Packie Duignan

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Patrick "Packie" Duignan (died 1992) was an Irish flute player, very well known by music lovers in his time. He was born at Colier road, Arigna, high up in the Iron Mountains of County Roscommon, Eire, and worked as a miner all his life.

Duignan started learning to play on a clarkes whistle while listening to the 78's of John Mckenna. His deep diaphragm driven rhythm was strongly influenced by Mckenna. From 1958 to 1973, Duignan played in the Drumshanbo-based celi band "Shannon Star". He made some recordings in the late 1970's which later appeared on a compilation CD, "Irish Traditional Music" by Temple Records. He also made many television and radio appearances. In his later years, Duignan mostly played in and around Drumshanbo, Keadue and Arigna with Seamus Horan and Ciaran Emmett.

Duignan was renowned for his great sense of humor and was always up for a bit of fun. In 1992, he died, following a short battle with leukemia. He refused the aid of chemotherapy, saying he wanted to die as he had lived and not a shadow of his former self. He was buried with his flute in the church grounds in the middle of Arigna.

[edit] Legacy

In 1995, a tribute CD was composed of a concert featuring Tommy Guihen, Patsy Hanly, Mick Woods, and Joe Skelton at the Joe Mooney Summer School in Drumshanbo, called "A Tribute to Packie Duignan" . A annual tribute weekend featuring many bands and players is held in Drumshanbo in late January. A memorial to Duignan stands in the village of Drumshanbo, county Leitrim.

Among a younger generation of flute/whistle players to cite Duignan's influence are Catherine McEvoy and Mary Bergin.

[edit] Festival

On January 26th 2007, the first official Packie Duignan Traditional weekend was launched by Comhaltas Drumshanbo. Following the opening at the Duignan memorial in the Main Car Park on Friday 26th January, there was a big session in Duignan's local Gunnings Pub. On the Saturday there was a workshop in flute, whistle, bodhran, fiddle, sean nos dancing.