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Uilleann piper Matty Connolly was born in New York City in 1940 and moved to Scotstown, Co. Monaghan six years later. His mother Helena, a fiddle player, was a major musical influence but took up the uilleann pipes after hearing Fermanagh man Sean McAloon. The local curate, Fr. Bernard Maguire, sponsored a pipers club that met in Our Lady of Fatima hall in Knockatallon and Matty was one of five members who graduated to full sets of pipes. He moved back to New York in the early 1960s but there were virtually no pipers active in the city at the time, and no one to help make reeds or maintain the instrument. For years he put the pipes aside, taking up an electric bass to play dance gigs with the Majestic Showband, a group that included button accordion ace Martin Mulhaire on electric guitar and that played three nights a week at the Red Mill in the Bronx. Matty would eventually return to traditional music in the 1970s and won the All-Ireland championship on the pipes in 1980.
He was joined by his daughter Deirdre for the Father’s and Daughter’s concert in 1986.
![Families featuring on the CD 'The girls won't leave the boys alone' [Back row: Matty Connolly, uilleann pipes ; unidentified ; Jesse Smith ; Donna Long ; Joanie Madden, flute ; Joe Madden, accordion ; Marie Reilly, fiddle ; Martin Reilly, tin whistle ; Mary Coogan, guitar ; Jim Coogan, accordion. Front row: Deirdre Connolly, flute ; Mike Rafferty, flute ; Mary Rafferty, accordion] / Unidentified photographer. New York, 2001. Image courtesy Joanie Madden.|Majestic Showband studio shot. The band included uilleann piper Matty Connolly on electric bass and button accordionist Martin Mulhaire on electric guitar. Matty Connolly, bass guitar ; Martin Mulhaire, guitar ; unidentified, drums ; undentified, singing ; unidentified, saxophone ; undentified, guitar / Unidentified photographer. Woodside, New York, 1960s.|Matty Connolly and Joe Madden / Unidentified photographer|Stalwarts of New York [Back row: Felix Dolan, piano ; Joe Madden, accordion ; Martin Mulhaire, accordion ; Larry Reynolds, fiddle. Front row: Matty Connolly, uilleann pipes, Mike Rafferty, flute ; Monsignor Charlie Coen, concertina ; Mike Preston, flute ; Jimmy Kelly, drums] / Unidentified photographer. New York, 2000s. Image courtesy Joanie Madden](https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/newyork/girlswontleavetheboysalone.jpg|https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/newyork/majesticshowband.jpg|https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/newyork/mattieconnollyjoemadden.jpg|https://s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/images.itma.ie/newyork/stalwartsofny.jpg "Families featuring on the CD 'The girls won't leave the boys alone' [Back row: Matty Connolly, uilleann pipes ; unidentified ; Jesse Smith ; Donna Long ; Joanie Madden, flute ; Joe Madden, accordion ; Marie Reilly, fiddle ; Martin Reilly, tin whistle ; Mary Coogan, guitar ; Jim Coogan, accordion. Front row: Deirdre Connolly, flute ; Mike Rafferty, flute ; Mary Rafferty, accordion] / Unidentified photographer. New York, 2001. Image courtesy Joanie Madden.|Majestic Showband studio shot. The band included uilleann piper Matty Connolly on electric bass and button accordionist Martin Mulhaire on electric guitar. Matty Connolly, bass guitar ; Martin Mulhaire, guitar ; unidentified, drums ; undentified, singing ; unidentified, saxophone ; undentified, guitar / Unidentified photographer. Woodside, New York, 1960s.|Matty Connolly and Joe Madden / Unidentified photographer|Stalwarts of New York [Back row: Felix Dolan, piano ; Joe Madden, accordion ; Martin Mulhaire, accordion ; Larry Reynolds, fiddle. Front row: Matty Connolly, uilleann pipes, Mike Rafferty, flute ; Monsignor Charlie Coen, concertina ; Mike Preston, flute ; Jimmy Kelly, drums] / Unidentified photographer. New York, 2000s. Image courtesy Joanie Madden")
