On the main street in Granard, a plaque denotes the town’s connection to traditional Irish Harp music. In 1781, they hosted the country’s very first harp festival at the Market House. The festival was hosted by a Granard-born business man named John Dungan who wanted to raise public interest in harp music.
The festival was revived in 1981 to celebrate the 200th anniversary. The festival continued for 30 years before it was cancelled in 2011. No word on whether the festival will return.
- Granard Traditional Harp Festival: History
- Folk World: The Granard Harp Festival – Excerpts from `The Memoirs of Arthur O’Neill‘ (1810)
- Irish Times: Grand Harp Festival Slideshow and Narrative (**strongly recommended**)
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- Plaque on the Market House – Photo by Corey Taratuta
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- Market House, location of the first harp fesival in Ireland 1781 – Photo by Corey Taratuta
Written by Liam Hughes
Liam splits his time between the US and County Tipperary, Ireland. In addition to providing private tours of Ireland, he spends much of his time hunting for broken dishes which he crafts into beautiful shard jewelry. Liam’s Tips | Website
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