Patrick Byrne (c. 1794-1863)

Patrick Byrne “learnt 60 Tunes” at the Irish harp Society school (Sanger 2002). In his concert posters and advertisements he announces “a number of Irish, Scotch and Welch airs” (meaning Welsh airs) (Sanger 1986), yet Biggar (1911) tells us “he only played old Irish airs, and when asked to play the new tunes he invariably replied ‘I never learned them my son’”.

We can get a sense of his repertory by noting titles mentioned in various reviews and other sources:

Brian Boru’s March. (There is a colourful account of Byrne playing this tune in 1861 as a long variation set, with spoken section-titles describing the course of the battle. D.H., ‘The Blind Irish Harper’, in The Emerald vol 2 no.33, New York, Sept. 19th 1868, p.108-109. The text was reprinted by Francis O’Neill in 1913 and by Ann Heymann in 1983.)
See Chad McAnally, of Bards and Beggars, CD, 2011, track 9 for a performance based on the published description.

Nurse Putting the Child to Sleep (notation in Bunting ms 12 f4r, “P.Byrne 10th May 1841”)

Rose McWard (notation in Bunting ms 30 f6v, “Pat Byrne”)

The Coulin (An Cúilfhionn) (title from a Edinburgh newspaper, 1857, cited in Ní Uallacháin 2003 p.354)

Savourneen Deelish (title from a Edinburgh newspaper, 1857, cited in Ní Uallacháin 2003 p.354)

Kitty Tyrrell (title from a Edinburgh newspaper, 1857, cited in Ní Uallacháin 2003 p.354)

Charles Coote (title from a letter in the Shirley papers, cited in Ní Uallacháin 2003 p.357)

Aileen Aroon (Eibhlin a Ruin) (title from Illustrated London News of 11 November 1856, thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

Gramachree (Graidh mo chroidhe) (title from Illustrated London News of 11 November 1856, also mentioned in the Armagh Guardian in 1845 under Thomas Moore's title The Harp That Once Through Tara's Halls. thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

Fox’s Sleep (title from Illustrated London News of 11 November 1856, thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

Carolan’s Receipt (title from Illustrated London News of 11 November 1856, thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

Planxties composed by Carolan for “various families” (mentioned in Illustrated London News of 11 November 1856, thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

God save the Queen (title from Armagh Guardian in 1845, thanks to Ann and Charlie Heymann)

A newspaper article in Chambers' Edinburgh Journal, 19th Sept 1840, p. 279, mentions Byrne's playing but does not name tunes.

More to come...

We also have some interesting information about Byrne's playing style from comments written down by Edward Bunting, James MacDonell and John Bell.