back  prev  next  Irish harp terms from Bunting 

Return to Clarsach.net Home

Ceann an chruibh

from Edward Bunting, The Ancient Music of Ireland (Dublin 1840), Page 27: Double notes, chords, etc. for the right hand.


Irish ceann an chroibh spoken by Gráinne Yeats
Scottish Gaelic ceann a'chrobha spoken by Tony Dilworth

Click the play button to hear it spoken. help


“By first, second and third fingers; a chord of three notes.”

Simon Chadwick 2008


This figure is the second in a series of four right hand (bass) chords given on page 27. All are arpeggiated downwards and this is pointed out in the text. Each is given in two alternative positions on the harp but using the same intervals and fingering.

Simon Chadwick 2008


Ceann an chruibh - Extremity of hand

This is ceann an chroibh, 'the end of the hand', with ceann (literally 'head'), 'end', and an chroibh, genitive of an crobh, 'the hand': not the normal Gaelic for 'a hand', which is lámh, but a somewhat contemptuous alternative, like 'paw' in English. On p.93 of the main text we find another example, headed 'Ceannancruibh, or, extremity of hand. a chord of 3 notes.'

Colm Ó Baoill 2002