There is not much information available about the people who made old Gaelic harps. Most of the old harps are unsigned, and old documents and descriptions rarely mention harp makers. This page collects evidence.

Donnchadh Fitz Teigh (fl. 1621)

The Cloyne harp bears an inscription:

“ Is iad so dob feidhmanaig ag Seann mac Emaind Gearalt acgluain an tan doronadh misi...ann Donachd mac taidhg na sar do ron... Donatus Filius Thadei me fecit „	These are they who were servants to Seán Mac Eamainn FitzGerald at Cloyne at the time when I was made...Donnchadh Mac Taidhg was his carpenter - it was he who made me Donnchadh son of Tadhg made me
Cloyne harp inscription, 1621¹

Cormac O'Kelly (fl. 1702)

The Downhill harp bears an inscription:

“ [In the] time of Noah I was green; [since] his flood I have not been seen, Until 17 hundred and 02 I was found By C. R. Kely underground; [he raised me] up to that degree, Queen of Musick [yo]u may ca[ll me]. „
Downhill harp inscription, 1702²

Edward Bunting³ tells us that Cormac O'Kelly was from ‘Ballynascreen, co. Derry, a district long famous for the construction of such instruments’.

Bunting also says ‘Quin's harp was made by the same artist...it bears the date 1707’. The Castle Otway harp was owned and played by Patrick Quin in the later 18th century. Armstrong says ‘Upon the back of the forepillar, that is the portion nearest to the box, the figures 1410 are incised, immediately following which the name Cormac O'Kelly rudely carved can be indistinctly traced, after which there are letters or figures now scarcely visible’.

John Kelly (fl. c. 1730)

The Bunworth harp bears an inscription:

“ made by Iohn Kelly for the Revd Charles Bworth Baltdaniel 1734 „
Bunworth harp inscription, 1734⁴

A second harp, now lost, has an inscription:

“ made by John Kelly 1726 „
Walker, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Bards, 1786⁵

Connor O'Kelly (fl. mid 18th century)

Arthur O'Neill (1734 - 1816) described working with a harpmaker, while staying with 'my friend Hugh O'Neill':

“ and after some time he informed me that a Conor O'Kelly, a harp maker, was making one for him. As this O'Kelly was a very peevish man, Hugh requested me to go and keep him in temper while the harp was making, for fear of disappointment. I attended on Kelly and by means of threats and jokes he contrived to finish it. But [it] had to be taken asunder, as when it was tuned the treble was thought to be too long. It had forty strings, thirty-five in general being considered enough. The harp was a second time put together. It turned out the best one I ever heard or played upon. It then only wanted varnishing to make it a nonesuch, and a Mrs. Keane of Carrick-on-Shannon, a japanner, wanted three guineas to varnish and burnish it, which he declined. I being well acquainted in Longford, I informed Hugh I could get it done there better and cheaper, which he agreed to. I took the harp there accordingly and a Mr. O'Sullivan finished it properly „

Memoirs of Arthur O'Neill, c. 1810⁶

19th century makers of Gaelic harps

In the early 19th century, attempts were made to save the dying Gaelic harp tradition by setting up Schools to teach the Gaelic harp to young blind people. Harps were made for the Societies by the top Dublin pedal-harp maker John Egan, and after him his nephew Francis Hewson. Other makers who produced instruments in the 19th century for the Societies include Francis Flood in Drogheda⁷, Mr. White in Belfast⁸, Gaudy in Belfast⁹.

Valentine Rainey was master of the Belfast Harp Society's school from 1823-37. Patrick Byrne said

“ Rainie's Harp was made by James Mc Bride, a wheelwright, near Omagh, so it is not an ancient harp. „
John Bell's Notebook, c. 1849¹⁰

James's son Edward was the master of the Belfast school immediately before Rennie.

Revival

The Gaelic harp traditions died out completely by the end of the 19th century, and so too did the traditions of Gaelic harp making. Gaelic-style harps made after c. 1890 up to the present day were by necessity either copied from the extant museum examples, or (less satisfactorily) made up on modern principles.

Simon Chadwick