260:
It was a great mixture of people in
Chapelizod – Catholics and Protestants. There was also a fair few of the old crowd knocking around – the Dublin Fusiliers who had come back from the First World War and they all had their input too. They had these songs about soldiers going away to war and leaving
475:
Harte died of a heart attack, aged 72, on 27 June 2005 and is survived by his wife Stella (née
Maguire), daughters, Sinead and Orla, his sons Darragh and Cian, and his 6 grandchildren. His influence is still evident in singers such as Karan Casey. Frank continues to be remembered fondly in sessions
223:
He claimed he liked to sing out of his love for a song rather than a desire to please an audience: "A traditional singer is not singing for a commercial audience so he doesn't have to please an audience." His repertoire included, amongst many others, songs of the 1798 rebellion, Napoleonic ballads
479:
At the 2005 Whitby Folk Week a tribute to Frank Harte entitled "Through
Streets Broad and Narrow" was held at the Resolution Hotel Function Room, on Monday 22 August 2005 at 6:00pm. It featured Ken Hall and Peta Webb, Jim McFarland, Niamh Parsons, Jerry O'Reilly, Jim Mageean, George Unthank, Alan
192:
This is a far cry from Dublin street songs, but it was the first song I heard, sung by a travelling man, that made me aware that we had a tradition of songs telling about the joys and sorrows, the tragedies and battles of a people in a way that I found irresistible. From that first hearing I have
487:
by Jerry O'Reilly and other members of An Góilín
Traditional Singer's Club. The second and third festivals were held in September 2007 and 2008, again organised by An Góilín, and the festival has continued as an annual event taking place on the last weekend of September each year. As part of the
418:
and guitar. These last four albums covered the huge topics of the 1798 Rebellion, the Great Irish Famine, Napoleon
Bonaparte and the Irish navvies abroad. Each album is characteristically accompanied by comprehensive liner notes of meticulous research into each song and the subject in question,
215:
Though Irish
Republican in his politics, he believed that the Irish song tradition need not be a sectarian or nationalist preserve: "The Orange song is just as valid an expression as the Fenian". He believed that songs were a key to understanding the past often saying: "those in power write the
212:' on the album 'My Name is Napoleon Bonaparte'. This is contrasted sublimely by Frank's cogent interpretation of the popular 'Molly Malone'. He also became more accustomed to singing with accompaniment which is not strictly part of the Irish singing tradition and did not come naturally to him.
447:
Harte felt that the traditional singer, unlike the latter type of vocalist, had absolutely no responsibility to entertain or please the crowd that might be listening, because the singer's real purpose is simply to perform the song, the act of the performance being a justification in itself.
284:
I have been gathering songs around the country for a good number of years now, and seldom have I come across singers who are unwilling to part with their songs. Probably they realise as I do, that the songs do not belong to them, just as they did not belong to the people they got them from.
207:
Harte became a great exponent of the Dublin street ballad, which he preferred to sing unaccompanied. He was widely known for his distinctive singing, his Dublin accent having a rich nasal quality complementing his often high register. His voice mellowed considerably by the time of his later
467:. He was also in demand as a teacher and gave many talks about traditional song including a lecture entitled "My name is Napoleon Bonaparte – the significance of Napoleon Bonaparte in the Irish Song Tradition" at the Willy Clancy Summer school on 12 July 2001.
419:
though his accuracy and impartiality as a historian is not as unanimously praised as his singing. In 2004, Harte's first two albums were re-released on CD, though the first track of his first album 'Traveller All Over The World' was omitted.
431:
who ran the session. He was also a supporter of An Góilín
Traditional Singer's Club. A regular at singers' sessions in Ireland, he appeared at clubs, seminars and festivals in France, Britain and America as well as touring the festivals at
366:
I remember
Christy and myself going up to Frank Harte for songs. I'd known Frank since very early in my career. He was an architect living in Chapelizod and I first met him in about 1963. He was always slightly to one side. It would be
502:, Bolton Street, in association with the DIT faculty of the built environment, RTÉ, and the Teachers' Union of Ireland. The prize is awarded to students in their second year of their studies in Construction Technology and Design.
299:
This was a philosophy that Frank went on to espouse greatly himself, having given countless songs and encouragement to singers in
Ireland and abroad for over fifty years. Recipients of songs and information about them include
216:
history, while those who suffer write the songs, and, given our history, we have an awful lot of songs." Though considered a stalwart of traditional Irish singing and well aware of it, Harte did not consider himself to be a
251:
Harte began collecting early in life and he remembered buying ballads from a man who sold them by the sheet at the side of the
Adelphi Cinema and by the end of his life had assembled a database of over 15,500 recordings.
463:
and for seventeen years he was a veritable staple at the Irish Week every July in the Augusta Heritage Festival in Elkins in the Appalachian mountains of West Virginia where he often performed with
480:
Fitzsimons, Pete Wood, Grace Toland, Brian Doyle, Patricia Flynn, Geordie McIntyre and Alison McMorland, The Wilsons, Eamonn O'Broithe, Roisin White, Bruce Scott, Rosie Stewart and others.
451:
He appeared at many American festivals including The Blarney Star in New York, Gaelic Roots in Boston College, The Catskills Irish Arts Week, The Greater Washington Ceili Club Festival in
488:
festival, a walk takes place around an area of Dublin associated with Frank's songs. In 2011 it was in Glasnevin cemetery. In 2012 it was based on central Dublin, around Trinity College.
261:
the sweetheart behind and they were all tearjerkers. I would also hear a lot of the old music-hall songs and Victorian melodrama songs such as She Was Only a Bird in a Gilded Cage or
1062:
346:"The Little Drummer" was a song passed on by the late, great Dublin singer and collector, Frank Harte. "He is perhaps the single most important collector of songs.
406:
Radio, which was produced by Peter Browne in 1987. Harte's first two LPs, though released with six years between them, were recorded in one session in England by
410:
with concertina accompaniment on some songs by Alf Edwards. From 1998 he recorded four albums for the Hummingbird record label on which he was accompanied by
319:
Despite his extensive collecting, he firmly believed that songs only existed when sung and to augment the point, he often quoted the poem "Living Ghosts" by
1031:
Interview with Luke Cheevers about the impending first Frank Harte Festival on RTÉ Radio programme, 'The Rolling Wave' on 20 September 2006 (17'30" in)
565:
525:
517:
1087:
402:
Harte recorded several albums and made numerous television and radio appearances, most notably the Singing Voices series he wrote and presented for
172:
Harte's introduction to Irish traditional singing came, he said, from a chance listening to an itinerant who was selling ballad sheets at a fair in
1097:
861:
749:
640:
236:
228:. As well as traditional songs, he also sang numerous music hall songs such 'The Charladies' Ball' and 'Biddy Mulligan' as popularised by
915:
239:
on a number of occasions and in 2003, he received the Traditional Singer of the Year award from the Irish-language television channel
157:, and raised in Dublin. His father, Peter Harte, who had moved from a farming background in Sligo, owned 'The Tap' pub in Chapelizod.
160:
Harte emigrated to the United States for a short period, but returned to Ireland where he worked as an architect, lecturer at DIT (
545:
704:
693:
225:
37:
1102:
717:
499:
161:
146:
668:, five-part series for RTÉ Radio 1 first broadcast in May 1987 each on a different aspect of the Irish singing tradition.
1092:
209:
17:
1025:
882:
379:, all more or less of the same age, and Frank was probably seven or eight years older than I was. I liked him a lot.
935:
1052:
1041:
901:
433:
142:
173:
98:
385:
305:
766:
1030:
1082:
1077:
456:
616:
492:
255:
As a young man, Harte encountered many songs in his father's pub, 'The Tap', in Chapelizod saying:
217:
102:
980:
427:
Harte was a regular at the Sunday morning sessions at The Brazen Head pub, along with the late
857:
745:
636:
973:"Music: A Bridge over Troubled Waters with singer-songwriter Robbie O'Connell, at c. 17 mins"
912:
320:
1011:
Ní Fhloinn, Bairbre: "In Memoriam. Frank Harte – Singer and Song-Collector 1933–2005", in:
919:
886:
771:
368:
313:
415:
411:
229:
1071:
376:
352:
301:
154:
75:
464:
441:
437:
164:) in Rathmines, Dublin before concentrating fully on singing and collecting songs.
208:
recordings, allowing for an expressive interpretation of many love songs such as '
931:
428:
407:
372:
309:
1046:
1035:
972:
897:
797:
150:
71:
1057:
483:
In September 2006, the first Frank Harte Festival was organised and held in
460:
879:
939:
452:
36:
675:
series one singing "Napoleon Bonaparte" originally from the RTÉ series
338:
553:
My Name Is Napoleon Bonaparte: Traditional Songs on Napoleon Bonaparte
484:
265:... things that would tear your heart out, bring tears to your eyes.
403:
606:(Topic, 1996) – includes Harte's "The Traveller All Over the World"
498:
In May 2008, the third Frank Harte Memorial Prize was given at the
703:
by Mick Moloney on RTÉ Radio a year after his death. Listen to it
579:
When Adam Was in Paradise, Traditional Songs of Love and Courtship
800:. SAOIRSE32. Prairie Home Companion: Off Across the Sea - 2001
569:(Hummingbird, 2004) – first two albums reissued on combined CD
240:
1063:
Video of Frank Harte's lecture at the Kennedy Centre in 2000
620:(Topic, 2009) – includes Harte's "He Rolled her to the Wall"
559:
The Hungry Voice: The Song Legacy of Ireland's Great Hunger
495:
wrote a song "The Keeper of the Songs" in memory of Harte.
612:(Folk Legacy, 2003) – includes Harte's "Napoleon's Defeat"
1007:
Folk Music Journal vol. 9, no. 3 (2008), pp. 479–80.
960:
767:"Frank Harte : Singer and collector of Irish songs"
600:(Harp/Pickwick, 1990) – includes Harte's "Dicey Reilly"
444:'s 'Singers Club' in 1971 and at the on two occasions.
193:
been fascinated by the idea of the story told in song.
337:
Harte is mentioned as a source of songs by members of
961:
An Góilín – Traditional Singer's Club, Dublin Ireland
594:(Pickwick, 1979) – includes Harte's "Biddy Mulligan"
573:
There's Gangs of Them Digging: Songs of Irish Labour
124:
116:
108:
94:
82:
58:
48:
43:
27:
791:
789:
847:
845:
1005:O'Reilly, Jerry: "Frank Harte (1933–2005)", in:
798:"Those who suffer write the songs - Frank Harte"
129:Awards: TG4 Traditional Singer of the Year, 2003
688:Main subject of the memorial radio documentary
653:A Living Voice, The Frank Harte Song Collection
476:and folk clubs on both sides of the Irish sea.
364:
344:
326:
282:
258:
190:
179:
655:: Craft Recordings, Dublin. ISBN 9780955311215
436:in Ireland. Harte also performed in London in
8:
692:by Peter Browne for RTÉ Radio. Listen to it
836:Living Ghosts: 23 Poems by Brendan Kennelly
819:Kelly, John. "Interview with Frank Harte".
735:
733:
699:Main subject of a radio documentary called
681:Main subject of the television documentary
880:RTÉ Radio 1: Franke Harte – Singing Voices
35:
24:
566:Dublin Street Songs / Through Dublin City
279:He once wrote about his song collecting:
149:, architect and lecturer. He was born in
838:(Audio cassette). Dublin: Livia Records.
235:Harte won the All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil
729:
182:"And the banshee cried when Dalton died
1026:RTÉ Radio Series 'Singing Voices' 1987
983:from the original on 19 December 2021
875:
873:
7:
936:"Thanks to Mick Moloney/Frank Harte"
176:, sing "The Valley of Knockanure":
141:(14 May 1933 – 27 June 2005) was a
14:
1048:Frank singing Napoleon Bonaparte
685:for TG4, directed by Philip King
610:Irish Songs From Old New England
546:1798 - The First Year of Liberty
1088:20th-century Irish male singers
1015:vol. 74 (2006), pp. 236–8.
371:and myself and our clique, and
1037:Frank singing Valentine O'Hara
718:List of Irish music collectors
500:Dublin Institute of Technology
162:Dublin Institute of Technology
1:
938:. Karan Casey. Archived from
765:Gillan, P. J. (1 July 2005).
331:And long for a living voice"
184:In the valley of Knockanure"
1098:Musicians from County Dublin
856:. Ireland: Hodder Headline.
329:"All songs are living ghosts
112:Architect, lecturer, singer
1119:
834:Kennelly, Brendan (1982).
796:Burke, Pat (8 July 2005).
744:. Dublin: Gilbert Dalton.
635:. Dublin: Gilbert Dalton.
272:Interview with Frank Harte
224:and the street ballads of
15:
852:O'Toole, Leagues (2006).
683:Sé Mo Laoch – Frank Harte
539:Daybreak and a Candle-End
128:
34:
1058:Review of Napoleon album
885:24 November 2007 at the
673:Come West Along the Road
143:traditional Irish singer
16:Not to be confused with
918:14 October 2007 at the
913:Musical Traditions Club
316:, and musicians alike.
174:Boyle, County Roscommon
99:Irish traditional music
854:The Humours of Planxty
701:Frank Harte Remembered
390:The Humours of Planxty
381:
357:The Humours of Planxty
348:
334:
287:
267:
195:
187:
44:Background information
1103:Topic Records artists
740:Harte, Frank (1978).
690:And Listen to my Song
651:Harte, Frank (2020).
631:Harte, Frank (1978).
598:Irish Folk Favourites
533:And Listen to My Song
535:(Mulligan/Ram, 1978)
210:Bonny Light Horseman
617:Three Score and Ten
581:(Hummingbird, 2016)
575:(Hummingbird, 2007)
561:(Hummingbird, 2004)
555:(Hummingbird, 2001)
549:(Hummingbird, 1998)
526:Through Dublin City
518:Dublin Street Songs
392:by Leagues O'Toole.
359:by Leagues O'Toole.
237:singing competition
1093:Irish folk singers
592:Top of the Morning
491:Singer-songwriter
120:Topic, Hummingbird
942:on 8 October 2008
863:978-0-340-83797-9
751:978-0-86233-013-2
642:978-0-86233-013-2
133:
132:
1110:
1049:
1038:
993:
992:
990:
988:
969:
963:
958:
952:
951:
949:
947:
928:
922:
910:
904:
895:
889:
877:
868:
867:
849:
840:
839:
831:
825:
824:
816:
810:
809:
807:
805:
793:
784:
783:
781:
779:
762:
756:
755:
737:
646:
493:Robbie O'Connell
393:
360:
321:Brendan Kennelly
295:
275:
264:
203:
89:
68:
66:
51:
39:
25:
1118:
1117:
1113:
1112:
1111:
1109:
1108:
1107:
1068:
1067:
1047:
1036:
1022:
1002:
997:
996:
986:
984:
977:www.youtube.com
971:
970:
966:
959:
955:
945:
943:
930:
929:
925:
920:Wayback Machine
911:
907:
896:
892:
887:Wayback Machine
878:
871:
864:
851:
850:
843:
833:
832:
828:
821:The Irish Times
818:
817:
813:
803:
801:
795:
794:
787:
777:
775:
772:The Independent
764:
763:
759:
752:
742:Songs of Dublin
739:
738:
731:
726:
714:
662:
643:
633:Songs of Dublin
630:
627:
588:
541:(Faetain, 1987)
513:
508:
473:
425:
400:
395:
383:
369:Johnny Moynihan
362:
350:
335:
333:
330:
314:The Voice Squad
297:
292:Songs of Dublin
289:
277:
269:
262:
249:
247:Song collecting
205:
200:Songs of Dublin
197:
188:
186:
183:
170:
136:
87:
70:
64:
62:
49:
30:
21:
12:
11:
5:
1116:
1114:
1106:
1105:
1100:
1095:
1090:
1085:
1080:
1070:
1069:
1066:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1044:
1033:
1028:
1021:
1020:External links
1018:
1017:
1016:
1009:
1001:
998:
995:
994:
964:
953:
923:
905:
890:
869:
862:
841:
826:
811:
785:
757:
750:
728:
727:
725:
722:
721:
720:
713:
710:
709:
708:
697:
686:
679:
671:Appearance on
669:
666:Singing Voices
661:
658:
657:
656:
648:
647:
641:
626:
623:
622:
621:
613:
607:
601:
595:
587:
584:
583:
582:
576:
570:
562:
556:
550:
542:
536:
530:
522:
512:
509:
507:
504:
472:
469:
424:
421:
399:
396:
363:
343:
327:
325:
290:—Frank Harte,
281:
274:by John Kelly.
270:—Frank Harte,
257:
248:
245:
198:—Frank Harte,
189:
180:
178:
169:
166:
147:song collector
135:Musical artist
134:
131:
130:
126:
125:
122:
121:
118:
114:
113:
110:
106:
105:
96:
92:
91:
90:(aged 72)
84:
80:
79:
60:
56:
55:
52:
46:
45:
41:
40:
32:
31:
28:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1115:
1104:
1101:
1099:
1096:
1094:
1091:
1089:
1086:
1084:
1081:
1079:
1076:
1075:
1073:
1064:
1061:
1059:
1056:
1054:
1050:
1045:
1043:
1039:
1034:
1032:
1029:
1027:
1024:
1023:
1019:
1014:
1010:
1008:
1004:
1003:
999:
982:
978:
974:
968:
965:
962:
957:
954:
941:
937:
933:
927:
924:
921:
917:
914:
909:
906:
903:
899:
894:
891:
888:
884:
881:
876:
874:
870:
865:
859:
855:
848:
846:
842:
837:
830:
827:
822:
815:
812:
799:
792:
790:
786:
774:
773:
768:
761:
758:
753:
747:
743:
736:
734:
730:
723:
719:
716:
715:
711:
706:
702:
698:
695:
691:
687:
684:
680:
678:
674:
670:
667:
664:
663:
659:
654:
650:
649:
644:
638:
634:
629:
628:
624:
619:
618:
614:
611:
608:
605:
602:
599:
596:
593:
590:
589:
585:
580:
577:
574:
571:
568:
567:
563:
560:
557:
554:
551:
548:
547:
543:
540:
537:
534:
531:
529:(Topic, 1973)
528:
527:
523:
521:(Topic, 1967)
520:
519:
515:
514:
510:
505:
503:
501:
496:
494:
489:
486:
481:
477:
470:
468:
466:
462:
458:
454:
449:
445:
443:
439:
435:
430:
422:
420:
417:
413:
409:
405:
397:
394:
391:
387:
380:
378:
377:The Dubliners
374:
370:
361:
358:
354:
353:Christy Moore
347:
342:
340:
332:
324:
322:
317:
315:
311:
307:
303:
302:Christy Moore
296:
293:
286:
280:
276:
273:
266:
256:
253:
246:
244:
242:
238:
233:
231:
227:
221:
219:
213:
211:
204:
201:
194:
185:
177:
175:
167:
165:
163:
158:
156:
155:County Dublin
152:
148:
144:
140:
127:
123:
119:
115:
111:
107:
104:
100:
97:
93:
85:
81:
77:
76:County Dublin
73:
61:
57:
53:
47:
42:
38:
33:
26:
23:
19:
1012:
1006:
985:. Retrieved
976:
967:
956:
946:29 September
944:. Retrieved
940:the original
932:Casey, Karan
926:
908:
893:
853:
835:
829:
820:
814:
802:. Retrieved
776:. Retrieved
770:
760:
741:
700:
689:
682:
676:
672:
665:
652:
632:
625:Bibliography
615:
609:
604:Irish Voices
603:
597:
591:
586:Compilations
578:
572:
564:
558:
552:
544:
538:
532:
524:
516:
497:
490:
482:
478:
474:
465:Mick Moloney
450:
446:
442:Peggy Seeger
438:Ewan MacColl
426:
401:
389:
382:
365:
356:
349:
345:
336:
328:
318:
298:
291:
288:
283:
278:
271:
268:
259:
254:
250:
234:
222:
214:
206:
199:
196:
191:
181:
171:
159:
138:
137:
88:(2005-06-27)
86:27 June 2005
22:
1083:2005 deaths
1078:1933 births
511:Solo albums
506:Discography
429:Liam Weldon
423:Performance
412:Dónal Lunny
408:Bill Leader
386:Andy Irvine
373:Ronnie Drew
310:Karan Casey
306:Andy Irvine
230:Jimmy O'Dea
139:Frank Harte
109:Occupations
69:14 May 1933
54:Frank Harte
29:Frank Harte
1072:Categories
1013:Béaloideas
1000:Obituaries
724:References
457:Irish Fest
434:Fleadhanna
398:Recordings
151:Chapelizod
72:Chapelizod
65:1933-05-14
50:Birth name
18:Frank Hart
823:. Dublin.
660:Broadcast
461:Milwaukee
78:, Ireland
981:Archived
934:(2007).
916:Archived
883:Archived
712:See also
453:Maryland
416:bouzouki
220:singer.
218:sean-nós
103:Sean-nós
1053:YouTube
1042:YouTube
902:YouTube
778:21 June
339:Planxty
226:Zozimus
168:Singing
987:15 May
860:
804:15 May
748:
639:
485:Dublin
471:Legacy
263:
117:Labels
95:Genres
898:Video
989:2021
948:2008
858:ISBN
806:2021
780:2008
746:ISBN
705:here
694:here
677:Fonn
637:ISBN
455:and
440:and
375:and
83:Died
59:Born
1051:on
1040:on
900:on
459:in
414:on
404:RTÉ
241:TG4
1074::
979:.
975:.
872:^
844:^
788:^
769:.
732:^
388:,
355:,
341::
323::
312:,
308:,
304:,
243:.
232:.
153:,
145:,
101:,
74:,
991:.
950:.
866:.
808:.
782:.
754:.
707:.
696:.
645:.
384:—
351:—
294:.
202:.
67:)
63:(
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
