3:00pm | Belfast Cathedral | Free Event

While there are only a few original English-language songs preserved in the Bunting manuscripts, the c.500 Irish texts (excluding duplicates) included constitute a large and important collection of eighteenth century and earlier Irish song. Bunting knew little or no Irish, but instead Irish-language scholars, primarily Patrick Lynch (Pádraig Ó Loingsigh) and James Cody (Séamus Mhac Óda), were employed to collect Irish song from performers at the turn of the nineteenth century when Irish was still the majority language in the country.

The presentation will consider the significance of the Bunting manuscripts as a repository of song texts of the era and the contribution of commissioned scribes and correspondents to their collection.

Belfast Cathedral
Donegall St.
Belfast
BT1 2HB