John Egan’s Portable Irish harp became the archetypal Irish harp, writes Nancy Hurrell
An Ireland without harps is inconceivable. The musical tradition has lasted a thousand years, from the chieftain’s prized harper at the medieval court to the later travelling harpers welcomed in the big houses as resident performers, celebrated for their Irish airs. By 1800 however, musical tastes had changed, with a preference for Italianate art music imported from the continent. The early Irish harp, or cláirseach, was strung with wire strings and its limited tonality was not idiomatic to the new music, thus invitations for harpers ceased and the Irish harp became obsolete.
Using satellite imaging, photographer David Thomas Smith echoes the Arecibo radio message transmitted into deep space forty-five years ago, writes Stephanie McBride
‘I knew from the age of three what I wanted to do,‚’ sculptor Carolyn Mulholland tells Brian McAvera
The historically important Doneraile Court in north Cork has opened its doors to the public following an extensive conservation and renovation project, writes Peter Pearson
