⠠⠞⠥⠗⠇⠳⠣⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝
⠀⠀⠠⠃⠽⠀⠠⠗⠥⠌⠽⠀⠠⠏⠻⠑⠵
⠀⠀⠠⠞⠥⠗⠇⠳⠣⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠂⠀⠁⠇⠀⠐⠅⠝⠀⠵⠀⠠⠞⠻⠰⠑
⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠴⠀⠃⠕⠗⠝⠀⠔⠀⠼⠁⠋⠛⠚⠂⠀⠝⠑⠜⠀⠠⠝⠕⠆⠻⠂⠀⠠⠉⠨⠞⠽
⠠⠍⠂⠹⠂⠀⠠⠊⠗⠑⠇⠯⠲⠀⠠⠓⠑⠀⠴⠀⠐⠕⠀⠷⠀⠮⠀⠇⠁⠌⠀⠞⠗⠁⠧⠑⠇⠬
⠠⠊⠗⠊⠩⠀⠓⠜⠏⠊⠌⠤⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠻⠎⠀⠯⠀⠮⠀⠕⠝⠇⠽⠀⠐⠕⠀⠘⠱⠀⠎⠰⠛⠎
⠎⠥⠗⠧⠊⠧⠑⠀⠔⠀⠃⠕⠹⠀⠘⠺⠎⠀⠯⠀⠍⠥⠎⠊⠉⠀⠔⠀⠎⠊⠛⠝⠊⠋⠊⠉⠁⠝⠞
⠝⠥⠍⠃⠻⠲⠀⠠⠁⠃⠀⠼⠃⠃⠚⠀⠞⠥⠝⠑⠎⠀⠶⠀⠏⠗⠕⠧⠢⠀⠞⠕⠀⠆⠀⠦
⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠊⠰⠝⠎⠂⠀⠯⠀⠸⠍⠀⠍⠀⠶⠀⠎⠙⠀⠞⠕⠀⠆⠀⠺⠗⠊⠞⠞⠢⠀⠃⠽
⠓⠍⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠮⠀⠎⠕⠝⠀⠷⠀⠁⠝⠀⠊⠗⠕⠝⠀⠐⠺⠻⠂⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠆⠉⠁⠍⠑
⠃⠇⠀⠁⠞⠀⠮⠀⠁⠛⠑⠀⠷⠀⠼⠁⠓⠲⠀⠠⠓⠑⠀⠴⠀⠌⠗⠊⠉⠅⠢⠀⠾
⠎⠍⠁⠇⠇⠏⠕⠭⠀⠱⠀⠇⠑⠋⠞⠀⠓⠍⠀⠉⠕⠍⠏⠇⠑⠞⠑⠇⠽⠀⠃⠇⠲⠀⠠⠓⠪⠐⠑⠂
⠦⠀⠃⠇⠰⠎⠀⠙⠊⠙⠀⠝⠀⠌⠕⠏⠀⠦⠀⠌⠥⠙⠊⠑⠎⠲⠀⠠⠓⠑⠀⠴⠀⠆⠋⠗⠊⠢⠙⠫
⠃⠽⠀⠠⠍⠗⠎⠲⠀⠠⠍⠁⠉⠠⠙⠻⠍⠕⠞⠞⠤⠠⠗⠕⠑⠂⠀⠮⠀⠺⠊⠋⠑⠀⠷⠀⠦
⠐⠋⠄⠎⠀⠑⠍⠏⠇⠕⠽⠻⠂⠀⠱⠕⠂⠀⠝⠕⠞⠊⠉⠬⠀⠞⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠸⠓
⠍⠥⠎⠊⠉⠁⠇⠀⠞⠁⠇⠢⠞⠂⠀⠁⠏⠏⠗⠢⠞⠊⠉⠫⠀⠓⠍⠀⠞⠕⠀⠁⠀⠓⠜⠏⠻⠀⠯
⠎⠥⠏⠏⠕⠗⠞⠫⠀⠓⠍⠀⠿⠀⠮⠀⠹⠗⠑⠑⠀⠽⠑⠜⠎⠀⠷⠀⠦⠀⠞⠗⠁⠔⠬⠂⠀⠮⠝
⠛⠁⠧⠑⠀⠓⠍⠀⠍⠐⠕⠽⠂⠀⠁⠀⠛⠥⠊⠙⠑⠂⠀⠯⠀⠁⠀⠓⠕⠗⠎⠑⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠐⠮⠁⠋⠂⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠎⠥⠏⠏⠕⠗⠞⠫⠀⠓⠍⠋⠀⠃⠽
⠞⠗⠁⠧⠑⠇⠬⠀⠜⠨⠙⠀⠠⠊⠗⠑⠇⠯⠀⠢⠞⠻⠞⠁⠔⠬⠀⠯⠀⠏⠻⠿⠍⠬⠀⠿
⠏⠁⠞⠗⠕⠝⠎⠀⠱⠕⠀⠺⠙⠀⠏⠁⠽⠀⠕⠗⠀⠎⠥⠏⠏⠕⠗⠞⠀⠓⠍⠀⠃⠽⠀⠕⠮⠗
⠍⠂⠝⠎⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠦⠀⠋⠌⠀⠏⠁⠞⠗⠕⠝⠀⠢⠉⠳⠗⠁⠛⠫⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠞⠕⠀⠞⠗⠽
⠦⠀⠓⠯⠀⠁⠞⠀⠺⠗⠊⠞⠬⠀⠍⠥⠎⠊⠉⠂⠀⠯⠀⠔⠎⠏⠊⠗⠫⠀⠁⠀⠉⠜⠑⠻⠀⠷
⠺⠗⠊⠞⠬⠀⠎⠰⠛⠎⠀⠿⠀⠯⠀⠁⠃⠀⠧⠜⠊⠳⠎⠀⠏⠁⠞⠗⠕⠝⠎⠂⠀⠋⠗⠎⠀⠯
⠇⠕⠧⠫⠤⠐⠕⠎⠲⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠺⠙⠀⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠑⠀⠎⠰⠛⠎⠀⠵
⠓⠑⠀⠞⠗⠁⠧⠑⠇⠫⠂⠀⠥⠎⠥⠁⠇⠇⠽⠀⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠬⠀⠮⠀⠞⠥⠝⠑⠀⠋⠌⠂
⠮⠝⠀⠺⠗⠊⠞⠬⠀⠮⠀⠏⠕⠑⠞⠗⠽⠀⠞⠕⠀⠆⠀⠎⠥⠝⠛⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠭⠀⠴⠀⠎⠙⠀⠞⠀⠺⠫⠙⠬⠎⠀⠶⠀⠐⠎⠐⠞⠎⠀⠏⠕⠌⠏⠕⠝⠫⠀⠥⠝⠞⠊⠇
⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠉⠙⠀⠜⠗⠊⠧⠑⠀⠞⠕⠀⠏⠇⠁⠽⠀⠮⠀⠍⠥⠎⠊⠉⠲
⠠⠁⠇⠹⠀⠝⠐⠑⠀⠒⠎⠊⠙⠻⠫⠀⠁⠀⠍⠁⠌⠻⠀⠏⠻⠿⠍⠻⠂⠀⠓⠑⠀⠴⠀⠓⠊⠣⠇⠽
⠗⠑⠛⠜⠙⠫⠀⠵⠀⠁⠀⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠻⠀⠷⠀⠎⠰⠛⠎⠀⠯⠀⠊⠍⠏⠗⠕⠧⠊⠎⠫
⠧⠻⠎⠑⠲⠀⠠⠦⠀⠞⠥⠝⠑⠎⠀⠁⠏⠏⠑⠜⠫⠀⠺⠊⠙⠑⠇⠽⠀⠔
⠼⠁⠓⠞⠓⠤⠉⠢⠞⠥⠗⠽⠀⠉⠕⠇⠇⠑⠉⠰⠝⠎⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠙⠊⠫⠀⠠⠍⠜⠡⠀⠼⠃⠑⠞⠓⠂⠀⠼⠁⠛⠉⠓⠂⠀⠔
⠠⠁⠇⠙⠻⠿⠙⠂⠀⠠⠉⠨⠞⠽⠀⠠⠗⠕⠎⠉⠕⠍⠍⠕⠝⠂⠀⠁⠞⠀⠮⠀⠓⠕⠍⠑⠀⠷
⠠⠍⠗⠎⠲⠀⠠⠍⠁⠉⠠⠙⠻⠍⠕⠞⠞⠤⠠⠗⠕⠑⠲⠀⠠⠭⠀⠊⠎⠀⠎⠙⠀⠞⠀⠝⠑⠜
⠙⠂⠹⠂⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠀⠉⠕⠍⠏⠕⠎⠫⠀⠘⠮⠀⠋⠔⠁⠇⠀⠘⠺⠎⠀⠿
⠓⠻⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠍⠜⠽⠀⠠⠋⠊⠞⠵⠛⠻⠁⠇⠙⠂⠀⠙⠑⠜⠀⠓⠑⠜⠞⠂
⠀⠀⠠⠇⠕⠧⠑⠀⠷⠀⠍⠽⠀⠃⠗⠂⠌⠀⠯⠀⠍⠽⠀⠋⠗⠂
⠀⠀⠠⠁⠇⠁⠎⠀⠞⠀⠠⠊⠀⠁⠍⠀⠐⠏⠬⠀⠋⠀⠽⠂
⠀⠀⠠⠕⠀⠇⠁⠙⠽⠀⠱⠕⠀⠎⠥⠒⠕⠗⠫⠀⠍⠑⠀⠁⠞⠀⠑⠀⠌⠁⠛⠑⠲
⠀⠀⠠⠕⠄⠠⠉⠜⠕⠇⠁⠝⠎⠀⠎⠰⠛⠎⠀⠜⠑⠀⠏⠇⠁⠽⠫⠀⠞⠙⠀⠃⠽⠀⠓⠜⠏⠻⠎
⠯⠀⠕⠮⠗⠀⠋⠕⠇⠅⠀⠍⠥⠎⠊⠉⠊⠁⠝⠎⠀⠁⠇⠇⠀⠕⠧⠻⠀⠮⠀⠸⠺⠲
Turlough O'Carolan
By Rusty Perez
Turlough O'Carolan, also known as Terence Carolan was born in 1670, near Nobber, County Meath, Ireland. He was one of the last traveling Irish harpist-composers and the only one whose songs survive in both words and music in significant number. About 220 tunes were proven to be his compositions, and many more were said to be written by him.
The son of an iron worker, O'Carolan became blind at the age of 18. He was stricken with smallpox which left him completely blind. However, his blindness did not stop his studies. He was befriended by Mrs. MacDermott-Roe, the wife of his father's employer, who, noticing that O'Carolan had musical talent, apprenticed him to a harper and supported him for the three years of his training, then gave him money, a guide, and a horse.
Thereafter, O'Carolan supported himself by traveling around Ireland entertaining and performing for patrons who would pay or support him by other means.
His first patron encouraged O'Carolan to try his hand at writing music, and inspired a career of writing songs for and about various patrons, friends and loved-ones. O'Carolan would compose songs as he traveled, usually composing the tune first, then writing the poetry to be sung.
It was said that weddings were sometimes postponed until O'Carolan could arrive to play the music. Although never considered a master performer, he was highly regarded as a composer of songs and improvised verse. His tunes appeared widely in 18th-century collections.
O'Carolan died March 25th, 1738, in Alderford, County Roscommon, at the home of Mrs. MacDermott-Roe. It is said that near death, O'Carolan composed these final words for her.
Mary Fitzgerald, dear heart,
Love of my breast and my friend,
Alas that I am parting from you,
O lady who succored me at every stage.
O'Carolans songs are played today by harpers and other folk musicians all over the world.
