Discovery Days Online Academy Summer Festival

Support Us

The HHSI exists through the kind support of funders and members

"The HHSI is the only organisation dedicated to the early Irish harp. Through knowledge and ambition, the organisation has established itself and continues to advance the ways in which it can grow in the context of the traditional arts community and the wider music community. It is spearheaded by personnel who are deeply involved in the early harp tradition... this defines the ways in which HHSI informs and advances the history, repertoire, style and vision for the future for the instrument. The specific needs of this particular instrument and practice, the early Irish harp, cannot be fully met through other existing resource organisations.
The organisation has an exemplary track record in delivering high quality events to a devoted audience... At every level the programmed events and planned initiatives involve high quality and experienced artists and personnel…an artistic vision that is matched with suitably developed thought around each element and with a clear vision underpinning the activities…The creative and administrative team are highly experienced…HHSI continues to increase its reach with ever increasing success at engaging the public…It continues to excel as an organisation by delivering a specific and unique element of the traditional arts to the arts community and the wider public."

- Arts Council Funding-Application Evaluation, 2019

Become a Supporter

HHSI supporters receive updates on activities (make sure you have signed up to our e-newsletter), and in Ireland, can have access to material from the HHSI library. If you are taking tuition with an HHSI teacher, you also have the possibility to rent an HHSI Student harp.

Membership runs from January to December each year. All members are listed on this page, unless they wish to remain anonymous.

  • €30+
    Associate Membership
  • €50+
    Yellow Brass Supporter
  • €100+
    Red Brass Supporter
  • €250+
    Silver Supporter
  • €500+
    Titanium Supporter
  • €1000+
    Gold Supporter
  • €2000+
    Platinum

Enter Any Amount

€

Other Options

BY POST

You can post us a cheque or postal order made payable to:
The Historical Harp Society of Ireland,
33 Altamount Park,
Kilkenny R95 R7DE,
Co. Kilkenny, Ireland.


We accept foreign-currency cheques for an amount equivalent to €35 or above.

DIRECT BANKING

You can make a direct credit transfer to:
Acc. Name: The Historical Harp Society of Ireland
Bank address: Allied Irish Bank,
3 High St, Kilkenny,
Co. Kilkenny, Ireland,


IBAN: IE39 AIBK 9331 9847 9670 49
BIC / SWIFT: AIBKIE2D

What do we do?

The Historical Society of Ireland brings people together to rediscover the old Irish harp with wire strings, depicted in the national emblem, and played until the early 1800s:

artists & audiences

teachers & students

researchers

harp makers

Early Irish Harp Discovery Days

We collaborate with organisations and festivals around Ireland to offer early-Irish-harp Discovery Days with a concert, talk and hands-on beginners’ workshop.

Discover more

Acadamh na gCláirseach—Academy of Early Irish Harp

Online Zoom courses (sessions on six consecutive Saturdays) with expert presenters, on a diverse range of topics. Levels: post-beginner to professional.

Visit the Academy

Scoil na gCláirseach—Festival of Early Irish Harp

Ireland’s annual international festival for the instrument with concerts, talks, interactive workshops and players’ sessions, and walk-in Beginners’ Taster events.

Festival website

Scientific Research

We support harp builders by carrying out cutting-edge scientific research on historic Irish harps. We offer a free, downloadable database of information from our pilot project on an 18th-century Irish harp.

Report: The Hollybrook Project

Tuition

We can help you find an in-person or online tutor in Ireland or elsewhere.Currently we have networked tutors and players in Ireland, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, Canada, Brazil, and Japan.

Contact us for more info.

Artist Support and Mentoring

We inspire, support and mentor the next generation of performers, in Ireland and internationally, providing them with expert information and resources, and also with performance opportunities.

Contact us for more info.

Rental Harp Collection

We offer players working with HHSI tutors low-cost access to the first ever rental collection of early Irish harps, based on medieval to 18th-century originals in museum and private collections.

Learn more

Online Resources & Repertory

We aim to connect to as much useful and relevant information as possible, and to provide our own outline of what historical repertory one can play on an early Irish harp.

Useful links

Youtube Channel

Watch 80+ videos of concert performances, talks and workshops filmed at our events over the years, made available as a free public resource.

HHSI Youtube channel

Library

500+ items in the first members’ library of copies of 17th- to 21st-century MS and printed materials, sound recordings and ephemera related to early Irish harp, Gaelic history and culture, and parallel European source material.

Browse our online catalogue

Antique Harp Collection

We are assembling a collection of antique and replica harps. If you are planning to donate an 18th-, 19th- or early 20th-century harp, please consider us as a possible recipient.

Learn more

Outcomes

Our work is raising national, and international, standards for performance, tuition, and harp making, and is also leading to increased research outputs in the field, within academia.

Patron

Michael D. Higgins, PRESIDENT OF IRELAND

The Historical Harp Society of Ireland is honoured to have the support of the President of Ireland for our work.

The Society is also immensely grateful to its funding bodies, supporters and associate members, without whose generous support our work to revive the early Irish harp would not be possible. Go raibh maith agaibh go léir: Thank you all very much indeed.

Platinum Supporters

The HHSI is proud to be supported by An Chomhairle Ealaíon (The Arts Council)

Our unique collection of HHSI Student rental harps has been made possible with funding from The Music Capital Scheme, supported by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and managed by Music Network.

Arts Council Funding Festivals Arts Council Funding Traditional Arts Music Network Kilkenny County Council Arts Office Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht

Castletown Cox Estate

Associate Members
  • Amanda Gydemo Östbom
  • Ashling Slater
  • Eva Sanchez Carreres
  • Ivan Bradley
  • Karen Loomis
  • Kei Tadokoro
  • Mary Nolan
  • Micheal Ó Catháin
  • Olivia McKillop
  • Ronan Browne
  • Sean Halligan
  • Walter Reiter
  • Yukako Nakahata
Yellow Brass Supporters
  • Alice Margerum
  • Edward Bunting
  • Gary L. Roy
  • Jan L Walters
  • Jonah McKenna Archer
  • Maureen McKay
  • Niamh Tumelty
  • Robert Dresner
Red Brass Supporters
  • Conn Mac Aogáin
  • Gary Lynch
  • Hitomi Kanayama
  • Jim Johnston
  • Máirtín Ó Laithín
  • Maria Cleary
  • Marian Birch
  • Yasuteru Takahama & Mari Tanaka
Silver Supporters
  • Colin Ireland
  • Dawn Wisniewski
  • Ecclesiastical Insurance Office
Gold Supporters
    Arts Council Funding Festivals
  • Harp Ireland
Support in Kind
  • Ashling Slater
  • Barbara Karlik
  • Brenda Malloy
  • Karen Loomis
  • Maura Walsh
  • Séan Donnelly
  • Siobhán Armstrong
  • Teresa Richard
Benefactors
  • Mrs. Elsa Warren
  • Dr. Barbara Wright
  • Dr. Tristram Robson

    • The above benefactors have given substantial material support in the form of acquisitions for the HHSI library, and / or harps, for which the Society is very grateful.

Honorary Life Members
  • Seán Donnelly