Clare Harpers join Harps Alive Festival line-up

CLARE harpers Aisling Lyons and Paul Dooley will be performing as part of the Harps Alive | An Chruit Bheo | Harps Leevin festival in Belfast this weekend.

Known as one of the finest musicians in traditional music, Aisling Lyons is a multi-award winning musician and composer. With performances all around the globe and eight All-Ireland titles under her belt, Aisling is the current harp tutor at the University of Limerick and University College Cork.

Aisling will be one of fifteen harpers to perform at the Commemorative Concert on Saturday, July 16; a recreation of the Belfast Harpers Assembly 230 years ago.

Early Irish harp maker and musician, Paul Dooley is a leading exponent of the Irish harp in its traditional form and style. After studying the construction of medieval Irish harps in the 1980s, Paul’s performing career began in 1986 and has since continued to flourish.

Specialising in traditional Irish dance music, a difficult genre from the harp, Paul will be performing at the ‘Edward Bunting Remembered’ event on July 24 at Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin – the newly restored grave of Edward Bunting.

The event will see a wreath laying ceremony to commemorate Edward Bunting’s contribution to Irish music by Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media, words from David Byers, poetry inspired by the Belfast Harps Festival from Emily Cullen and performances from Paul Dooley and Áine Ní Dhubhghaill on the early Irish Harp and Irish Harp respectively.

Organised by the Harps Alive partnership, the festival will bring together the finest harpers from across the island to recognise the landmark event that collected music more than two centuries ago for future harpers to learn from and perform.

The partnership between Harp Ireland and Reclaim The Enlightenment is to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast. In 1792 the Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast brought together 11 harpers, six of whom were blind and the eldest Denis Hempson was 97 at the time.

Aibhlín McCrann, Chair of Cruit Éireann Harp Ireland, said that celebrating the anniversary presented a unique musical opportunity for the harping community.

“We are delighted to bring harpers from all over Ireland together to mark 230 years since the Belfast Harpers’ Assembly in Belfast,” she said. 

“Our harping heritage transcends boundaries and has really connected the partners, north and south.

“It is wonderful to hear the harpers’ music reflecting our living tradition and to see that there is so much interest in it. We are looking forward to welcoming audiences across the city of Belfast to our concerts, talks and exhibitions and in Dublin later in the month.”

John Gray, Chair of Reclaim the Enlightenment said the Harps Alive│An Chruit Bheo│Harps Leevin festival is rooted in musical history.

“In bringing more than 50 harpers to Belfast, the festival will create the largest ever such assembly in the city,” he said. 

“It will be a celebration of the heritage of the harp and the contemporary revival of harp playing, and when it concludes we hope to have created more awareness of the harp tradition with the public and leave a lasting legacy.”

For tickets to Aisling Lyons’ show Commemorative Concert: 230 Years a-Harping and to Paul Dooley’s performance at Bunting’s Grave Commemoration, as well as more information about the festival go to http://harpsalive.com