy Joint, Ballyraine and St Mary’s in Ramelton swiftly followed and by the end of his second year Murray was in six schools, the number rising to 10 in his third year. Over the last 22 years, his work took him to 24 different schools. 

“Academia actually scared me,” he says, “but the energy in the schools was brilliant. I did well enough if school, but it didn’t end well so I was very nervous going back to the school setting.

“I formulated games to make music easy and I learned off the teachers too. I wish the government would stand up and listen to teachers; they are some of the very best people we have.

“I can’t figure out why music can be taught in secondary schools, but it’s not in all primary schools. You could easily have someone employed between a handful of neighbouring schools. I have spoken about that before, but it fell on deaf ears.”

His work took him to the likes of Raphoe Central and Convoy Joint - where he had 22-year spells; St Eunan’s in Raphoe; St Brigid’s in Convoy; St Safan’s in Castlefin; Ramelton; Gartan; Coimin; Castletown; Browneknowe; Murlog; Ray; Porthall; Trentagh; Killygordon; Dromore; Ballyraine; Educate Together; Drumfad; Glencovitt; Lifford; Taoibhoige; Portlean; and Donoughmore. 

His routine began with teaching the tin whistle and children progressing to a melodica when they were competent enough. 

“What I tried to do was teach one instrument to prepare for many,” he says.

Murray will continue to lead night class in Raphoe and he’ll still heartily take part in the trad sessions in ‘Shorty’s, The Diamond Bar, every Thursday and he’s still in charge of the choir.

“I’ll keep supporting and promoting music,” he says. “I’m only retiring from the frontline stuff. There is a heaviness and an expectation around that and I have been working from I was nine years old.

“I’ve had some lovely comments in the last few days. It might have been only a simple tin whistle, but it was the start of a journey for many people. A lot of my early students are in their 50s now, some are grandparents, but they still talk about the lovely times that we had.”

Murray is known across the country as the ‘Donegal Piper’ and he’ll dust off the green and gold uniform again for the start of the Allianz Football League later this month.

“That only started as a bit of craic and was never actually planned,” he says. “It has almost become a brand now. It’s pure fun.

Read next: Trucking for Donegal: Lorry drivers to unite again for worthy causes

"It was around the 2000 period when Donegal were starting to go well, I started off and I didn’t have the uniform at that stage. It was just the pipes and a bandana; I was almost like Rambo. It was Dublin supporters who first called me the Donegal Piper and it stuck.”

Life might feel a little different, but the tune won’t change too much in many respects.

“I’m just trying to slow down, it’s just a different direction.”