Charles Fanning, Irish harper, born

Foxford Foxford () is a town 16 km south of Ballina, County Mayo, Ballina in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It stands on the N26 road, N26 roads in Ireland, national primary route from Swinford to Ballina and has Foxford railway station ...

County Mayo County Mayo (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. In the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, it is named after the village of Mayo, County Mayo, Mayo, now ge ...

, 1736, died after 1792. A son of a comfortable farmer and notable harper named Loughlin Fanning, he was taught by

County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...

harper, Thady Smith. A friend and rival of Arthur O'Neill, Fanning performed at the Granard Harp Festivals of 1781, 1782 and 1783, each time winning first prize. He accomplished the same feat at Belfast in 1792. 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 ...

said of him:

"Charles Fanning preferred
Ulster Ulster (; or ; or ''Ulster'') is one of the four traditional or historic provinces of Ireland, Irish provinces. It is made up of nine Counties of Ireland, counties: six of these constitute Northern Ireland (a part of the United Kingdom); t ...
to his native province, and although certain important episodes in his life happened at Tyrone, his chief haunts were in the County of
Cavan Cavan ( ; ) is the county town of County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town lies in Ulster, near the border with County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland. The town is bypassed by the main N3 road (Ireland), N3 road that links Dublin ( ...
. The mistake of his life was marrying the kitchen maid of one of his early patrons, a Mrs. Baillie who was a good performer on the harp herself, and who had entertained him at her table, and introduced him to genteel company. The result is well expressed in the concise language of Bunting: “He was also patronized by the celebrated
Earl of Bristol Earl of Bristol is a title that has been created twice in British history, and was attested once before. Antiquaries Carew and Williams refer to Reginald de Dunstanville (–1175, the illegitimate son of King Henry I) as Earl of Bristol. Howe ...
, the great
Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...
; but in consequence of having married a person in low life and corresponding habits, he never attained to respectability or independence."

External links

* http://billhaneman.ie/IMM/IMM-VIII.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Fanning, Charler 1736 births 18th-century Irish male musicians 18th-century Irish harpists Musicians from County Mayo 1790 deaths People from Foxford