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Peter Healy
Peter Healy playing his favourite instrument, the Cello which he also made.
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Peter Healy
Recent photo of Peter Healy
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Photo at top is Mont Blanc, highest mountain in the Alps at 15,782 ft. above sea level. Peter last climbed it at 76 years of age.
Peter Healy-Luthier and Mountaineer
Dublin, Republic of Ireland

By Peter Healy's cousin James Russell, Edinburgh, Scotland

Peter Healy was born in 1921 in Winnipeg, Canada, where he was brought up by his mother and father beside five brothers and sisters. Peter is the only remaining child of that family.

The family returned to Ireland in late 1921 when Peter was still an infant and they lived in various places in Dublin before settling in Sandymount, South Dublin, where Peter lives today.

Peter attended Primary and Vocational Schools in Dublin before going to work as a Draughtsman with the Irish Electricity Supply Board where he remained until he took early retirement.

During his working life he took a great interest in mountaineering in Ireland and climbed annually in the Alps for over fifty years. He last climbed Mont Blanc when he was aged seventy-seven.

The other great interest in Peter�s life was music. Since he was a teenager there have been classical music sessions in the living room of his house and an excerpt of one can be heard on RTE on line.(see below)

After he retired, Peter attended a violin making course in Cambridge. Since then he has been making violins, violas and cellos on his kitchen table in his home in Sandymount.

Other members of his family who have carved in stone and/or wood are:

George Russell (1810-1899), Aberdeen - Peter's great grandfather�s uncle;Click HERE to learn about George. ("The Russell Head" Page 9)

John Bucknell Russell (1820-1893) - Peter's great grandfather; Click HERE to learn about John Bucknell Russell.

Charles Russell (1852-1910) - Peter's grandfather; Click HERE to learn about Charles Russell.

Pat Healy - Peter's brother;Click HERE to learn about Patrick Healy.

Another brother - Charles Healy- renovated old clocks in castles all over Ireland.

James Russell

James Russell is a retired Social Science Researcher and lives in Edinburgh, Scotland
Text courtesy James Russell
Photographs courtesy Peter Healy, Ireland
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For an amazing 75 years, there have been classical music sessions
in Peter Healy's living room.


Following is an Irish radio short documentary from RTE Radio1, Ireland
"The Curious Ear: Peter Healy- Luthier"

To listen to the documentary about Peter, click HERE
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Left to right: violin, viola, cello, and second bass.
These particular instruments were not made by Peter
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Here is a website which provides excellent information about the String Family. The site is called BeginBand.com and it explains in great detail the various instruments and also has sound clips.
To visit the site, click HERE
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Irish folk music instrumental-Mother's Delight

Irish traditional music session-Flowing Tide
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Ireland The Beautiful
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Dirty Old Town
Performed by The Pogues
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Amada Shaw, New Orleans, LA.
Cajun fiddle playing
"Dans a Carre"

Metis fiddler Reg Bouvette, Manitoba, Canada
"Red River Jig"









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