1894.] on Old Irish Song. 173 



person of high degree there, was bought (as their manner is) for 

 forty Crowns." 



The lyrical epoch alluded to by Spenser is the second era of 

 bardic poetry in Ireland. It embraces the period of the English 

 struggle for supremacy in the country — that terrible time of inter- 

 necine war which alike brutalised the Saxon and the Celt. In times 

 such as these it was impossible to compose long narrative poems. 

 As Mr. Williams well puts it, " The inspiration of the bards was 

 turned to more direct appeals for war, rejoicings for victory, and 

 lamentations for misfortune and defeat. The poetry took a more 

 lyric form, and became an ode instead of an epic." 



Irish Music and Song had now fallen on evil days. The downfall 

 of the great Celtic families, and many of the great Anglo-Irish ones 

 who had espoused their quarrel with successive English Govern- 

 ments, forced our national bards, for want of better support, to 

 wander from castle to castle, instead of remaining as leading figures 

 in the great households. 



Turlough O'Carolan was the most remarkable of these wandering 

 lyrists. Born in the year 1670, he early lost his sight through small- 

 pox, but solaced himself for this deprivation by the study of music, 

 in which he made astonishing progress. The 'Irish Monthly 

 Eeview' gives this instance of his wonderful musical memory, and 

 his extraordinary power of musical improvisation. At the house of an 

 Irish nobleman, where Geminiani was present, Carolan challenged that 

 eminent composer to a trial of skill. The musician played over on 

 his violin the Fifth Concerto of Vivaldi, and it was instantly repeated 

 by Carolan on his harp, although he had never heard it before. The 

 surprise of the company was increased when Carolan asserted that 

 he would compose a concerto, himself, upon the spot ; and he did 

 then and there invent a piece that has since gone by his name. He 

 composed upon the buttons of his coat, the buttons serving for the 

 purpose of the lines, and the intervals between them for the spaces. 



Carolan did not adhere entirely to the Irish style of composition, 

 and his musical pieces show a considerable Italian influence ; yet, as 

 Mr. Bunting writes, he felt the full excellence of the ancient music of 

 his country. He was a most prolific composer. One harper at the 

 beginning of this century was alone acquainted with about a hundred 

 of his tunes, and many were at that time believed to have been lost. 



Passing over the period of 1798, which does not furnish many 

 lyrics of first-rate quality, we now come to that important epoch in 

 Irish lyric literature — the Granard and Belfast meetings of harpers, 

 promoted with the object of reviving the taste for Irish music, which 

 had begun to decay. These meetings, which took place about the 

 year 1792, were very successful, and awoke in the distinguished 

 Belfast musician, Mr. Bunting, such an enthusiasm for Irish music, 

 that he thenceforth devoted his main efforts to its collection and 

 publication. Of the Belfast meeting he writes thus vividly : — 



" All the best of the old class of harpers, a race of men then 



