Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-04-29
o,CAoRLAN's ANCIENT HARP.
what ia Known OF its History-The In
strumenC Exhibited sunday.
Et.o,, me MAN Ynsk Uer0ld

what known OF its History-The In
strument Exhibited sunday.
From. the He,o York Herald.
In one of the rooms attached to Stein
way hall there was exposed to view Sum
day afternoon the ancient Irish harp i'm
ported from Ireland by the Gaelic Society
Tor the purpose Of its exhibition at the an
nual Feis Cecil and Seanachas of the
society tuesday evening in SJeinway hall.
1t has been stated that the harp is over
500 years old and that il is an instrument
upon which minstrels of Erin have play ed
before the Irish kings, and particularly
before Roderick OConnor, the last king
OF the kingdom before the landing OF the
Normans, and subsequent cOmings of
StrOngbow aud Henry ii. 1t has been
sent from Ireland for representative of
the descendant of this race. The OCon-
nor Don, or, inEnglish, the Brown OCon-
nor, who is also related TO the family of
the late Charles O'Connor, OF the New
York Bar, whose family were known as
the O'COnnor Ruadh, or the Red O'Con-
nOrs.
The harp is a rather primitive instru-
ment and bears evidence Of a great age,
being completely moth eaten, one large
piece having entirely crumbled away. A
mem Der of the Gaelic society, however,
stated that the date of its construction
could not possibly De ascribed to so re-
mote period as that of the eleventh CEN
tury-a period which, he stated, was
about the commencement of the decline
of Irish art. Ine harp stands about 4
feet high, and is of that class which in
Irish annals is described as the clairseach.
1t is as all Irish harps are, wiz h0ut pedals
and was played ON by the performer rest
ing on chair and pressing the instru-
ment closely to his bosom. 1t Is provid-
ed with 36 brass keys, which were strung
with wire. The nuts on the keyboard are
completely eaten away, and its stringing
with new strings Tor the purpose Of play
ing upon it is iraught with mucn risk,
lest the wood on account OF it's moth eaten
condition, will refuse to bear the Insertion
aud strain of new wires.
1t was last exposed TO view by Sir
Robert Stewart at lecture in aid of the
Bale Memorial Fund held in the Ancient
Concert Rooms, Dublin, in 1874, along
with the harp Of the Irish outlaw, Robin
Adair, whose name is so we'll known on
account of its association with the favor
lite song, "BObin Adair."
1t was last played upon by the last re
preventative OF a forgotten class, the
Irish bard, Teerloch O'Carolan, born In
the wear 1870, not lar from the place where
Oliver Goldsmith first saw the light of
day some sixty years later. Goldsmith.
in his sketch of O'Carolan the Blind, pays
tribute to this wandering child of song,
whicn some take exceptions to, but
which, however, is tribute to the genius
OF the bard, whose memory has been ever
held in the high esteem of the Irish
peasantry. OCarolan was the first OF the
modern bards to depart from the peculiar
Jaeobite whining plaintiyeness peculiar
TO Irish music of that age. His compost.
tions are ali lively, bright and invigorat.
ing, all the more to be wondered at as he
was blind at the age of is. Moore, Lover
and several others have adapted some OF
their most popular verses to suit his
music, but so far, with one or two excep'
lions, it has been found impossible to
adapt the idiOm of the English to his
words, as he wrote exclusively In Gaelic
IA language peculiarly rich in broad,
open vowel sounds, or good, singing
words. as v0calists would term them.
Alter 0'CarOlan's death, in 1898, his re.
mains were inferred in the old Abbey
Church OF Kilronau, where shortly
alterward the same fate awaited them as
those Of the German composer, Hadyn-
his skull was stolen by some chronological
crank.