Thomas Connellan ( – 1698) was an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
composer.
Connellan was born about 1640/1645 at
Cloonamahon,
County Sligo
County Sligo ( , gle, Contae Shligigh) is a county in Ireland. It is located in the Border Region and is part of the province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the an ...
. Both he and his brother,
William Connellan became
harpers.
Thomas is famous for the words and music of ''Molly MacAlpin'', which is better known today as ''"Carolan's Dream"''.
Turlough O'Carolan, Ireland's pre-eminent composer of the 17th and 18th centuries, loved the song so much that he is stated as saying that he would have traded all his own tunes in order to be the composer of ''Molly MacAlpin.''
(Note: according to Carolan's biographer Donal O'Sullivan, "Molly McAlpin" was actually composed by Thomas' brother William.)
Another tune by Connellan, ''Molly St. George'', along with ''Molly MacAlpin'' and ''
Eileen Aroon
Eileen ( or ) is an Irish feminine given name anglicised from Eibhlín and may refer to:
People Artists
* Eileen Agar (1899–1991), British Surrealist painter and photographer
*Eileen Fisher (born 1950), clothing retailer and designer
* Eilee ...
'' (by
Cearbhall O'Dalaigh), comprise the three earliest Irish harp tunes with extant lyrics. Yet another of Connellan's tunes was called ''Fáinne Geal an Lae'' (''
The Dawning of the Day
"The Dawning of the Day" ( ga, Fáinne Geal an Lae, literally "The bright ring of the day") is the name of two old Irish airs.
* "Fáinne Geal an Lae" (sometimes called "The Golden Star"), an air composed by the harpist Thomas Connellan in the 17t ...
''), also known as "The Golden Star".
This has similarities with (but is not the same as), the melody used by Irish poet
Patrick Kavanagh
Patrick Kavanagh (21 October 1904 – 30 November 1967) was an Irish poet and novelist. His best-known works include the novel ''Tarry Flynn'', and the poems "On Raglan Road" and "The Great Hunger". He is known for his accounts of Irish life th ...
for his poem, ''
On Raglan Road''.
According to
Arthur O'Neill
Arthur Edward Bruce O'Neill (19 September 1876 – 6 November 1914), was an Irish Ulster Unionist Party politician who was the first Member of Parliament to be killed in World War I.
Early life
O'Neill was the second but eldest surviving son of ...
(1734-1818):
* ''Thomas Conlan (Connellan) the great harper was born before my time. I heard he played very well. He made himself conspicuous in Scotland by means of the tune Lochaber, which he plastered on the Scots as one of his own compositions whereas it is well known it was composed by Miles O'Reilly of Killinkere, in the county Cavan under the name of 'Limerick's Lamentation.' However Conlan arrived to city honours in Edinburgh, chiefly by means of that tune among others. I heard they made him a bailie or burgomaster in Edinburgh where he died.'' (p. 13)
Edinburgh Council record of 11 January 1717 states:
* (p. 21) If this is true then it contradicts the date of death.
References
* ''The Harpers Connellan: Irish Music of the late 17th century - The life and times of the Sligo harpers William and Thomas Connellan'', CD by harpist
Kathleen Loughnane, 2009, ISMN 979 0 9002013 3 1.
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Connellan, Thomas
1640s births
1698 deaths
Irish composers
Irish harpists
Musicians from County Sligo
17th-century Irish people
17th-century classical composers