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O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 34

O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians, Volume 1, Issue 1, Page 34
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periodical Publisher
Regan Printing House, Chicago, 1913
periodical Editor
[none]
periodical Title
O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians
volume Number
1
issue Content
Famous Harpers in the 17th and Later Centuries 6766Iris / i Minstrels and ,Lvlusiciansman and looked well in it. Mr. Bunting says this conical cap was unquestion-ably the barradh of the old bards, and corresponds with the costume of thehead carved on the extremity of certain ancient Irish harps.DoMINIc MUNGANA harper of great renown in the first half of the eighteenth century wasDominic Mungan, whose story Edward Bunting learned from Henry Joy, Esq.,of Belfast, who often heard him play.Born blind about the year 1715 in the pastoral and poetical county ofTyrone, his profession was determined by his affliction, and in it he acquiredsuch fame s to embalm his name in the annals of Irish musical literature. Hewas long famous for his excellent performance throughout the north of Irelandwhere he regularly went the Northwest circuit with the bar. An admirableperformer. those janglings of the strings so general among ordinary practitionerswere never heard from the harp in his hands. His whispering notes wereindescribably charming. They commenced in a degree .of Piano that requiredthe closest approach to the instrument to render them audible, but increased bydegrees to the richest chords.Mungan was conversant with the best music of his day such as that ofCorelli, Handel, and Geminiani, select adagios from which he often played.Being a man of prudence and economy he was enabled to give his three sonsa liberal education. Mark, the eldest, destined for the priesthood finishedhis studies in France where he obtained more than two score premiums forclassical learning. In consequence of his intense application his health failedon his return home, and he died at Strabane in his fathers house.John, the second son, became a physician and won distinction in his chosenprofession, abandoned the creed of his parents, and lost his life in an accidentreturning from the Middleton races.The youngest son, Terence, also apostatized, and was appointed dean ofArdagh, from which he was promoted to the bishopric of Limerick in theEstablished Church.John the doctor had fallen in love it is said with a protestant young lady,who refused his suit on account of his creed. Having recanted he again soughther hand, and was scornfully rejected. She would not demean herself bymarrying a turncoat. To add still further to his humiliation his father refusedto speak to him thereafter.ECHLIN OCAIIAN [ AcKLAND KANE]Strong as the wandering proclivities of the Irish harpers have been forcenturies prior to their extinction, it is doubtful if any of them indulged thispropensity to such an extent as did the subject of this sketch, who was born atDrogheda, County Louth in 1720.Such was his love of adventure, that notwithstanding his blindness, hevisited Rome early in life where he played before the Pretender, then residentthere. In his subsequent travels through France and Spain in which a largenumber of exiled Irish had settled, he was treated with great liberality andintroduced to the notice of His Catholic Majesty. The design of favoring himwith a pension which the king had in contemplation, was frustrated by his ownindiscretions, and after exhausting the patience and patronage of his country-men at Madrid, OCahan set out on foot for Bilboa on his way home, carrying hisharp on his back. As he was a very strong, tall and athletic man he reachedhis destination safely.It does not appear that he spent much time in Ireland after his return, forall mention of his name and fame thereafter down to the time of his death in5790 is in relation to Scottish events.While on a tour of the Isles in 1775, he was at Lord Macdonalds of Skye,where he recommended himself so much by his performance, that his hostpresented him with a silver harp key that had long been in the family, beingunquestionably, Bunting says, the key left by his great predecessor and name-sake, Rorv Dali OCahan. But the dissipated rascal sold it in Edinburgh anddrank the money.His behavior was not at all times so exemplary, for Mr. Gunn relates thatthe Highland gentry occasionally found it necessary to repress his turbulenceby clipping his nails; thereby putting him out of business for a time.His execution and proficiency were a credit to his teacher, Cornelius Lyons,harper to the Earl of Antrim. Manini often spoke of him at Cambridge withrapture, as being able though blind, to play with accuracy apd great effect thefine treble and bass parts of many of Corellis concerts, in concert with othermusic. Had he been but moderately correct in his conduct he might with cer-tainty have raised the character of the wandering minstrel higher than it hadstood for a century before.THADY ELLiOTTIn describing harpers of note we would hardly be justified in ignoringThady Elliott of County Meath, the blind minstrel, who taught Rose Mooney.His general character, though spoken of disparagingly by Edward Bunting,was viewed with more liberality and toleration by Arthur ONeill, whoexperienced nothing but kindness at his hands.Elliotts chief claim to fame or rather notoHety, rests on an act borderingon sacrilege which but few outside of Bedlam would have the hardihood toattempt.A practical joker of a type not yet extinct, knowing that lie was to play atthe celebration of Mass on Christmas morning at the town of Navan, took himto a public house or tavern theevening before, and bribed him with the promiseof a gallon of whiskey to strike tip Planxty Connor, one of OCarolans livelytunes, at the time of the Elevation.\Vith all due decorum Thady played sacred music until the appointed time,when true to his word, he swung into Planxty Conner to the horror of theofficiating priest who well knew the apocryphal nature of the melody.Other means of showing his displeasure being unavailable, the priest re-peatedly stamped his foot. Some who thought his emphatic movement was hutan irresistible response to Thadys spirited strains, whispered Dhar Dhia tha anSagart ag Rinncc. The daring and irreverent harper after a few rounds ofthe Planxtv resumed the sacred airs, but that didnt save him from denunciationand dismissal after the service.A harper named Harry Fitzsimnions, who was engaged to play at the laterMasses, had no easy time of it. escaping Elliotts vengeance. The latter thoughblind, secured a club and laid in wait outside the chapel door for his intendedvictim. After a while some one seeing the priest coming out said Ta se ag teact(He is coming). When the footsteps indicated striking distance Thady made a
issue Number
1
page Number
34
periodical Author
O'Neill, Capt. Francis
issue Publication Date
1913-01-01T00:00:00
allowedRoles
anonymous,guest,friend,member

O'Neill - Irish Minstrels and Musicians

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