Each year on the 15th October, Ireland’s national body, Cruit Éireann/Harp Ireland heralds a national and worldwide celebration of Ireland’s harp, its music, players and makers. Part of the celebrations include a ‘Harpers’ Call’, inviting harp players to contribute a video performance on a particular theme. This year’s theme was Harping Together. You can watchContinue reading “Lá na Cruite/ Harp Day 2022”
Tag Archives: UNESCO status of Irish harp
Harps Alive/ An Cruit Bheo Festival 2022
230 years ago, the last of the great harpers in Ireland gathered in Belfast for the Belfast Harp Assembly; a bid to preserve and revive the dying aural tradition of Irish harping. Only eleven harpers turned up. Seven were blind. The eldest was Denis Hempson, 97, from County Derry. A young Edward Bunting, aged justContinue reading “Harps Alive/ An Cruit Bheo Festival 2022”
The Irish Harp: UNESCO status as Intangible Cultural Heritage
On Thursday 20th February 2020, I had the honour of speaking at ‘The Irish Harp: Reception to Celebrate the recent UNESCO status designation of the Irish Harp as an Intangible Cultural Heritage’. I spoke about my own journey of learning the harp, which was quite a lonely one, and of how I have come toContinue reading “The Irish Harp: UNESCO status as Intangible Cultural Heritage”
Causeway Harp School 