The Chieftains at site of Carolan's birthplace
The Chieftains first came to the Harp Festival at Nobber in 1990. Professor George Eogan, a native of Nobber and professor of archaeology at UCD, brought the musicians to the site of Carolan's birthplace at Spiddal just outside nobber village.
Courtesy of the Nobber Harp Festival CommitteeThe Chieftains at site of Carolan's birthplace
Courtesy of the Nobber Harp Festival Committee
Courtesy of the Nobber Harp Festival Committee
The Chieftains at site of Carolan's birthplace
The Chieftains first came to the Harp Festival at Nobber in 1990. Professor George Eogan, a native of Nobber and professor of archaeology at UCD, brought the musicians to the site of Carolan's birthplace at Spiddal just outside nobber village.
Courtesy of the Nobber Harp Festival Committee
O'Carolan was born near Nobber in Co Meath in 1670. His father, John Carolan, was a blacksmith and small farmer. O'Carolan attended a school run by the Cruise family. The Cruises were originally an Anglo-Norman family. They were patrons of Irish poetry, music and learning.
At the Cruise school O'Carolan met and fell in love with a daughter of the family, Bridget Cruise. When he was older, he named four airs and three or four songs after her. One story tells how they met many years later when he was blind. They were at Lough Derg when Bridget reached out to help the blind man. O'Carolan knew her by the touch of her hand. He shouted out in Irish: "By the hand of my godfather, this is the hand of Bridget Cruise!"
Carolan's Harp, Clonalis House, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
Courtesy of Fáilte Ireland photographic section
Courtesy of Fáilte Ireland photographic section
O'Carolan's family moved to north Roscommon when he was about fourteen years old. Two old Gaelic families became his patrons, the MacDermottroes and the O'Connors.
At the age of eighteen, O'Carolan became blind by smallpox. His patron Máire MacDermottroe found a harpist to teach him to play the harp. After three years of training, she gave O'Carolan a horse, a guide and some money so he could start his career as a travelling harpist. He set out on the road shortly after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.