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Royal seal of approval for pipe maker

AWARD: Uilleann pipe maker Martin Preshaw received an award from The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust last week
AWARD: Uilleann pipe maker Martin Preshaw received an award from The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust last week AWARD: Uilleann pipe maker Martin Preshaw received an award from The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust last week

CO FERMANAGH-based uilleann pipe-maker Martin Preshaw has received a top honour for his craft.

Mr Preshaw, who is originally from Belfast, travelled to St James's Palace in London last week to collect an award from The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QUEST).

The prize comes with a £9,000 bursary and is given to a small number of artisans each year to help sustain traditional craft techniques.

Mr Preshaw custom-builds uilleann pipes for musicians around the world at his Fermanagh workshop, following traditional methods for pipe building including rolling tube from sheet brass and nickel silver and hand-forging keys.

The Fermanagh man received his award from Prince Charles at a private ceremony on Thursday, to which he had brought a set of pipes made for a client in America.

"It was a great honour to be invited to St James’s Palace to be presented with this award," said Mr Preshaw.

"The bursary will allow me to travel to New York for further mentoring and tuition, raising the quality of my instrument-making and upholding a tradition of excellence and fine workmanship which has been sadly lacking in the country since the golden era of the past masters.

"This is the first competition I have ever entered and so to receive such a significant award from QEST is truly unbelievable.

"I would also like to thank the Arts Council Northern Ireland and National Lottery players for the support they have given me over the years."