James O'Brien

James O'Brien (1823–85), Irish piper. O'Brien was born in Swinford, County Mayo. He was friendly with Piper Cribben, and became his pupil, and was acquainted with Patrick Walsh (piper). He was neither blind nor lame, but took up music for the sheer love of it. However, after emigrating to England, he suffered a spinal injury while working in a stone quarry which disabled him from hard manual labour, so he was forced to rely upon music as his sole source of income. O'Brien played all over the north of England, in taverns, picnics, and fairs. He was especially fond of Yorkshire and Lancashire, but was known to wander as far south as Devon. Captain Francis O'Neill tells of him: