Pages from the Past
The Irish Harp Society 1808-1838
In this first of a two part series extracted from the forthcoming history of NCBI and the blind of Ireland, Frank Callery tells of the first school for blind musicians.
One of the first institutions for the training of blind persons in music commenced in Belfast 200 years ago this year. The Irish Harp Society was founded in an effort to help preserve the ancient harp music of Ireland while at the same time providing musical education and occupation for young blind harpers. It was formally inaugurated at Linn’s Hotel, the White Cross, No. 1 Castle Street, Belfast on St. Patrick’s Day, 1808 and the founders were Dr. James MacDonnell, Robert Simms, Henry Joy (uncle of Henry Joy McCracken) and Robert Bradshaw along with a committee of 15 leading Belfast men. Edward Bunting was engaged as musical organizer.
Before we proceed with the story of the society we must first set the scene for its birth. Belfast at that time was a hive of commercial, political and cultural activity. Wolf Tone had founded the United Irishmen in Belfast in October 1791 and in December of that year a circular was issued on behalf of ‘Some Inhabitants of Belfast feeling themselves interested in everything which relates to the Honour, and the Prosperity of their country, propose to open a subscription which they intend to apply in attempting to revive and perpetuate the Ancient Music and Poetry of Ireland’. They hoped that harpers would assemble in Belfast in July 1792, ‘and that a person well versed in the language and antiquities of this nation should attend, with a skilful musician to transcribe and arrange the most beautiful and interesting parts of their knowledge. They are silicious to preserve from oblivion the few fragments, which have been permitted to remain as Monuments of the refined Taste an Genius of their Ancestors”.
The harp festival was held in the ballroom of the Exchange buildings at the junction of Donegal Street and North Street, from July 11th to 13th, 1792. Of the ten harpers who performed at the festival eight were blind. The harpers were: Denis Hempson, blind, from Co. Derry, aged 97 years or more, exponent of the old style of playing with long crooked nails. Arthur O’Neill, blind, from Co. Tyrone, aged 58, afterwards instructor to the Belfast Harp Society. Charles Fanning from Co. Cavan, aged 56. The most brilliant performer, but a modernist in style. Daniel Black, blind, from Co. Derry, aged 75. Charles Byrne, from Co. Leitrim, aged 80 — was sighted and as a boy had acted as guide to his blind uncle, a harper contemporary with Carolan. Hugh Higgins, blind, from Co. Mayo, aged 55. Patrick Quin, blind, from Co. Armagh, aged 47, one of the youngest harpers. William Carr, from Co. Armagh, aged 15, the only juvenile competitor. Rose Mooney, blind, from Co. Meath, aged 52. James Duncan, from Co. Down, aged 45. These, then, were the inspiration of the Irish Harp Society which was eventually formed by Bunting and MacDonnell. Its aim was to train young blind persons in harping.
On its inauguration day, March 17th 1808 it was announced that 191 subscribers had promised an annual subscription of £300. The vast majority of the subscribers were inhabitants of Belfast, and included such well-known names as Drummond Anderson and William Drennan (who also had an address at 192 Great Britain Street, Dublin, a few doors away from the newly established Simpson’s Hospital for blind and Gouty Men).
Arthur O’Neill, the blind seventy-five year old harper who had played at the Harp Festival in 1792, was engaged as a teacher. It was intended to support twelve young persons ‘highly endowed with natural musical talents’. At the half-yearly meeting of the Society held at Linn’s Hotel on November 1st 1808 it was stated that two harps were supplied by a Mr. White, whose charge for a single harp on the plainest pattern was twenty guineas —his price obviously dropped, for in September 1809 the Society was able to purchase two for this price.
The first list of students appears in the minute book, for January 1811. They were: William Gorman, Ballymena, aged 15; Patrick McGrath, Dundalk, aged 14; Edward McBride, Omagh, aged 19; Patrick O’Neill, near Dungannon, aged 13; James O’Neill, Dungannon, aged 17; Val Rainey, of the Glens of Antrim, aged 14; Abraham Wilkinson, Ballymoney, aged 13; James McMolaghan, Lifford, aged 13; and Bridget O’Reilly, Virginia. There were also three day scholars: Edward O’Neill, Hugh Dornan and John Wallace, all three presumably of Belfast.
From 1809 till 1811 the society conducted Irish language classes with James Cody as professor, using a grammar compiled by the Rev. William Neilson D.D., with the assistance of Patrick Lynch of Clare — a hedge-school master who collected Irish songs for Bunting. This was because “all harpers previous to Arthur O’Neill had used Irish terms in regard to their instrument and music”. Edward Bunting carefully collected all the Irish technical musical terms, which he later published in 1840.
By 1812 the society was in difficulties, and it collapsed in 1813, having expended £955 in six years. Arthur O’Neill was given an annuity of £30 a year (Dr. James MacDonnell was the donor) but did not live long to enjoy it, he died at Maydown, Co. Armagh, on October 29th 1816, aged eighty-eight. It was during his time as teacher at the society that he dictated his biography to Tom Hughes who was also Edward Bunting’s private secretary. The biography gives us an insight into the lives of the itinerant blind harpers of the late 18th and early 19th century and affords the earliest and fullest personal record of a blind person in Ireland.
In 1819, Bunting, who had for a couple of years been organist at St. George’s, was about to leave Belfast when a gift of £1,200 arrived for the purpose of “reviving the harp and the ancient music of Ireland”. The money was subscribed by a number of Irishmen resident in India, headed by the Marquis of Hastings, formerly prominent in Irish affairs as Lord Moira. With this generous subscription Bunting re-started the Belfast Harp Society, which was again inaugurated on April 6th 1819. It recommenced classes with Edward McBride and afterwards, Valentine Rennie, as teachers. The society carried on its work for another twenty years. Rennie who died in 1837 was succeeded by James Jackson, who taught harp classes in Cromac Street, Belfast until 1838, when the society finally expired.
TO BE CONTINUED.