Dates announced for O'Carolan Harp Festival & Summer School

The 2022 O’Carolan Harp Festival takes place from July 29 to August 1 in the village of Keadue, Co Roscommon.

The festival was started in Keadue in 1978 to commemorate the famous harper, Turlough O’Carolan, who lived in the area and who is buried in Kilronan cemetery between Keadue and Ballyfarnon.

Often referred to as “the blind harper”, O’Carolan was a prolific composer and performer of both songs and instrumental music, the most famous of which is probably Carolan’s Concerto.

The festival includes concerts, ceilithe, harp recitals, lectures, music sessions and a harp competition sponsored every year since it started by local business, Arigna Fuels Limited. The famous door dancing competition will take place on Monday, August 1st.

The festival is preceded by the summer school which starts on Monday, July 25, and runs for the week.

There will be tuition in many instruments including the harp, singing and dancing.