Nicholas Dáll Pierce ("blind Nicholas Pierce") (c.1561 – 1653) was an Irish

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

player and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

. Pierce resided at Rattoo, Clanmaurice,

County Kerry County Kerry () is a Counties of Ireland, county on the southwest coast of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. It is bordered by two other countie ...

, and was a renowned blind harp player. According to Captain

Francis O'Neill Francis O'Neill (; August 28, 1848 – January 26, 1936) was an Irish-born American police officer and collector of Irish traditional music. His biographer Nicholas Carolan referred to him as "the greatest individual influence on the evolution ...

, on 11 April 1601 he was

"Celebrated for his capacity for composing laments, and other ancient strains, he enjoyed the distinction, O'Curry tells us of having three odes written in his praise. It appears that he fell into disfavour with the government for it is recorded in the State Papers that Nicholas Dall, Rattoo, County Kerry, was pardoned with nine others in 1601 by Queen Elizabeth and her Lord Deputies in Ireland."

"Pierce's renown both as a harper and as a composer of laments and other tunes is reflected in three odes written in his honour."Helen Lawlor: "Pierce, Nicholas Dall", in: ''The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland'', ed. H. White & B. Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), vol. 2, p. 839

Bibliography

*John H. Pierse: "Nicholas Dall Pierce of Co. Kerry, Harper", in: ''Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society'' 6 (1973), p. 40-75

References

External links

Haneman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Nicholas Dall 1560s births 1653 deaths Irish male harpists Musicians from County Kerry Irish male composers Irish blind musicians Irish harpists Composers for harp 16th-century Irish male musicians 17th-century Irish male musicians 16th-century Irish classical composers 17th-century Irish classical composers 16th-century Irish harpists 17th-century Irish harpists