Free events in Galway City to mark first National Harp Day

Galway members of the newly formed national organisation, Cruit Éireann/Harp Ireland have organised a number of events for tomorrow week, Saturday 11, to mark the first National Harp Day.

The group will hold three free events in the Galway City Museum during the day; as well as an informal free concert in The Crane Bar that evening to help mark the impact of Ireland’s iconic musical instrument.

The first event on the day will be an exhibition of harp making by Galway makers Ériú Harps and Callan Harps, which will run from 12.30pm to 1.30pm.

That will be followed from 1.30pm to 2.30pm by a talk on the history of Ireland’s harp, from medieval to modern; while Galway harpers and their students will play a variety of harps, from the Early Irish harp strung with brass to the modern Irish harp and pedal harp, from 3pm to 4.30pm.

Events move to The Crane Bar from 8pm, where Galway harpers and friends will perform geantraí (dance music), goltraí (laments) and suantraí (lullabys), in a feast of traditional music celebrating Ireland’s instrument.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.