O'Carolan was born in Nobber, County Meath, in 1640. It was a time of massive destruction and transition in Ireland, as the ancient Gaelic way of live finally began to give in to the mercantile culture of the invader. The aristocratic support of the poets and the harpers was no longer available, and the artists of Ireland became de facto vagabonds, moving from town to town and village to village to see if any remnant of the old hospitality and appreciation for the finer things in life could be found.

Under the Gaelic régime being a harper was a position of high status, which was jealously guarded by harping families who passed the secrets of their art down from generation to generation - just as the great bardic poet families had done. But, by O'Carolan's time, harping had become an art that was often taught to blind boys so that they could earn some kind of living. O'Carolan was one of these blind harpers. His music is clearly educated in the ancient aristocratic style of the Gael, but it is also well versed in the new baroque styles coming from continental Europe. No doubt this was from personal taste, but it also came from necessity. The planter families also enjoyed music and were open to Irish music that was a little modified to their taste. O'Carolan was a native Irish speaker who didn't speak English very well, but he found an audience for his music among the English settlers as well as the native Gael.

Despite his blindness, he married at 50 years of age and his wife, Mary Maguire, gave him seven healthy children - six daughters and one boy. After half a century of traveling the highways and byways of Ireland, O'Carolan passed from this world on the 25th of March, 1738. He is buried in Kilronan, Co. Roscommon, in the family plot of his first patrons, the MacDermott Rua family. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

I'm not sure if O'Carolan himself used the Gaelic wire strung harp or the newer gut strung harps. I suspect he may have started with the wire strung harp anyway and may have moved on to the gut strung harps - which are now strung with nylon. But I have chosen a piece played on the wire strung Gaelic harp - as we see on our coins. I feel there is a deeper resonance with the sadness and happiness of this piece - Slán le Ceol - Carolan's Farewell to Music.