CHAPTER 4: Dulcimers in the British Isles since 1800 > Dulcimers in Northern Ireland

Older players living

A number of older players still living are apparently not very active dulcimer-players, but do play at home now and again:

• James and Andrew Davidson of Buckna, between Glenarm and Ballymena.

• Miss Katie Johnson, sister of the late John Johnson, aged 74, of Owencloughy;

• William McMullen of Ballyclare, who plays one of the old instruments;

• Thomas Taylor of Mullaghmore, Co. Tyrone, aged c.82;

• Robert Gilbert of Kilwaughter, Larne, plays the Scots pipes, accordion, violin, banjo, and tin whistle, as well as the dulcimer; he started playing on the violin, and the dulcimer is his second-favourite instrument: but says of himself that he "plays too many instruments to be good at any". He made his first dulcimer in the early 1930s, and is still making them for people living locally, with 6 ^III + 7 ^III strings, and separate bridges, although they are in a single line (type yy.2). He had a dance band in the old days, with two violins, dulcimer, tenor banjo, mandolin, drums and accordion, playing country-dance music: reels and jigs, a march or two, and some slow airs; they gave up a long time ago, "when the shakes came in".