Thanks to the technical wizardry of St Laurence O’Toole piper Ronan Maguire, Piping Press is now able to publish enhanced and coloured images of important historical figures in piping and pipe bands. Two examples of Ronan’s work are published today with more to follow.
To give readers an idea of the expertise involved Ronan says of the picture above: ‘The band pic is SLOT from 1956, before restoration (below) and after with colour. I first cleaned and enhanced the original black and white image, then I hand coloured it. It only took a week to do that one!’
Ronan has also kindly agreed that readers can download the images free of charge. They will make perfect adornments for every piping room and band hall. Get the SLOT enhanced image here:
The next picture is of John MacColl, Oban, the great piper and composer, immortalised by his own tunes, the classic 2/4 marches Jeannie Carruthers, Arthur Bignold, John MacFadyen of Melfort and Dugald MacColl’s Farwell to France, and many others.
The first two pictures below show the raw image (l) and then the cleaned up version (r):
Finally, we have the superb colour portrait that emerged after Ronan worked his magic:
Download your copy of this picture of the master piper and composer here:
Stay tuned to Piping Press for more outstanding portraits from Ronan. For now, here is more about the man himself. He has been a piper with St Laurence O’Toole Pipe Band, Dublin, since 1985. He was P/Sgt, and P/M Terry Tully’s right hand man, for 16 years from 1988 to 2004.
He has played in every major championship the band has won since their first, the Scottish at Dumbarton in 2008, and including the Worlds in 2010. Ronan has performed at three pre-Worlds concerts at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.
He is a computer software professional from Dublin, and also run’s his own company, Maguire Bagpipe Supplies. He started piping at age nine with his local band, St.Kevin’s of Bray, but was was taught initially by his father Joe.
Ronan then had further tuition from Stephen Power, ex-1st Batt. Scots Guards, and then from both Ronald Morrison, South Uist and Glasgow, and P/M Angus MacDonald, Scots Guards. He competed as a soloist up to 1999 by which time he’d won every major competition available to him in Ireland, including the Senior All Ireland solos, the Ulster and Leinster Championships, and Piper of the Year.
He has also won the MacAllan trophy in Lorient, Brittany, and placed in the Silver Medal and Strathspey & Reel at Inverness in 1998. He now teaches some of Ireland’s upcoming soloists and bands and also judges when time allows.
I remember well Ronan . I was guest with two other french comrades of Paris & District pipe band for Marc Chastagner’s wedding in Dublin, in the years 90.
We were invited to play a couple of tunes with SLOT in front of the church.
Great moment.
Congratulations to him for the old pics coloured. Well done. It will be interesting to see the enhanced image of Duncan Mac Dougall the famous pipe maker. (few pics available)