List of Irish music collectors

This is a list of notable Irish music collectors:

Collectors

• Breandan Breathnach (1912-1985) - collected over 7000 tunes, published from 1963
• Edward Bunting (1773-1843)
• Mrs. Costello - Amhrain Mhuighe Seola, 1923, 80 songs from Co. Galway and Co. Mayo
• Seamus Ennis (1919-1982) - with BBC/Irish Folklore Commission, 1952-57
• Aloys Fleischman (1910-1992)
• William Forde (c1759-1850)
• A. Martin Freeman (1878-1959) - important collector of songs from West Cork
• Canon James Goodman (1828-1896) - collected over 2000 tunes
• Hardbeck - Seoda Ceoil, c1909
• Carmel Gunning - Singer, flute and tin whistle player and collector of songs and ballads. Author of The Mountain Top (2006) which contains over sixty tunes focusing on tunes popular in South Sligo.
• Frank Harte (1934-2005) - collector of songs and ballads from Dublin and the countryside
• Sam Henry - contributor to the Coleraine newspaper 'Northern Constitution', through which he published his 'Songs of the People' in the 1920s and '30s, featuring songs collected in North Antrim, often on his travels as an exciseman.
• Holden - Collection of Old Established Irish Slow and Quick Tunes, Dublin, 1810s and Collection of the Most Esteemed old Irish Melodies
• Henry Elliott Hudson (1798-1889)
• Herbert Hughes - Songs of Uladh, 1904, Irish Country Songs, 1909
• Patrick Weston Joyce (1827-1914)
• Fionan MacColuim - Amhrain na nGleann, Cosa Bui Arda (children's songs), 1922-24
• John McCreery, compiled a book of Irish airs with American Lyrics by John Daly Burk, published Petersburg USA 1824. 'A selection from the ancient music of Ireland, arranged for the flute or violin, some of the most admired melodies, adapted to American poetry. Chiefly composed by John McCreery to which is perfixed historical and critical observation on ancient Irish music'
• Ciaran MacMathuna - broadcaster and collector of music from mid 20th century
• John Mulholland - Collection of Ancient Airs, two volumes, 80 airs noted, Belfast, 1810. Mulholland's father started to collect in the mid 1700 century.
• Tom Munnelly - (1944-2007). Worked in the Department of Irish Folklore at University College Dublin, and was chairman of the Irish Traditional Music Archive. Estimated to have collected around 1,500 tapes' worth of material.
• Maighread Ni Annagain and Seamus Clandillon - Londubh an Chairn, 1927 Munster songs
• Liam de Noraidh - Ceol o'n Mumhain, Munster songs, 1965
• Sean O Baoighill - Cnuasacht de Cheoltai Uladh, c 1948, Donegal Gaeltacht

• O'Farrell - Uilleann piper, published the following (containing some 300 tunes):

• Collection of National Irish Music for the Union Pipes c1800.
• O'Farrell's Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes 1806-11

• Francis O'Neill (1848-1936)
• Luke O'Malley - c 1976 "Luke O'Malley's Collection of Irish Music" 150 jigs, reels & hornpipes
• Fr. L. O Muiri - Amhrain Chuige Uladh, 1927, songs from Omeath and Tyrone Gaeltacht
• Donal O Sullivan - Songs of the Irish, 1960
• George Petrie (1790-1866) - Antiquarian, artist and important collector of Irish airs and melodies.
• John Edward Pigot (1822-1871) - collected over 2000 airs
• Frank Roche (1866-1961) - born in Knocklong, Co. Limerick, his father was a dancing master. His first collection of two volumes was published in 1912 and revised to three volumes in 1927. The last collection in 1931 Airs and Fantasied. His works were re-issued by Ossian Publications in 1982 and consist of 566 tunes.
• Micho Russell (1915-1994) - musician, folklorist and collector.
• William Bradbury Ryan - 1050 Reels and Jigs hornpipes and Clogs, Boston, 1883

Significant Irish music collections by unknown authors

• Poets and Poetry of Munster, 1849.

See also

• Irish music collecting

References

• Comhaltas Tre
• Tomas O Canainn, Traditional Music in Ireland, Routledge & Keegan Paul 1978 ISBN 0-7100-0021-9
• Sean O Riada, Our Musical Heritage, The Dolmen Press, 1982, ISBN 0-85105-389-0
• Irish Music Centre, Boston College
• David A Wilson and Mark Spencer, Ulster Presbyterians in the Atlantic World, 4 Courts Press, ISBN 1-85182-949-0, re McCreery/John Daly Burk, p.93