Deirdre Ní Chonghaile

Many Irish traditional musicians enjoy accessing historical sources to inform and enrich their contemporary practice. But what archives remain unknown to us? How can we improve their discoverability and accessibility? And what can we learn from such work? Considering these questions, this presentation shares the story of Rev. Daniel J. Murphy from Sligo and J.J. Lyons from Galway, who transcribed over 1,200 sean-nós songs from Irish-speakers in Pennsylvania from 1884 to the 1920s. Preserving the pre-Famine memory of Ireland in a diasporic setting, this extraordinary collection of manuscripts reveals a unique opportunity to map song through time and space and so highlight its currency, mobility, and enduring power.

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