O'Neill's Irish Minstrels and Musicians-Harp Chapters Online

Trad Strings
1

Hi Folks;

As some of you know, in recognition of the 70th anniversary of the death of Captain Francis O’Neill, I’ve been converting his classic text “Irish Minstrels and Musicians” to HTML and making it available online.

It’s a wealth of information and, while the style is antiquated and some of the facts have been superceded by modern scholarship, in many instances this work is the only source we have for information about Irish traditional musicians of the past.

So, for your entertainment and edification, I present the following chapters of special interest to those of the harp persuasion…
(special thanks to Paul Kelly for editing chapters I and II for typos and scan-conversion errors)

BARDS AND THE BARDIC ORDERS (Chapter I from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

IRISH HARPERS IN HISTORY, ENDING WITH THE REIGN OF QUEEN ELIZABETH (Chapter II from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

FAMOUS HARPERS IN THE SEVENTEENTH AND LATER CENTURIES (Chapter V from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

TURLOCH O’CAROLAN AND HIS TIMES (Chapter VI from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

HARPERS OF NOTE - MISCELLANEOUS MENTION(Chapter VII from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

HARPERS AT THE GRANARD AND BELFAST MEETINGS(Chapter VIII from Captain Francis O’Neill’s “Irish Minstrels and Musicians”, Chicago, Regan Printing House, 1913).

All the best,

Bill

2

Wow, this is great! Thanks!

Redwolf

3

Glad you like it!

BTW, in case anyone wonders, it’s been out of copyright in all jurisdictions for a long time - nothing magic about the 70 year anniversary in this case. It’s not technically out of print, but copies can be difficult to get and/or a bit expensive.

Bill

4

No kidding on both counts. Bravo, Bill! And after you’ve rested a bit from this mighty labor, might we hope for more? O’Neill’s “A Fascinating Hobby”, perhaps? :slight_smile:

5

working backwards…

AMUSING INCIDENTS AND EXPERIENCES - Chapter XI of Irish Folk Music, A Fascinating Hobby
Appendix A: O’Farrell’s Tutor for the Irish or Union Pipes, originally published c. 1800, and reprinted by O’Neill with prefatory comments.
Appendix B: Hints to Amateur Pipers, by Patrick J. Touhey, published by O’Neill as Appendix B to '…A Fascinating Hobby

cheers,

Bill

6

Great reading, Bill! Thank you.

I’ve always loved Francis O’Neill’s writing style. From the wickedly entertaining “Amusing Incidents and Experiences”:

…and Tim Lacy [belonged] to the townland of Ballymitty. Tim’s instrument was not specified, for he was a universal master; could take a turn, at the pipes, a hand at the fiddle, a blow at the flute, or a `hate’ on the big drum, and was, in fact, so desultory in his habits as hardly to excite the jealousy of any one in particular; for Irish fiddlers and pipers are a most captious and irritable race, as combative for precedence as a bevy of courtiers.