The Hawk of Ballyshannon - Download

The Hawk of Ballyshannon
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O’Moore’s Daughter  - Download with Free MP3

Level 4 - Harp solo

This tune was composed by the harper-composer Ruairi Dall O Cathan of Antrim celebrating the marriage of Manus O’Donnell to Katherine O’Moore c.1640.

As with almost all historic (Irish) harp music, only the melody was notated as the performer was expected to arrange the music for themselves. In his published work, Edward Bunting who notated this piece from a harper attending the Belfast Harp Assembly of 1792, gives some indication as to the arrangement (accompaniment) of the music, but, for the purposes of his book sales, the music was adapted for pianoforte.

In its natural context, this music was passed from generation to generation of harpers orally (by ear).