What is an Irish flute?
The Irish flute is actually a modern invention, dating from about the 1970’s. It’s based on the old 8-key flute, an instrument that was extremely fashionable from around the turn of the 19th century, but which was totally supplanted by the Boehm flute by around the start of the 20th century. For a long time, Irish players were able to find the old 8-key flutes, no longer in use by classical musicians, and procure them cheaply. This lead to the development of a popular and intricate flute playing style, or more accurately, range of styles, and therefore increased demand. By about the mid 1970’s it became increasingly difficult for new players to find instruments, prompting the development of a new breed of instruments.
