Irish Harpist and Composer, Turlough O'Carolan, Dies at Alderford House, Co Roscommon

Turlough O’Carolan (1670 – 25 March 1738) was a blind Celtic harper, composer and singer in Ireland whose great fame is due to his gift for melodic composition.

Although not a composer in the classical sense, Carolan is considered by some to be Ireland’s national composer. Harpers in the old Irish tradition were still living as late as 1792, and ten, including Arthur O’Neill, Patrick Quin and Donnchadh Ó hÁmsaigh, attended the Belfast Harp Festival. Ó hÁmsaigh played some of Carolan’s music, but disliked it for being too modern.

Some of Carolan’s own compositions show influences of the style of continental classical music, whereas others such as Farewell to Music reflect a much older style of “Gaelic Harping”.

Turlough O’Carolan died on 25 March 1738. He is buried in the MacDermott Roe family crypt in Kilronan Burial Ground near Ballyfarnon, County Roscommon. The annual O’Carolan Harp Festival and Summer School commemorates his life and work in Keadue, County Roscommon.

compositions

The complete list of the 214 Carolan compositions identified by Donal O’Sullivan (see References) are, in alphabetical order, as follows:

• All Alive
• Baptist Johnston
• Betty MacNeill
• Betty O’Brien
• Blind Mary
• Brian Maguire
• Bridget Cruise, 1st Air
• Bridget Cruise, 2nd Air
• Bridget Cruise, 3rd Air
• Bridget Cruise, 4th Air
• Bumper Squire Jones
• Captain Higgins
• Captain Magan
• Captain O’Kane
• Captain O’Neill, (no. 214)
• Captain Sudley (Carolan’s Dowry)
• Carolan’s Cap
• Carolan’s Cottage
• Carolan’s Cup
• Carolan’s Draught
• Carolan’s Dream
• Carolan’s Farewell to Music
• Carolan’s Frolic
• Carolan’s Maggot
• Carolan’s Quarrel with the Landlady
• Carolan’s Ramble to Cashel
• Carolan’s Welcome, (no. 171)
• Catherine Martin
• Catherine O’More
• Charles O’Conor
• The Clergy’s Lamentation
• Colonel Irwin
• Colonel Manus O’Donnell
• Colonel O’Hara
• Conor O’Reilly
• Constantine Maguire
• Counsellor Dillon
• Cremonea
• Daniel Kelly
• The Dark, Plaintive Youth
• David Power
• Denis O’Conor, 1st Air
• Denis O’Conor, 2nd Air
• Dolly MacDonough (The Morning Star)
• Donal O’Brien
• Dr. John Hart
• Dr. John Stafford (Stafford’s Receipt)
• Dr. MacMahon, Bishop of Clogher
• Dr. Delany
• Dr. John Hart, Bishop of Achonry
• Dr. O’Connor
• Edmond MacDermott Roe
• Edward Corcoran
• Edward Dodwell
• Eleanor Plunkett
• The Elevation
• Elizabeth MacDermott Roe
• Elizabeth Nugent
• The Fairy Queen
• Fanny Dillon
• Fanny Power (Fanny Poer)
• Father Brian MacDermott Roe
• Frank Palmer
• General Wynne
• George Brabazon, 1st Air
• (“Planxty”) George Brabazon, 2nd Air
• George Reynolds
• Gerald Dillon
• Grace Nugent
• Henry MacDermott Roe, 1st Air
• Henry MacDermott Roe, 2nd Air
• Henry MacDermott Roe, 3rd Air
• The Honourable Thomas Burke
• Hugh Kelly
• Hugh O’Donnell
• Isabella Burke
• James Betagh
• James Crofton
• James Daly
• James Plunkett
• John Drury, 1st Air
• John Drury, 2nd Air
• John Jameson
• John Jones
• John Kelly
• John MacDermott
• John Moore
• John Nugent
• John O’Connor
• John O’Reilly, 1st Air
• John O’Reilly, 2nd Air
• John Peyton
• Katherine O’More (The Hawk of the Erne)
• Kean O’Hara, 1st Air (O’Hara’s Cup)
• Kean O’Hara, 2nd Air
• Kean O’Hara, 3rd Air
• Kitty Magennis
• Lady Athenry
• Lady Blaney
• Lady Dillon
• Lady Gethin
• Lady Laetitia Burke
• Lady St. John
• Lady Wrixon
• Lament for Charles MacCabe
• Lament for Owen O’Rourke
• Lament for Owen Roe O’Neill
• Lament for Sir Ulick Burke
• Lament for Terence MacDonough
• The Landlady
• Loftus Jones
• Lord Dillon
• Lord Galway’s Lamentation
• Lord Inchiquin
• Lord Louth
• Lord Massereene
• Lord Mayo
• Luke Dillon
• Mabel Kelly
• Major Shanly
• Margaret Malone
• Mary O’Neill
• Maurice O’Connor, 1st Air
• Maurice O’Connor, 2nd Air
• Maurice O’Connor, 3rd Air
• Mervyn Pratt
• Michael O’Connor, 1st Air
• Michael O’Connor, 2nd Air
• Miss Crofton
• Miss Fetherston (Carolan’s Devotion)
• Miss Goulding
• Miss MacDermott (The Princess Royal)
• Miss MacMurray
• Miss Murphy
• Miss Noble
• Morgan Magan
• Mr. Malone
• Mr. O’Connor
• Mr. Waller
• Mrs. Anne MacDermott Roe
• Mrs. Bermingham, 1st Air
• Mrs. Bermingham, 2nd Air
• Mrs. Cole
• Mrs. Costello
• Mrs. Crofton
• Mrs. Delany
• Mrs. Edwards
• Mrs. Fallon
• Mrs. Farrell
• Mrs. Garvey, 1st Air
• Mrs. Garvey, 2nd Air
• Mrs. Harwood
• Mrs. Judge
• Mrs. Keel
• Mrs. MacDermott Roe
• Mrs. Maxwell, 1st Air
• Mrs. Maxwell, 2nd Air
• Mrs. Nugent
• Mrs. O’Connor
• Mrs. O’Conor
• Mrs. O’Neill of Carlane
• Mrs. O’Neill (Carolan’s Favourite)
• Mrs. O’Rourke
• Mrs. Power (Carolan’s Concerto)
• Mrs. Sterling
• Mrs. Waller
• Nancy Cooper, 1st Air
• Nancy Cooper, 2nd Air
• O’Flinn
• O’Reilly of Athcarne
• The O’Rourkes’ Feast
• Ode to Whiskey
• One Bottle More
• Owen O’Rourke
• Patrick Kelly
• Peggy Morton
• Planxty Browne, (no. 180)
• Planxty Burke
• Planxty Crilly
• Planxty Drew
• Planxty Hewlett
• Planxty John Irwin
• Planxty Kelly
• Planxty O’Rourke, 1st Air
• Planxty O’Rourke, 2nd Air
• Planxty Plunkett
• Planxty Sweeney
• Planxty Wilkinson
• Richard Cusack
• Robert Hawkes
• Robert Jordan
• The Seas are Deep
• Separation of Soul and Body
• Sheebeg and Sheemore
• Sir Arthur Shaen
• Sir Charles Coote
• Sir Edward Crofton
• Sir Festus Burke
• Sir Ulick Burke
• Squire Parsons
• Squire Wood’s Lamentation on the Refusal of his Halfpence
• Susanna Kelly
• Thomas Burke
• Thomas Judge (Carolan’s Frolic)
• Tobias Peyton
• The Two William Davises
• (unnamed) - 8 pieces, (nos. 172-179)
• Variations on the Scottish Air
• “Cock Up Your Beaver”
• Variations on the Scottish Air
• “When She Cam Ben”
• William Eccles
• William Ward