A look into one of Linen Hall Library’s most fascinating collections, with music, speakers, and insights into early 19th century Belfast!

To celebrate the Bicentenary of the Irish Harp Society of Belfast (1819-39), we present a colloquium that draws together strands from Linen Hall’s Beath Collection. This collection contains a wealth of material from the 18th and 19th centuries tied to music—as well as social reform, politics, and more. Many of the manuscripts are connected with influential music collectors and musicians, including Edward Bunting, Patrick Lynch, Robert MacAdam, Mary Ann McCracken, and William Ware.
Presenters/performers include Frank Bunting, Nicholas Carolan, Simon Chadwick, Philip McDonagh, Lily Neill, and Dr. Mary Louise O’Donnell. By celebrating the treasures that comprise the Beath Collection we hope to raise funds that will go toward its long-term preservation and eventual digitisation, so that future generations can more readily access the past—and thus enrich the future.