Dominick O’Donnell (fl. c.1790s-1811)

Dominick O’Donnell his life: his tunes: his songs: his harp: his places: More: other old harpers...

Dominick O’Donnell gave tunes to Edward Bunting. The only tune I think he is listed in the printed indexes is Cumha an Devenish. His name appears against three tunes in Bunting’s annotated volumes in the British Library. He is also credited with some tunes in the manuscripts, however these are harder to understand, especially as I have not seen all of these mss.

There is a loose sheet in ms12 (ms12 f88), which says at the bottom “May 7th 1811 From Dominick O’Donnell, Harper, from Mayo”. I assume the three tunes on this sheet (ms12 f88v) are all from him. But what about the three tunes on the other side of the piece of paper? Maybe they are from him as well (see Moloney intro p.53). However, two of the tunes on the other side are chromatic in flat minor keys which doesn't make that seem likely.

Two tunes in the mss have his name written at the bottom but I believe these are not attributions, but merely ancillary information about him. I have not included these two here.

Title and attribution in ms	Bunting ms ref & folio no.	Collette Moloney index item number
Bradóg Bhradach
The Brad-Oge / From Dominick O’Donnell Harper of Freshford Co. Mayo in 1810	ms13 f5v	13/12 (p.250)
Bradogg. The Rogue / May 7th 1811 From Dominick O’Donnell, Harper, from Mayo	ms12 f88v	12/248 (p.246)
The Bradog / Very Ancient / From Dominick O Donnell the Harper in 1809	ms27 f26v	27/61 (p.325)
The Bradogg / From Dominick O Donnell	ms33(5) f10v	33(5)/20 (p.403)
The Blackbird
The Blackbird / Ancient Air, Author & date unknown. From Dominick O Donnell the Harper Co. Mayo in 1803	ms13 f36r	36/83 (p.256)
Cumha an Devenish (Lamentation of Youths)
Cumha an Devenish, or Lamentation of Youths / (names of graces etc.) / From Dominick O’Donnell the Harper at Foxford Co. Mayo in 1808	ms27 f19v-20r	27/42 (p.324)
The lamentation of youths / D. O’Donnell, harper, at Foxford, 1802	1840 index p.xi; notation p.92
Cooee en Devenish. The Lamentation of Youths (see Bradogg attribution)	ms12 f88v	12/246 (p.246)
A Mhuirnin [oigfhear dubh] codlaigh do sháith [?]
Vurneen O Hear Dubh Collad de Hoigh dearly beloved sleep enough (see Bradogg attribution)	ms12 f88v	12/247 (p.246)
Féileacán (Butterfly)
Harp O Donnel	Manuscript annotation in Bunting 1809, p. 46, London BL Add ms 41508
Captain Sudley
Harp O Donnel	Manuscript annotation in Bunting 1809, p. 68, London BL Add ms 41508
Dá mBeadh Spré Ag An gCat (if the cat had a dowry)
Harp O Donnell	Manuscript annotation in Bunting 1796, p. 33, London BL Add ms 41508