Several uilleann pipers recorded in the early part of the twentieth century. One of them was Michael J. Gallagher, who was active in New York City in the 1920s and 30s. What is different about Gallagher is that some of the recordings are very, very good. Historian Sean Donnelly writes of his playing, “The blurring and fumbling found in much of the piping recorded in the 20s and 30s is totally absent.” Gallagher was born in Killarga, Leitrim, in 1886. Local tradition has it that Gallagher played flute, not pipes, and must have taken up the pipes after he emigrated to New York about 1910. For most of his working life he was a motorman, a driver of a trolley or subway car. Gallagher performed, mostly for dancing and often played on the radio in the late 1920s and early 30s. He was active in clubs and societies and recorded two 78 rpm records in 1923 and 1924. Little is known about his life in later years. Gallagher was married to Beatrice and they had two of a family. They lived in The Bronx, at least from 1920 until after 1940 when they moved to Woodside, Queens. Gallagher died there on 11th January, 1971.