LOCALS Fergal French and Mark Donnelly in the opening ensemble established uilleann pipes as the dominant theme of this concert. This was developed in fine solos from the Monaghan players Eamon Curran and Tiarnan Dinken. Dub liner Neilidh Mulligan's wonderful Urchill a Chreagain fleshed out the grandness of the instrument, which owes some of its technology to this festival's 18th century mentor.

Stephen Megarrity of the Field Marshal Montgomery and local Killeen bands shifted focus to familiar, structured style on Highland pipes, and Angus MacDonald of Skye marked their original deep solo life. Gordon Duncan's other virtuosity challenged this in turn with an effortless, unapologetic modernism in strathspeys and reconstructed reels like Kreggs' pipes and Jolly Tinker, while Allan MacDonald on Scottish bellows blown, "small" pipes pushed provocatively close to the bardic by singing in, unison with his Amhran Mor MacLeod, humming on A mhic Dhughaill ic Ruairi.

Ceri Rhys Matthews and Jonathan Shorland with Welsh pipes and bombard (Eastern oboe) dramatically relocated piping sound and tempo with song derived, Breton style dance tunes, and Kiril Ketev forced the piping ear back yet further in asymmetric rhythm to the non Western non conformity of Bulgarian gaida zhura and bass gaida khaba.

But it was Paddy Keenan who gave this five hour marathon its style. He took pipes through flawless solo chanter, delicate in/out drones, regulators exercised as unison, harmony, percussion and drone. Ornament and variation were ring mastered through flamboyant cartwheels, high wire risks which he can carry off - and did.