Frank Harte

Frank Harte's family ran a typical Irish pub close to the banks of the Liffey river, and the young boy's introduction to Irish singing was hearing a wandering balladeer who was selling song sheets at a fair in Boyle. From this early inspiration, Harte became a great promoter of the Dublin street ballad. His importance on the Irish music scene cannot be denied, except perhaps amongst the ranks of Irish instrumentalists, who might approve of Harte's preference for these ballads to be performed unaccompanied. His own singing is certainly up to this challenge. While some might fin...