If you hail from either Co Leitrim or Roscommon, you surely know that we are not referring to that harper from Lochmaben Towne who famously stole King Henry's wanton brown.
No, we mean Turlough O'Carolan, the famed harper, composer and singer who passed on from this world in 1738, leaving an enduring musical legacy.
The son of a farmer turned blacksmith and the great-grandson of chieftain Shane Grana O'Carolan, O'Carolan (or Carolan) was born near Nobber, Co Meath in 1670. (Full disclosure: Some sources cite his birthplace as Newtown, Co Westmeath, roughly 40 miles to the southwest.)
Regardless, by his early teens, O'Carolan and family had left his boyhood home at Nobber. We understand that for a time they resided at Carrick-On-Shannon, Co Leitrim. But by 1684, home was Ballyfarnon in nearby Co Roscommon. His father was employed by the wealthy McDermott-Roes, who were immediately impressed by young O'Carolan's intelligence.
By his late teens, he'd been blinded by smallpox, but misfortune did little to quell his ambitions. It was here at Ballyfarnon that he first took up the harp and studied poetry.
With few career options for the blind, 21-year-old O'Carolan set out with his harp, horse, and guide to tour Ireland. He would spend 40-plus years on the road, back when travelling musicians were welcome guests and sources of both news and entertainment.
Marrying late, at age 50, O'Carolan settled in present-day Mohill, Co Leitrim, where he and his wife Mary née Maguire of Co Fermanagh were blessed with seven children.
His compositions numbered more than 200, from the lively "Sí Bheag, Sí Mhor" ("Small Fairy Mound, Big Fairy Mound") to the more subdued "Eleanor Plunkett."
Many works were named for characters and places he had encountered along the way. This included his first love, Bridget Cruise, for whom four airs were named! Bridget was his schoolmaster's daughter from the Nobber days and someone he never forgot. One can only hope that O'Carolan took it easy with the Bridget Cruise airs in front of his bride.
Perhaps his best known song was "Carolan's Concerto" popularized by The Chieftains' arrangement, but performed by countless others. Legend indicates that O'Carolan composed this song at a party in Dublin during a "musical duel" with renowned Italian violinist Francesco Geminiani.
By his passing in 1738, O'Carolan was a widower of five years. He rests in Kilronan Burial Ground, near Ballyfarnon. But we prefer to visit him in Mohill, where in 1986, then-President of Ireland Patrick Hillery unveiled a bronze sculpture of the blind harper at Market Square.
Statue of Turlough O'Carolan in Co Leitrim. (Leitrim Tourism)
If you find yourself in the area, do drop by and tip your cap to the blind harper. While you are at it, check out everything else that Mohill and Leitrim have to offer!
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