The Irish Traditional Music Archive (ITMA) is committed to providing free, universal access to the rich cultural tradition of Irish music, song and dance. If you’re able, we’d love for you to consider a donation. Any level of support will help us preserve and grow this tradition for future generations.
Irish popular song and music of many kinds (including national music and traditional music) has been published in sheet-music form in Ireland since the 18th century.
Mainly publication has been in English, but since the early 20th century also in Irish. The lines between Irish popular and traditional song and music are hard to define, and the genres have significant resemblances. Often sheet-music material that is created by known poets and composers for commercial, literary, or other cultural purposes, enters oral tradition and comes to be considered as of anonymous origin.
The Irish Traditional Music Archive accordingly collects Irish popular sheet music as representing a dimension of Irish traditional music. It presents here a selection of these sheets.
With thanks to sheet-music donors Phil Callery, Adrian Gebruers, Bríd Hetherington, Nellie Walsh, and Waltons Ltd.
ITMA would welcome the donation of other materials of this kind which are not yet in its collections (check our catalogues here), or of their loan for copying.
Nicholas Carolan, 1 October 2008
Úna Bhán = Fair Una : old Irish air / arranged by Carl G. Hardebeck
Úcaire na Banndan : amhrán trí-pháirteacht / Carl G. Hardebec do ghléas
Wearing o' the green and The minstrel boy : from a series of popular solos for violin with piano accompaniment / arranged by W. H. Gracey
The Vale of Avoca : ballad / written by Charles Jefferys ; music by Stephen Glover
Rosg catha, or, War song of the Irish bards before the Battle of Clontarf / dedicated to W.S. O'Brien, M.P. ;the music and words by John Cornelius O'Callaghan, (author of The green book) ; arranged by James Barton, for the voice and piano
The wealth of the cottage is love / sung by Mr Incledon in Paul & Virginia ; Composed by Mr Reeve
Memories of a piper. No. 4. Containing Dear Irish boy, Whene'er I see those smiling eyes, Night closed round the conqueror's way / by M. A. C. ; arranged for the pianoforte by C. V.
Molly Muldoon : song waltz / written by R. P. Weston and Bert Lee ; composed by Harris Weston
Grand centenary march : in honor of the demonstration to take place in Dublin on the 6th day of August 1875 in commemoration of the Great Liberator Daniel O'Connell / dedicated to the Irish Nation by P. W. Gormley
Wandering Mary : a ballad with an accompaniment for the piano forte / composed by Thomas Thompson
First set. Weippert's national country dances / Newly arranged for the Piano Forte by G. Weippert
Second set of Weippert's national country dances / Newly arranged for the piano forte by G. Weippert
What an Irishman means by 'machree' / words by Francis P. Donnelly ; music by Ernest Torrence
