Turlough O'Carolan

Turlough O’Carolan: The Irish Vivaldi

By Geoffrey Cobb
September / October 2018

September 1, 2018 by Leave a Comment

In 1691, a poor, blind, twenty-one year old son of a blacksmith and his guide set out on a journey from a backwater estate, Alderford, near the town of Balyfarnon, County Roscommon, hoping to make a living as an itinerant harper. He seemed an unlikely figure to leave a lasting stamp on Ireland’s musical culture, yet Turlough O’Carolan would become a great composer, creating … [Read more...] about Turlough O’Carolan: The Irish Vivaldi

Is “The Star Spangled Banner” a Traditional Irish Melody?

By Geoff Cobb
June 30, 2017

June 30, 2017 by 2 Comments

At first glance the claim seems like pure pub blarney: an Irishman wrote the melody for “The Star Spangled Banner.” There is, however, a strong basis to assert that the melody of our national anthem, in fact, is an adaptation of an Irish tune written by Erin’s greatest composer. If you half paid attention in school you know the Anthem’s story. On September 14, 1814, during the … [Read more...] about Is “The Star Spangled Banner” a Traditional Irish Melody?

November 27, 1953

On this day in 1953, Irish American playwright Eugene O’Neill died at the age of 65. O’Neill was fittingly born in a Broadway hotel room to Irish immigrant actor James O’Neill and Mary Ellen Quinlan. He grew up around the stage and while at boarding school, he surrounded himself with books. After a long depression and battle with alcoholism and a recovery from tuberculosis, O’Neill decided to dedicate his life to writing plays. O’Neill’s first published play “Beyond the Horizon” opened on Broadway in 1920 to great acclaim. He was awarded his first Pulitzer Prize for Drama, with two more to follow. In 1936, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.