Belfast Harp Festival.
1792.

Belfast in 1792 was a city growing in confidence, industry was expanding, and society reevaluating itself after the American (1776) and French (1789) revolution's. In this enlightened atmosphere, a festival was conceived, to find and record the neglected and previously suppressed, harp music of Ireland which was in danger of being lost to posterity for ever, as it existed only in the memory of a relative few harpers.

Henry Joy, an uncle of the United Irishmen Leader Henry Joy McCracken and Dr James McDonnell, invited harpers from across Ireland to come to Belfast and play their music.

Edward Bunting, a young organist of 18, was appointed to note down the tunes. The material he collected at the festival, is important because it is the only source of harp music that detailed not only the music, but some technique and traditions. These were eventually published as Ancient Airs of Ireland, and could be bought on subscription from the Linen Hall Library. Had this festival not taken place there is little doubt many of what are now popular traditional tunes would have slipped into oblivion.

The festival attracted ten Irish harpers, and one Welshman. The harpers ranged in age from a venerable ninety-seven to a youthful fifteen, six of whom in true Irish tradition were blind. Prizes of ten, eight and six guineas were awarded to Fanning, O'Neill and Rose Mooney respectively. Charles Fanning winner of the first prize played An Chuilfhionn, better known to us as the Coolin. This tune was composed by Thomas Connellan, an Irish Harper born in 1640 at Cloonmahon Co Sligo and died in Edinburgh around 1700.

Many eminent people of the time attended the festival one of which was Woolf Tone.