Arthur O’Neill taught a harp school in Belfast from 1808 to 1812. The school was at a house in Pottinger’s Entry from May/June 1809 through to about the summer of 1812. This post is to collate different references to try and work out where the house was, and what more we can say about it.
Continue reading Harp Society House, Pottinger’s Entry, Belfastnews
Patrick Byrne part 1: 1790s to 1822
Patrick Byrne is perhaps the best-known of the 19th century Irish harpers. We have a huge amount of information about him, too much for a single post. So I thought I would deal with sections of his life in turn. This first post in a series on Patrick Byrne will gather together all the information I can find about his birth, his family, his place, his early years, and his education up to the point where he was discharged from the harp school with his certificate and harp.
Continue reading Patrick Byrne part 1: 1790s to 1822Alexander 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.
Continue reading Alexander JacksonPaul 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.
Continue reading Paul SmithArthur 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.
Continue reading Arthur MorganHarp 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.
Continue reading Harp Society House, Talbot Street, BelfastAndrew 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.
Continue reading Andrew BellThomas 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.
Continue reading Thomas HannaJames 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.
Continue reading James McCurleyP. 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.
Continue reading P. Fitzpatrick