news - Simon Chadwick

Alexander Jackson

Alexander (or James) Jackson (or Jack) was a traditional Irish harper and teacher of the traditional wire-strung Irish harp in Belfast in the mid 19th century. This post is to gather all the information I have about him, to try to begin to tell his life story.

Paul Smith

Paul Smith was a traditional Irish harper in the late 19th and early 20th century. I think he was the very last professional Irish harper in the inherited tradition. He died in poverty, ignored and marginalised. This post is to begin gathering information about him.

Arthur Morgan

Arthur Morgan was a traditional Irish harper in the early 19th century. This post is to draw together the references to him so that we can start to say something useful about him.

Harp Society House, Talbot Street, Belfast

I have already written about the Irish Harp Society running its harp school from a house in Cromac Street for 18 years, from 1820 through to about the end of 1838.

At around the end of 1838 the harp school was moved to a new premises in Talbot Street, where it ran for over a year, until some time in 1840 when it appears to have shut for good.

This post is to try and work out where on Talbot Street the Harp Society House was, and whether we can say anything useful about it.

Andrew Bell

Andrew Bell was a traditional Irish harper in the middle of the 19th century. He had an excellent performing career, playing public concerts and being patronised by the gentry and aristocracy. This post is to try and gather everything together to start to tell the story of his life.

Thomas Hanna

Thomas Hanna was a traditional Irish harper in the middle of the 19th century. He held a coveted position as harper to an old aristocratic family. This post is to gather together different references to him, his life and his music.

James McCurley

James McCurley was a traditional Irish harper in the middle of the 19th century. He played concerts, and he was beaten up in Cootehill. This post is to draw together the information we have about him, so that we can start to tell his life story.

P. Fitzpatrick

P. Fitzpatrick was a traditional Irish harper in the mid 19th century. I only have a couple of references to him but they contain some hints that can help us start to describe his life and work. Hopefully in time more references to him will be found.

John McCotter

John McCotter was a student at the Belfast harp school in 1820. However he seems to have dropped out and I have not seen any trace of him after that.

This post is just to get his name down so that we can tick him off the list and move on.

Harp Society House, Cromac Street, Belfast

The Irish Harp Society in Belfast was based at a few different addresses from the beginning of the first Harp School in 1808 until the finish of the second Harp School in 1840. I have references to the Harp Society House being in three different Belfast streets at different dates: Pottinger’s Entry, Cromac Street, and Talbot Street.

This post is to collate as many references as I can, to try and work out where the house in Cromac Street was.