Illustration is a reversed montage by Simon Chadwick based on and correcting Armstrong's engraving (1904). Dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904 and from Keith Sanger & Alison Kinnaird,
Tree of Strings (Crann nan Teud), 1992.
Illustration and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904. Other dimensions from Keith Sanger & Alison Kinnaird,
Tree of Strings (Crann nan Teud), 1992. Sale details from Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol LIII, December 8th, 1918, p.8
Thanks to Keith Sanger for showing me the Lamont harp in the Museum in 2007.
Karen Loomis et al, ‘The Lamont and Queen Mary Harps’, Galpin Society Journal LXV, March 2012
Illustration (reversed) and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904. Other dimensions from Keith Sanger & Alison Kinnaird,
Tree of Strings (Crann nan Teud), 1992.
Karen Loomis et al, ‘The Lamont and Queen Mary Harps’, Galpin Society Journal LXV, March 2012
photo and dimensons in R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904. Illustration is reconstruction by Simon Chadwick, based on photos by Armstrong.
Inscription illustration from Edward Bunting, General Collection of the Ancient Music of Ireland, Clementi & co, [1809]. Transcription and translation of the neck inscriptions in full, in Alan J. Fletcher, Drama and the Performing Arts in Pre-Cromwellian Ireland: Sources and Documents from the Earliest Times Until c.1642, D.S. Brewer, 2001, p. 210 & 525-6. The forepillar inscriptions have not to my knowledge been fully transcribed and translated; the ones on the left hand side are shown on Bunting's 1809 engraving.
The connection between the decoration on the harp, and Topsell's book, was first suggested by Michael Billinge and Bonnie Shaljean ‘The Dalway or Fitzgerald harp (1621)’ Early Music, Vol XV no. 2, May 1987, p.175
For tuning and setup possibilities, background and other info on chromatic Gaelic harps, see Michael Billinge and Bonnie Shaljean ‘The Dalway or Fitzgerald harp (1621)’ Early Music, Vol XV no. 2, May 1987
For photos of the replica, see Barnaby Brown's article ‘The Cloyne Harp’, 2000. For Bill Taylor's description, see ‘Wire Strings: Reconstructing the Past’, Sounding Strings No. 14, Spring 1998), .doc file at Bill's website
Illustration and dimensions, and quotes, from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904, p. 73-79
Joan Rimmer, The Irish Harp, 1969, p.50 (plate 21) and p.77
McDonnell quote from Charlotte Milligan Fox, "Annals of the Irish harpers", 1911, p. 281
Watercolour portrait of Quin, in Brian Audley, ‘A newly
discovered portrait of Patrick Quin, the harper, c. 1745 - 1812’
Treoir (Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann)
Vol 26 No. 4, 1994
Illustration and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Illustration (reversed) and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick after photo in Joan Rimmer,
The Irish Harp, 1969. Dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
This harp does not appear in Armstrong 1904. Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick after photo in
Joan Rimmer,
The Irish Harp, 1969. Dimensions and label from David Kortier. Longest string length from Mike Billinge
Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick after photo in Joan Rimmer,
The Irish Harp, 1969.
Dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
McDonnel quote from Charlotte Milligan Fox, "Annals of the Irish harpers", 91, p. 281
Picture and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Outline Drawing by Simon Chadwick, after oblique view in Joan Rimmer,
The Irish Harp, 1969, and dimensons in R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Picture and dimensions from R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
Outline Drawing by Simon Chadwick, after photo and dimensons in R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
This harp does not appear in Armstrong 1904. Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick, and dimensions, after Nicholas Carolan, "Two Irish Harps in County Dublin", Ceol vol VII December 1984.
This harp does not appear in Armstrong 1904.
Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick, and dimensions, after Nicholas Carolan, "Two Irish Harps in County Dublin", Ceol vol VII December 1984.
This harp does not appear in Armstrong 1904. Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick after photographs by Ann and Charlie Heymann.
Outline Drawing by Simon Chadwick, after oblique view and dimensons in R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904. p.105
Outline drawing by Simon Chadwick, and dimensions, after a photo in Roslyn Rensch's book "The Harp" (1969).
Outline and description taken from an exhibition leaflet published by the National Museum of Ireland, "The Irish Harp"
R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904. p.105
R.B. Armstrong,"The Irish and Highland Harps", Edinburgh, 1904.
© Simon Chadwick 2010 - part of the history of the Gaelic harp, at earlygaelicharp.info
Trinity College harp
Lamont harp
Queen Mary harp
Sale date and price from Hugh Cheape, Bagpipes, NMS 2008, p. 13
Ballinderry Fragments
Cloyne harp
Otway harp
O'Fogarty harp
Kildare harp
Sirr harp
Mullaghmast harp
Rose Mooney's harp
O'Neill harp
Downhill harp
Bunworth harp
Information about Charles Bunworth from Diarmaid Ó Catháin,
‘Revd Charles Bunworth of Buttevant, Patron of Harpers
and Poets’ Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological
Society 102, 1997. Available from the Emporium.
Hollybrook harp
Sale details and price from Early Music May 1986, p.252, and also November 1986, p.573.
Malahide 1 harp
Malahide 2 harp
Clonalis harp
V&A harp
Charlemont harp
Rainie's harp
Collins Barracks harp
Society harps