The collection of historic piano music on this site illustrates a rich seam of indigenous repertoire that has been largely ignored for well over a century. Ireland’s airs had long been admired and were collected from travelling harpers, a practice that dramatically increased in the final years of the eighteenth century and into the nineteenth. The prominence of the harpers’ music was further enhanced abroad through the popularity of Thomas Moore’s Irish Melodies, the songs themselves largely based on the harpers’ airs. As a result, the poet created a farther-reaching interest in Irish music in continental Europe. Piano works using Irish melodies remained in vogue through the mid-nineteenth century, before dwindling rapidly. This decline paralleled the diminishing popularity of the instrumental fantasia in favour of original works.
Compositions from 1850
Gramachree Molly, a Favorite Irish Air with Variations for the Piano Forte or Harp: Composed and Respectfully Dedicated by Permission to his Most Excellent Majesty, King George the Fourth, Charlotte Maria Despard
My Lodging is on Cold Ground, a Favourite Irish Air with Variations for the Piano Forte or Harp: Composed and Respectfully Dedicated by Permission to His Most Excellent King George the Fourth, Charlotte Maria Despard
The Irish Melodies “Kate Kearney,” and Tow Row Row, transcribed for the Piano Forte, William Vincent Wallace
Compositions from 1842
Compositions from 1840
A Celebrated Irish Melody: Arranged as a Slow Movement for the Piano Forte, Alicia Bennett
Compositions from 1835
Compositions from 1827
Compositions from 1825
Robin Adair with Variations, expressly composed for Madame Catalini, by Sir J. Stevenson, arranged for the Piano Forte, John Stevenson
Compositions from 1821
Fantasie for the Pianoforte in which is Introduced the Favorite Air of Robin Adair with Variations Composed and Respectfully Dedicated to the Honble Miss Burrell., Friedrich Wilhelm Michael Kalkbrenner
Compositions from 1820
Fantasia for the Piano Forte on the Favorite Irish Airs Savournah Deelish and.....composed and dedicated to Mr. Willis, Pio Cianchettini
Fantasia inscribed to Mrs. Moscheles: Opus 2, no. 22 for the piano forte on the favorite Irish Airs Coulin, Garryowen and St. Patrick's day., Pio Cianchettini
A Favorite Irish Melody: With an Introduction and Variations for the Piano Forte, Composed and Dedicated to Miss A. Egan, George Kiallmark
Kathleen O'More: an Irish Ballad with Variations for the Piano Forte, Composed and, John P. Lynch
Erin Go Bragh Ireland forever, a Favourite Irish Air with Variations for the Piano Forte, John Ross
Compositions from 1817
The Kinnegad Slashers:a Favorite Air Arranged as a Rondo for the Piano Forte, Peter K. Moran
Compositions from 1815
Compositions from 1812
The Favorite Irish Air of Aileen Aroon with Variations for the Piano Forte or Harp, Thomas Hamley Butler
Compositions from 1810
Strains of Other Days: Being a Selection of Favorite Irish Airs Arranged for the Piano Forte and Dedicated to the Irish Harp Societies, Johann Logier Bernhard
Les Fruits de Loisir or The Groves of Blarney: an Irish melody with Variations for the Piano Forte, Frederic Hoffmann
A Collection of Favorite Irish Airs: Arranged for the Harp or Pianoforte, Smollett Holden
Compositions from 1808
Speed the Plough: a Favourite Air Arranged as a Rondo for the Piano Forte, John Bourke
Compositions from 1803
Erin Go Bragh: a Favorite Irish Air Arranged as a Rondo for the Piano Forte, Thomas Hamley Butler
The Point of Honor: a New Rondo (from an Irish Air), Thomas Hamley Butler
Compositions from 1800
La Retour de Wicklow: Aria Pastorate. Pas Seul and Waltz for the Harp or Pianoforte:Composed and Dedicated to Miss Stowell, T. T. Bennison
The Favourite National Air of St. Patrick's Day as Performed at the Theatre Royal Dublin, Arranged as a Rondo for the Harp or Piano Forte, Thomas T. Cooke
In the Dead of the Night or Katty Flanigan with Variations for the Piano Forte, Johann Ladislaus Dussek
Compositions from 1790
A Duet for two Performers on One Piano Forte in which are Introduced Two Favorite Irish Melodies Arranged & Dedicated to Miss Maria Monck, Frederic William Southwell
Compositions from 1770
Mr. Fischer's Favourite Variations on the Celebrated Irish Air of Gramachree Molly: Sett for the Harpsicord, Violin, German Flute and Guitar, Johann Christian Fischer
Undated Compositions
Erin's National Quadrilles Composed and Respectfully Inscribed to the Irish Ladies: Op. 10 with a Galoppe for the Pianoforte, Charles T. Clonel
Go to the Devil and Shake Yourself, a Favorite Irish Dance Arranged as a Rondo for the Piano Forte, John Field
Fifty-Eight Irish Melodies for the Pianoforte, Charles Harland
Gary Owen: a Favorite Dance Performed by Mr. Weippert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in the New Pantomime of Harlequin Amulet Arranged as a Rondo for the P-forte or Harp., Francis Tatton Latour
Lays of Erin: Selected and Arranged as Rondos for the Piano Forte By the Most Eminent Composers, Johann Bernhard Logier
Paddy O'Carrol with Variations for the Piano Forte, Peter K. Moran
National Variations to the Popular Air of The Minstrel Boy, from the Celebrated Irish Melodies Composed and Dedicated to Miss O’Connell, Ferdinand Charles Panormo
Bryan Borue an Irish Air, the words altered from an Ancient Ballad and the Arrangements by Francis Panormo, adapted either for Singing or Playing, Francis Panormo
Two favorite Irish Melodies known as Go where Glory waits thee and Love’s Young Dream, arranged for the Piano Forte, and Dedicated to Miss Sarah Day, William Vincent Wallace
Two Favorite Irish Melodies known as The Harp that once through Tara’s Halls, and Fly not yet, arranged for the Piano Forte, and dedicated to Mrs. Bridgman Wade, of Jersey, William Vincent Wallace
Undated Compositions
Erin: Fantasia on Irish Airs, Julius Benedict
Rory O'More: the Favourite Irish Air, Arranged for the Harp and Piano Forte, Nicholas Charles Bochsa
Cummilum: an Irish air composed by the Late W. Jackson Esp. with Variations for the Piano Forte by J. Bourke., John Bourke