To define a person as a member of a band he or she once played in is, in my opinion, taking the limited view of that person's achievements and personality.

I deliberately avoided that characterisation in my original post as I think Seán's achievements as a person and as a musician reached fsar beyond his membership of one group of musicians.

Sure he was a member of Ceoltóirí Chualann and, for a while, the band that continued on after the former's demise, the Chieftains. He was also chairman of Na Piobairi Uilleann, the organisation of uilleann pipers for a long while and he turned his musical skills to fundraising for the organisation. These efforts culminated in recordings, first with the group Bakerswell and more recently the CD No 6, referring to the address where he grew up in the Liberties of Dublin. He was also, after the death of Muiris O Rochain, president of the Willie Clancy Summer School.

Publicly he was at the forefront of fighting the good fight in aid of the music he loved. When Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann and the Irish music rights organisation IMRO tried to ringfence the performance rights to traditional music for their own purposes, Seán was there, spearheading the protests against that move.

On a more personal level I always found Seán most encouraging, supportive and ever willing to share his knowledge. He set up a few radio recordings for me during the late eighties and asked me to play the Willie Clancy piping concert on a few occasions. Which I took as an encouragement and quiet acknowledgement I was on the right path.

It's that side of Seán Potts I like to remember, that as well as his sense of humour. There was one occasion during a Tionol of Na Piobairi Uilleann in Spanish Point, Co Clare during the nineties. The organisation's AGM was ongoing in one room. I arrived late and bought myself a copy of a collection of Leo Rowsome's music that was being launched that weekend. I sat leafing through the book as the AGM wound up and people started to pour out. Seán spotted me as he emerged and, referring with great irony to the discussion that is raging on the internet forums dedicated to Irish music (but not so much in the 'real' world of music) and one we have all dipped our toes in on occasion, 'Jaysus, Peter should you be reading sheetmusic? It's not good for you!'